From commercial buildings, shopping malls, airports, and sports and concert venues, to hospitals, schools, and any number of other public places and spaces, have you ever considered just how important janitorial staff are to providing a safe and sanitary environment in our daily lives?

Responsibilities of Janitorial Service Providers

The responsibilities of janitorial staff make quite a long list that go well beyond scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. There are safety factors to consider regarding the presence of pathogens, chemicals, and surfaces, such as floors, sinks, door handles, and many other surfaces. Furthermore, janitorial staff need to be well trained and have access to all of the personal protection equipment (PPE), supplies, and material safety data sheets (MSDSs) required to safely and successfully fulfill cleaning tasks.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Bloodborne pathogens (BBPs) are microscopic organisms found in human blood which can cause illness and disease when spread through exposure to infected blood and/or bodily fluids. You may think of BBPs as being present only in hospital settings. Consider that BBPs may be present anywhere, such as someone with a cut on their finger dripping blood into a public bathroom sink and simply wiping the blood away with a paper towel. Sure, the blood isn’t visible anymore, yet BBPs will still be present if the blood was infected.

Chemical Hazards

Created in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA – a US Department of Labor agency) strives to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for employees, including monitoring the use and safety of some 650,000 hazardous chemicals used in millions of establishments – thereby, creating safe and healthy conditions for the general public. OSHA estimates more than 30 million American workers are exposed to such hazardous chemicals in the workplace, which means the general public may be exposed in many situations as well.

Proper Training for Janitorial Staff

It’s clear to see that proper training and education are needed for janitorial staff to complete their jobs safely and to keep a clean and safe environment for the public. The International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association (IJCSA) is dedicated to providing training and support to janitorial companies and staff in commercial cleaning to meet OSHA’s standards and regulations. Further, IJCSA has a directory of janitorial companies searchable by keywords and also by City and State. For example, searching in my hometown of Nashville, TN, you could find Pristine Building Services LLC as well as this company's website.

To learn more, visit IJCSA today!