Jean Hanson

There are many ways you or your cleaning workers can become injured on the job. By taking a few precautions and spending time on safety training, you can save your cleaning company money by preventing accidents from happening. Here are a few tips for preventing injuries:

1. Slips and Falls. Make sure you and your workers wear the proper footwear. Athletic shoes are preferred - never allow open-toed shoes or shoes with slippery soles to be worn on the job.
   
   Use wet floor signs or caution signs when working with wet floors, and avoid walking across wet floors.
   
   
2. Ergonomic Injuries. Make sure everyone knows how to lift safely. For example, bend at the knees and not at the waist.
   
   Vary the employees' activities to avoid repetitive motions that can cause injuries. If possible, use equipment that is ergonomically designed like back pack vacuums. Before using a back pack vacuum, adjust it for the proper fit.
   
   
3. Equipment Accidents. Train employees on how to use all equipment properly in order to avoid accidents and keep the equipment in good working order. Floor machines like buffers and carpet cleaning equipment can be hard to handle so give employees plenty of practice. Allow only trained employees to use this type of equipment.
   
   
4. Climbing Accidents. Make sure employees use sturdy ladders for climbing. Never use chairs, desks, boxes or wobbly ladders. Never stand on the top rung of the ladder and don't over-reach or lean too far to one side when standing on a ladder.
   
   
5. Cuts or Puncture Wounds. Never push down on trash to compact it as there may be sharp objects that can puncture your hands. Never pick up broken glass with your hands - use a broom and dust pan.
   
   When working in dental or medical facilities be sure to watch for improperly disposed of needles in order to avoid being stuck.
   
   
6. Respiratory Injuries. Avoid using aerosols in your cleaning business, as it's easier to breathe in the fumes from this type of container. Instead use pump sprayers and spray a small amount into your cleaning cloth rather than spraying large amounts onto the surface you're cleaning.
   
   Avoid feather dusting, which makes the dust airborne and increases the risk of inhalation. Rather, use damp dusting methods with microfiber cloths. Also avoid sweeping. Instead, vacuum hard floors with a back pack vacuum and then damp mop the floor to keep dust from becoming airborne.
   
   
7. Eye and Skin Injuries. Use protective eye glasses when using cleaning chemicals to keep the spray from entering the eyes. Use protective gloves when using cleaning chemicals to prevent them from contacting the skin, causing irritation or burning.

As you can see, these simple precautions can keep you and your employees from becoming injured on the job. By spending a little bit of time on training, you'll save lots of money in escalating costs of worker's compensation insurance and lost time on the job.

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.