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Green Cleaning

Safety

Cleaning employees have one of the highest accidents rates of any industry. Because cleaning employees are working with numerous chemicals, heavy equipment and are constantly lifting and bending, there are many ways they can be injured while on the job. Residential cleaners may not use the heavy equipment that commercial cleaners use, but there are certainly many areas where caution is advised.

Can accidents be prevented? You bet! Even though most accidents are just that - accidents -- they can be prevented by making sure that cleaning employees have the proper training. Accidents can lead to injuries, which can lead to an employee missing work and higher workers' compensation costs for your cleaning company. The articles contained in this section give practical tips you can implement immediately to keep your cleaning employees safe.

Focus on Safe Driving

Cleaning company's operate their business at various locations, which means your employees need to travel to get to work. It is your responsibility as their employer to make sure they are driving safely, especially if they're driving company vehicles. While individual driving records don't always predict which drivers will be in crashes, there is a strong relationship between driving records and crash rates for companies. . . . keep reading

Protecting Yourself From Getting Sick While Cleaning
Jean Hanson
Getting sick is definitely a challenge that house cleaners face every day. This article will give you steps to help protect yourself. . . . keep reading

What Your Cleaning Company Needs to Know About the Hazard Communication Law
Jean Hanson
As a cleaning company you use various chemicals in your day-to-day operations. Products such as floor finish, toilet bowl cleaners, disinfectants, carpet spotters and all-purpose cleaners contain various ingredients that can pose a hazard to your employees' health and well-being. This article clarifies your responsibilities to your employees' safety, as stated in the "Right To Know Law". . . . keep reading

The Great Debate: Cleaning vs Hygiene
Jean Hanson

Did you know that 80% of all common infections are spread through the environment? This means that cold and flu viruses are found in the air, water, food and fomites. What are fomites? They are inanimate objects like desktops, doorknobs, keys, remote controls, and toilet seats, which are involved in disease transmission. . . . keep reading

Why You Should Be Concerned About Ergonomics In Your House Cleaning Business
Jean Hanson
Have you ever given any thought to whether the equipment you buy for your employees to use is designed for their comfort? Most of us are too concerned about what the product costs rather than its ergonomic value. But buying products and equipment that are designed with ergonomics in mind can prevent injuries and help your employees perform their routine tasks better and more efficiently. . . . keep reading

What To Do When Your Vacuum Cleaner Stops Running
Steve Hanson

Has this ever happened to you or your employees? You plug in your vacuum cleaner, turn it on and nothing happens. You turn the switch off and on, wondering what is going on. You check the wall outlet and everything seems fine. Now what? . . . keep reading

What Types of Protective Gloves Should You Use In Your Cleaning Business?
Steve Hanson

As a responsible cleaning business owner, the safety of your employees and customers should be at the forefront of your daily operations. Concerns over cold and flu viruses, and other communicable diseases are rapidly growing. The use of disposable gloves in the janitorial industry is not new, but many are unaware of the types of gloves available and their uses. . . . keep reading

Safety Discussion with Sharon Cowan, Jean and Steve Hanson

Perry Phillips of Home Cleaner Magazine invited Jean & Steve Hanson of MyHouseCleaningBiz.com and Sharon Cowan of Cleaning Business Consulting Group to discuss the topic of Safety. some of the topics covered in this call include: your responsibility as a cleaning business owner, what lack of attention to safety can cost your business, safety training -- what to discuss and how often, what you need to know about Osha, Right to Know law, and much more! . . . keep reading

Pandemic Flu and Your Role as a Cleaning Company Owner -- Part 2
Jean Hanson

Pandemic flu continues to be an issue worldwide. In our two-part article, we are discussing how cleaning business owners are affected. In the last article we talked about what you need to do internally within your organization to prevent the spread of swine flu/H1N1. Now we will move on to how you deal with your customers in a pandemic crisis. . . . keep reading

Pandemic Flu and Your Role as a Cleaning Company Owner -- Part 1
Jean Hanson

There is no doubt now that the Swine Flu is now here. How far will it spread and how severe it will become is unknown, but what we do know is that our lifestyle and the choices we make may be changed for some time to come. Every day, new cases are reported. New states and new countries are reporting cases on what seems to be an hourly basis. The Center for Disease Control's website at www.cdc.gov will give you updates on the current status of what is more accurately known at the H1N1. You can also find updates here - www.pandemicflu.gov/. The World Health Organization (WHO) has, as of the writing of this article, raised the alert level to 5, one step away from the highest level of full blown pandemic. This is obviously scary for all of us. Your personal health and that of your friends and family should be first and foremost in your mind. Being prepared is a mindset that will benefit you personally and financially. . . . keep reading

Anatomy of an Accident & the Importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Theresa Peterson, owner of Quality Cleaning
The owners of Quality Janitorial were pleased when they finally had built up their business enough to be able to employ others to help to do the cleaning. What they had not considered were all of the ramifications of not having a proper training program in place. Unfortunately they found out rather quickly. . . . keep reading

8 Ways to Prevent Injuries When Cleaning
Steve 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: . . . keep reading

Safety Training Program for Residential Cleaners

Did you know that cleaning companies are one of the businesses fined the most for failing to properly train their employees in regards to safety and hazards on the job? Complying with all of the local, state and federal requirements when it comes to safety training can be a big headache for your residential cleaning company. A small incident can lead to large fines for your company if you don't have a documented employee safety program in place for your cleaning business. The Safety Training for Residential Cleaners Program will provide you with all of the information you need to properly train your employees. . . . keep reading

Safety Practices in Residential Cleaning
Sharon Cowan
When you are in the cleaning industry, whether you clean homes or offices, the responsibility for the safety and well being of your employees is yours. If your company consists of yourself, 1 employee, 10 employees or 50 employees, it does not matter. Providing a safe work environment is the responsibility of the owner of the company. . . . keep reading

Working with Cleaning Chemicals
Jean Hanson
As residential cleaning companies we work with an assortment of cleaning chemicals. Your employees need to know how to use all chemicals they work with and be aware of where the MSDS sheets are for the products they use. Following are safety tips that apply to the use of any product they may be using. . . . keep reading

The Importance of Hand Washing
Jean Hanson
It is well known that inadequate hand washing can lead to the spread of germs. However, as cleaning professionals it is sometimes overlooked how important this is in our industry. Even if your cleaning staff is wearing gloves, it is still important that they spend the extra time necessary to make sure chemicals and germs are thoroughly washed off their hands. . . . keep reading

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