Why Are Safety Checklists So Important?

Safety checklists help in reducing or removing risks that can cause illnesses, injuries, and incidents to janitorial workers. 

• Health
• Safety
• Environment

Janitorial service work comes with inherent hazards. Any list of janitorial safety guidelines must cover a vast array of potential threats. The tricky part is identifying all of the risks. 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 37% of the accidents in the janitorial services sector result in musculoskeletal injuries, most commonly caused by trips, slips, falls, and coming into contact with hazardous objects, like equipment or sharps in a medical office. Other common incidences of injury include overexertion in lifting. 

While it’s impossible to provide a fully comprehensive list of janitorial safety guidelines, this list will provide you with a solid foundation to follow:

Health
Make sure your facility is adhering to all OSHA regulations especially in regards to bloodborne pathogens. Contaminated and improperly disposed of sharps can cause puncture injuries and possibly transmit bloodborne infections.
All businesses and institutions that use sharps for medical care must adopt practices that isolate sharps and ensure they are disposed of properly. 
This includes training your employees and posting visual aids around the workplace as reminders of the specific guidelines. 
 
Safety
Falls on floors occur in various ways and from various causes. The principal causes of falls on floors are due spills and other contaminants. The National Safety Council advises that all employees be trained to use containers for the disposal of trash and wrappings only, taking care to dispose of liquid waste separately (to prevent leaks and possible slip and fall injuries).
 
Additionally, if containers are not large enough to hold the trash that accumulates during the workday, make an effort to secure larger containers (to prevent lower back injuries, trash weight inside containers should be limited to 35 lbs), provide janitorial service more often, or study the operation in an effort to reduce the amount of trash. A recycling program, if not already in place, is recommended for the disposal of cardboard and paper products. Most importantly, trash must be kept off the floors.
​
Environment
Janitorial employees are often faced with a myriad of safety concerns when working at night. If they are required to move trash from the building to a dumpster, there is an additional risk. 
Therefore, ensuring a safe workplace is critical. All outside areas should have lighting in good working order. This includes parking lot lights, dumpster area lights, and all entryway lights. If any lights are burned out be sure to get them replaced right away. Lastly, be sure to trim down any overgrown trees, shrubs, etc., which can create dangerous blind spots.
 
Let's commit to creating a plan for a safe work environment for all who enter your business. Partner with Peach State Cleaning Solutions to maintain a safe and healthy workplace by identifying potential hazards and implementing safe work practices.