Private industry reported 6. 1 million workplace injuries and illnesses in 1997, according to survey data from the U.S. Department of labor’s Bureau of labor Statistics. About 5.7 million of those injuries kept injured workers off the job for a period of time.

Lost time and productivity translate into lower production, higher overhead and lower profits, so managers who provide services in a facility should strive for zero tolerance of work-related injuries. Such a program can save the company significant dollars while increasing employee morale and well-being.

Many tasks put custodians and customers at risk of injury. From a simple but essential task such as mopping a floor to trash removal, vacuuming or operating large pieces of floor equipment such as an auto-scrubber or an auto-burnisher, the potential for injury is ever present.

On-the-job hazards.
By identifying potential hazards, developing safety measures and using safety checks, managers can minimize the potential for injuries. Among the hazards custodians may be exposed to daily are these:

Slips.
This hazard is always present while mopping or stripping floors and can cause sprained ankles, torn ligaments or knee injuries.

Falls.
Many custodians climb ladders to change light bulbs or clean walls and ceilings. Once in an elevated position, the risk of falling increases.

Cuts and sticks.
Even the contents of a simple desk-side trash container can expose a custodian who empties the container to cuts from broken glass or sticks from sharp objects such as needles.

Back injury.
Each day, custodians must lift, move and handle items and operate heavy equipment. Each task presents the opportunity for back injuries, ranging from simple muscle strains to herniated discs.

Electrocution.
Custodians use many pieces of electrically powered equipment such as vacuums and floor machines. Wherever electricity is present, the possibility of electrocution exists. Such injuries can be caused by frayed wires, improperly grounded equipment or equipment that has some electrical malfunction. Anytime water is present, workers should take extreme caution when using electric powered floor equipment if water is present because water can cause equipment to short out.

Burns.
Custodians using water for cleaning tasks may be exposed to hot water, either at the source or from equipment, such as steam cleaners or hot-water extractors. Workers that use propane buffers may be burned by hot exhausts or un-insulated components.

Repetitive motion injuries.
These types of injuries — which include carpal tunnel syndrome — result from the consistent motion of parts of the body, such as wrists and hands, when performing such tasks as mopping or vacuuming floors.

The incidence of injuries often is linked to the equipment cleaning crews use. For instance, the chance for injury for a worker who is dust mopping, damp mopping and vacuuming may be less than that for a cleaner using dry/wet vacuum pick-up units, carpet extraction units, autoscrubbers, buffers, burnishers or other types of equipment.

Safety Measures

What safety measures should a manager implement to minimize the risk of injury in the department?

Managers should stress safety as a way of operation. For example, organizations should offer a companywide safety training program. Reactive safety programs are a failure because someone has already been injured. Such actions are a bit like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

Also, refresher courses should be provided, and safety posters and related safety information should be placed at strategic locations throughout the facility. Managers also should consider these tactics:

• Encourage people to think safety, act safely and be safe. The corporate culture should encourage safety at all levels. Wearing gloves to perform a certain task may seem minor, but a pair of gloves may prevent bums, cuts and chemical reactions on the skin.
• Train workers on the correct operation of equipment they use to perform tasks. Encourage vendor participation in the safety process, provide operator manuals, and train workers on each piece of equipment from start-up to shut-down. For workers moving heavy items, managers should provide appropriate equipment, such as hand carts, flatbed carts and stair movers.
• Check each piece of equipment before use to ensure it is in proper operating order. For instance, checking connections and hoses on a high-pressure washer may prevent serious injury. Damaged hoses or loose connections can leak water under high pressure, possibly causing burns or skin lacerations. One method to encourage this type of safety is to require an operator to complete a safety checklist for each piece of powered equipment before using it.
• Set up a safety inspection program that monitors how people use, clean and service equipment. Managers can institute the use of a checklist to ensure that workers comply with safety directives.
• Buy ergonomically correct equipment. Talk with custodial equipment providers and specifl equipment that has documented ergonomic advantages. Buy powered equipment that minimizes pulling or pushing. If direct electrical powered equipment of 110-208 volts is a concern, consider battery-operated units that eliminate exposure to high- voltage equipment.

In other words, buy the right piece of equipment with the best safety features to perform the task at hand by matching the work to be performed to the characteristics of the equipment to be purchased.

Enforcing safety

Once an active safety program is in place, managers should take steps to ensure that the exposure to injury from powered or non-powered equipment is minimized. Have all electric-powered equipment checked by a qualified electrician regularly to ensure the electrical system operates correctly.

Document these checks.

• Check daily to ensure that the grounding pins of units that are required to be grounded are in place. While doing this check the electrical wall outlets to ensure that the grounding pins are not broken off in the wall outlets. Floor equipment such as wet vacuums and auto-scrubbers that use water as part of their operation must be grounded correctly and connected to a properly grounded wall outlet.
• Check electrical cords for cuts, kinks or knots. If these conditions are present, replace the cord.
• Check that batteries used in battery-powered equipment are working and that battery chargers are working correctly. Batteries should be maintained according to manufacturer directions, and appropriate ventilation should be provided so gases generated from the charging process do not build up.

Managers should require personnel to wear appropriate safety equipment, and equipment use instructions should be explained in the department’s personal protective equipment manual or policy. Some automated floor equipment uses chemicals, so operators should be required to wear goggles and gloves at a minimum when using chemicals.

Workers should be required to follow the directions of material safety data sheets carefully, and they should wear protective footwear with non-slip soles if operating equipment.

The finer points

Monitoring.
Managers should monitor cleaning personnel to make sure they use equipment for its designed purpose. For example, cleaners have been observed using a standard upright vacuum to pick up wet dirt and debris. Picking up dirt that is wet exposes the operator to electrical shock.

Maintenance.
Implement an equipment PM program that starts with a requirement that machine operators clean the equipment after each use. They should wash and rinse the equipment, check filters, and check power cords and connections, as well as document any service checks.

Developing a program that emphasizes zero tolerance for injuries is generally a matter of basics. In most cases, occupational injuries are due to operator error, so by increasing awareness of the need for safety, housekeeping managers can reinforce that each worker is a valued member of the team.

A zero tolerance program can benefit housekeeping workers and departments, as well as add zeros to the organization’s bottom line.

Demonstrating Safety

Housekeeping managers updating or implementing a worker safety program should consider using a performance-based approach. In other words, a worker trained in how to use a buffer should be able to demonstrate in action how to use the equipment correctly and safely.

For example, custodians should be trained in the safe operation of a buffer, including include such tasks as installing pad drivers, changing buffing pads and levering a buffer to make it move in one direction or the other. Once the initial training is completed, the custodians should each demonstrate the correct procedures by actually running the buffer by themselves.

In another example, custodians who handle such tasks as moving floor cleaning equipment or removing large quantities of trash from buildings should be trained in safe lifting techniques, and they should be required to demonstrate these techniques. They also should be provided with personal protective equipment, such as back supports, to further prevent injury.