Cleaning Service Business Safety Tips
Many workman’s compensation claims, calls to the poison control center and trips to the emergency room causing serious injury and sometimes even death are from cleaning accidents. Even though you have liability insurance, you don’t want to use it. Not to mention, you don’t want to get hurt. Basic cleaning safety tips can help protect you and your customers from cleaning accidents.
1. Store your cleaning supplies away from children and pets and not just under the kitchen sink. Child safety locks can be more of a nuisance than a real deterrent. If you keep your supplies in a locked cabinet either above the washing machine or in the garage, they are safer than under the sink or in an unlocked cupboard.
2. Read manufacturer’s labels for ingredients, directions and warnings for all of your cleaning supplies.
3. Not all ingredients are listed on the label. Call manufacturer’s to get a Material Safety Data Sheet.
4. Store chemicals in original containers, sealed tightly and in a cool dark place. Do not store them in your vehicle.
5. Never, ever mix chemicals especially bleach and ammonia which creates toxic fumes.
6. If working with chemicals, ventilate your cleaning area.
7. Wear gloves when working with chemicals.
8. Use the safest or greenest possible cleaning solution that will do the job.
9. Homemade products are often the safest products as well as the cheapest products. Be sure to label your bottles.
10. Some commercial green products may still have some toxic chemicals, read the labels.
11. Do not hurry so fast when cleaning that you become unsafe.
12. Lift properly by facing what you are lifting, lifting close to your body and squatting versus bending over to pick things up.
13. Squat while cleaning tubs or other low objects and do not bend over tubs to clean.
14. Alternate hands when cleaning to help prevent overuse injuries.
15. Watch out for tripping on cords, wear and tear on cords, and unsafe outlets.
16. Be careful when climbing ladders, steps, and stairwells.
17. Do not climb large ladders unless insured for it.
18. Walk back through a house checking for lights, open back doors, plugged in appliances, etc. before leaving.
Source: Cleaning Services Chicago