Being in the cleaning industry for some, we can be lulled into thinking that we know it all but following my review of the blood borne pathogens course, a few things became clear for me.  First, it is imperative to wear PPE at all times.  While it is probably safe to assume that most of us wear gloves, I have not been as diligent about PPE to cover me eyes and when I have used eye protection is has been in the form of safety glasses, which are more appropriate for construction work. Goggles are more appropriate for cleaning in environments where any type of bodily fluids may be present as they provide far greater protection and reduce the chance of contact with bodily fluids.

Secondly, something that I have been guilty of many times in the past is eating and drinking either before or after cleaning, while on a customer's premises.  I did not realize that OSHA guidelines warn against this practice.  I think that most people can understand how easy this error can occur, especially when working evenings and not want to elongate our time away from our homes and family, it is pretty easy to see how and why some might be apt to eat at work.  Now that this practice has been brought to me attention as being potentially, hazardous, I'll be sure not to do it any more and I'll make sure to pass this along to my team members, especially those who clean medical facilities.

Finally, it never dawned on me to sanitize trash cans that contain potentially hazardous materials, even where no visible rips or leaks can be seen.  Going forward, I am going to sanitize all trash cans every night to further reduce the possibility of cross contamination. 

Learn More About Bloodborne Pathogens Here