janitors physical hazards

7/29/2019 Janitors Physical Hazards

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Janitors, Custodians, andHousekeepers

Module 2: Physical Hazards


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This module:

Will demonstrate that janitors, custodians, and

housekeepers may complete many different tasks

Is one in a series of modules that will discuss hazardsjanitors, custodians, and housekeepers may encounter

Will cover physical hazards and provide tips for prevention Module 1 will cover chemical hazards from cleaningproducts

Module 3 will cover exposure to biological hazards Module 4 will cover musculoskeletal hazards Module 5 will cover removing graffiti

A stand alone module entitled Working Alone in Safetymay also be of interest

Provide sources of additional information


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Janitors may be responsible for a largevariety of tasks:

Vacuuming

Sweeping and Mopping

Waxing floors

Cleaning bathrooms

Dusting furniture

Moving furniture

Emptying trash

Restocking supplies

Wiping counters Scrubbing

Unstopping drains/repairing faucets

Mowing lawns

Removing stains

Heating/Air conditioning

Ventilation

Insect control

Maintaining and cleaningdoors and windows

Delivery/Pick up of items

Extra security

Weather emergencies

Lab spills

Helping with disabled cars

Minor repairs

Painting and carpentry


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In a variety of buildings:

Hospitals

Schools

Universities

Laboratories

Factories

Offices

Restaurants

Stores

Nursing Homes

Clinics


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Physical Hazards

Falls from ladders and elevated platforms

Wet, slippery floors

Falling objects

Moving or rotating machinery parts

Electrical equipment and wires

Hot equipment

Sharp objects, scrap metal, broken glass

Noise from machinery or cleaning equipment

High temperatures


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Preventing falls from ladders

To reduce the risk of falls from ladders:

Use ladders with slip-resistant feet

Inspect ladder before climbing

Do not use chairs, boxes, or tables as asubstitute for a ladder

Set ladder on a flat, firm surface

Face the ladder when standing on it and whenclimbing up or down

Keep the center of your body between theside rails of the ladder

Dont work from the top two steps of a ladder


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Preventing falls from elevations

Dont work on an elevated floor or work locationwithout guardrails in place.

Dont stand on guardrails to gain extra height.

Dont lean over railings.


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Preventing slips, trips, and falls:

Wet, slippery floors are amajor cause of slips, trips, andfalls. To help preventaccidents: Wear safety shoes with non-skid

soles Keep floors free from water or

grease Clean floors regularly Use slip-resistant waxes on floors Clean up spills immediately Put up warning signs around

spills or wet floors


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Use rubber mats in areaswhere the floors areconstantly wet

Report to your supervisorany repair needed to non-slip tiling or other non-slipfloor products

Report to your supervisorany uneven floor surfaces.


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Keep floors and stairs free ofdebris and obstructions

Make sure mats and carpetare free of holes and bumps

Report poor lighting andreplace burned out bulbs assoon as possible

Report or fix any othertripping hazards immediately


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What are the best shoes?

To prevent slips and falls useshoes with:

Slip-resistant soles and a goodtread

Tightly tied laces

No leather or smooth soles

No open-toes No platform or high heels

No porous fabric such as canvas


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Preventing injuries from falling objects

If there is a risk of injury fromfalling objects on the head orfeet, wear a hard hat and/orsafety shoes.

Foot that was in the crushed boot


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Preventing injuries from machinery

Become familiar with the hazards

associated with particular machines.

Do not work with or aroundmachinery in which safeguards havebeen removed.

Report to you supervisor about adamaged or missing safeguard.

Machinery with moving or rotating partsmust be equiped with guards.


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Preventing injuries from machinery

Lockout Equipment that starts up

unexpectedly, especially duringcleanup or maintenance, can cause

many serious injuries

To reduce the risk of injury, unplugequipment before doing clean-up,maintenance, or repairs.

If the equipment is hardwired, followthe specific lockout procedure for thatequipment before cleaning it.


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Electrical Hazards

Electrical hazards can becaused by any of these:

Faulty electrical tools

and equipment Faulty appliances and

wiring

Electrical outlets Switch panels

Electric transformers


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Preventing injuries from electricalequipment

Inspect equipment, cords andfittings for damage prior to use

Turn equipment OFF beforeconnecting to a power supplyand before making any

adjustments Make sure cords do not create

a tripping hazard

When unplugging equipment,

pull on the plug not on the cord Keep cords away from heat,

water and oil. These candamage the insulation andcause a shock

Cord with waterproof seal


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Preventing injuries from electricalequipment

Do not use electric tools in

wet conditions or damplocations

Do not clean electricequipment with flammable ortoxic solvents

Do not carry electrical toolsby the power cord

Do not tie power cords inknots

Do not plug several powercords into one outlet

When in doubt, always askyour supervisor


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Preventing burns from hot equipment

Do not handle or touch hot (orthose that may be hot) articlesor surfaces with bare hands

If needed, wear heat-protective gloves

Organize your work area toprevent contact with hotobjects and flames

Open hot water faucets slowlyto avoid splashes

Report any faulty equipmentto your supervisor


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Preventing injuries from sharp objects,scrap metal, broken glass

Never pick up sharp objects,scrap metal, broken glass withbare hands.

Use dust pan and brush, heavygloves.

Never put sharp objects such asneedles, razor blades, or broken

glass into waster bins withoutwrapping and labeling the itemscarefully to protect thoseemptying the bins.

Preventing hearing loss from noisy


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Preventing hearing loss from noisymachinery or cleaning equipment

Turn off noisy machinery when not in use.

Wear hearing protection provide by your

employer when operating or workingaround noisy machinery or equipment.


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Preventing illness from working in hotenvironments

Where possible, use ventilation to draw heat and steam

away from work areas

Isolate or insulate hot equipment, where possible

Drink plenty of water

Use cool rest areas near the work area for breaks

Use cooling fans to increase air speed and sweatevaporation.

Where possible, do heaviest work during coolest times ofthe shift

Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress


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Resources used for this overview:

OSHA Hospital eToolhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housek

eeping.html

International Labor Organization - InternationalHazard Datasheets on Occupationhttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/produc

ts/hdo/htm/cleaner.htm

Healthy Workplaces: Successful Strategies inthe Food Processing Industry.Washington Departmentof Labor and Industries.Safety and Health Assessment andResearch for Prevention (SHARP) Program. Technical ReportNumber: 67-1-2001
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housekeeping.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housekeeping.htmlhttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/hdo/htm/cleaner.htmhttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/hdo/htm/cleaner.htmhttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/hdo/htm/cleaner.htmhttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/hdo/htm/cleaner.htmhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housekeeping.htmlhttp://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housekeeping.html


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Special thanks to the WorkersCompensation Board of British Columbiafor the use of photos and text from:

Health and Safety for Hospitality Small Business.http://tourism.healthandsafetycentre.org/s/Booklet.asp

Resources used for this overview:
http://tourism.healthandsafetycentre.org/s/Booklet.asphttp://tourism.healthandsafetycentre.org/s/Booklet.asp


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Additional Resources

WISHA Core Safety Rules (WAC 296-800)(Basic safety and health rules needed by most employers in

Washington State)http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/default.htm

Additional Safety Rules

(Fall protection, ladders, machine safety, lockout/tagout,electrical, hearing conservation, etc.)

http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/RULES/Find/RuleName/default.htm

Look for more in-depth modules on many of the

topics covered in this module at :http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Courses/default.asp

Workplace Safety and Health

http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/default.asp
http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/default.htmhttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/RULES/Find/RuleName/default.htmhttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Courses/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Courses/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Courses/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Courses/default.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/RULES/Find/RuleName/default.htmhttp://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/default.htm


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WISHA Consultation Services

Safety & Health program review and worksiteevaluation

By employer invitation only

Free

Confidential No citations or penalties

Letter explains findings

Follow-up all serious hazards

For additional assistance, you can call one of our consultants.Click below for local L&I office locations:

http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asp
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asphttp://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consultants.asp


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Thank you for taking the time tolearn about safety and health

and how to prevent injuries andillnesses.

janitors physical hazards

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