Menu
Log in


International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association

Featured member

Featured member

Recent Updates

  • 12 Jul 2021 8:44 PM | Deleted user

    In the janitorial industry, there will be a time when we will come across to clean facilities that deal with blood and body fluids that are affected. Removing trash that contains used syringes, handling laundry from medical facilities soiled with blood, or simply cleaning up after a sick person is especially important to know how to help eliminate exposure and even the spread of harmful bloodborne pathogens. There needs to be education and training on bloodborne pathogens and set up processes and systems in place to minimize exposure, and in case of contamination to have a plan in place for the isolation and prevention of spreading bloodborne pathogens. Therefore, it is imperative for cleaning techs and staff to know everything about bloodborne pathogen standards to help prevent exposure.

    Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms in blood and bodily fluids that cause diseases to humans. Bloodborne pathogens are spread through direct contact (blood, bodily fluids), indirect contact (an object e.g. needlestick, that contains blood or body fluid of an infected person), and respiratory droplet transmission (sneeze or cough). Cleaning techs and staff need to be educated and trained on universal precautions and be able to apply that knowledge successfully. This means to have an understanding of bloodborne pathogens (e.g. HIV, HBV), washing hands before and after handling items and objects that deal with blood and bodily fluids, wear always PPE equipment, and practice controls to limit exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Furthermore, cleaning techs and staff must know what to do immediately after they have been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen, and how to handle to promote exposure control. Finally, there must be a post exposure management protocol in place, so immediate confidential medical evaluations can be provided to the effected employee at no cost. Having all these in place helps to prevent bloodborne pathogen exposure.

    Bloodborne pathogens are real and harmful. Not knowing what they are, and how to work with them without education and training is sending your staff and cleaning techs to their doom. Therefore, it is imperative for your staff and cleaning techs to pass through a bloodborne pathogen certification to educate your employees for their safety, their clients, and the community. Having an education on bloodborne pathogens will prepare your staff and cleaning techs with the necessary tools and equipment to deal with issues like these and carry out their jobs successfully having a peace of mind knowing that everyone is safe.

  • 12 Jul 2021 3:14 PM | Danthanh Amy Nguyen

    Properly cleaning healthcare facilities will kill germs and stop spreading disease, preventing sickness or even death of the people involved. 

    Follow the correct cleaning methods beginning from organizing janitorial cart, to washing hand, to put on personal protection equipment (PPE), to steps of cleaning of each particular areas. Cleaning method of each patient room will be different depending the status of the patient: patient occupying room, discharge room or infectious/isolation patient room. Correctly cleaning high touch areas plays a big role in efficiency cleaning of medical facility, since those areas are mostly carrying germs or virus and could be transferred to others. 

    Finishing the cleaning route by correctly removing PPE and disinfect tools will help spreading disease to other areas in the building. 

    Medical cleaning certified company will ensure the safety of your staff as well as your patient and also benefit non- medical facility by correctly disinfectant its facility. International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association has a lot of members who are medical cleaning certified, please check on our directory for a well qualified company in your area: https://www.ijcsa.org/Janitorial-Service-Directory-Find-A-Janitorial-Service-JanitorialServices 

  • 11 Jul 2021 9:01 PM | Anonymous member

    Properly cleaning healthcare facilities is extremely important. A healthcare facility is generally a place where people who are sick or have a health problem go to be treated and with that it is essential to properly clean the facility to avoid patients from getting sick. Viruses, bacteria’s and other pathogens are going to enter the facility and disinfecting/cleaning everything correctly can eliminate those pathogens. Healthcare associated infections can make a patient sicker that what they first went into the hospital.

    Hospitals are supposed to be one of the cleanest places but in the other hand it also contains a lot of germs from people who are going in sick. In a hospital there is always people who are touching everything from doorknobs to light switches and if this is not properly clean daily the germs and viruses can become a problem. Proper training will help identify high traffic areas and with that proper cleaning/disinfecting techniques.

    Having a trained cleaning crew will be of great benefit it will give you a peace of mind knowing that your crew have the knowledge to clean efficiently a healthcare facility. IJCSA is a great association that offers trainings and with that you can be certain that you get a great cleaning company. Check out https://www.ijcsa.org/Janitorial-Service-Directory-Find-A-Janitorial-Service-JanitorialServices to find a certified company.

  • 11 Jul 2021 6:23 AM | Teferro Jeffries

    They are the first ones to arrive and quite possibly the last ones to leave.  They make sure that our days go smoothly and comfortably.  Some may think it is a thankless job but they deserve their flowers today.  The Janitorial staff is a critical component of our day to day life.

    Janitors are instrumental in making sure that the workplace or school facilities are comfortable and clean on a day to day basis.  They do so much more than that.  These individuals are usually the first to arrive to the facility and make sure that everything is in order for the general public's arrival.  These individuals continuously do their job at an optimal level with a smile on their face.  Typically the janitor staff are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.  Not only are these individuals creating a clean and safe work environment for everyone, they are definitely a joy to know.  

    Day in and day out, the janitorial staff delivers to it's customers.  They make sure our surroundings are clean and sanitary.  Their work is the first impression for some facilities.  With the proper training from https://www.ijcsa.org/Janitorial-Service-Directory-Find-A-Janitorial-Service-JanitorialServices , the janitors are further equipped with the skills to excel at their positions.  They are the unheralded heroes of the workplace.

  • 10 Jul 2021 5:52 PM | Deleted user

    Bloodborne pathogens are found in human blood and other body fluids such as synovial fluid. Facility employees such as janitors, housekeepers, custodians, and cleaners may be at risk of exposure to blood and other body fluids in the workplace.

    It is at the upmost importance for staff to know how to properly handle linens, trash and cleaning up fluids. If staff has not been trained and improper handling occurs they are setting themselves up for possible deadly exposure to HBV and HIV.

    A company should have knowledge of the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) and CDC's recommended standard precautions both include personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection (e.g., goggles), and face shields, to protect workers from exposure to infectious diseases.


  • 09 Jul 2021 11:34 AM | James Lamarre

    In the 21st century, awareness of society increased about natural green cleaning importance, and that's good news for all of us, so let's talk about why it is good. As we know, everything is connected, which means that the environment affects us as well, so it's essential to take care of our nature if we want to live in a clean and safe place.

    Unfortunately, a polluted environment negatively works on every living creature on the earth, and that's the main reason why many types of animals became extinct. As we know ecosystem needs various kinds of animals, plants, etc., because, as I highlighted before, everything is connected.

    So what should we do to prevent pollution of the environment? We need to provide activities that protect nature, that's why green cleaning is a good idea. Green cleaning is cleaning with natural products as white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, lemon juice, salt, etc. Some people think that natural products are ineffective, but it's not right. If we mix them, they will be good cleaning agents that don't harm our health and the environment.

    Aggressive chemical cleaning products contain toxic components that are harmful to the environment and our health, so there are plenty of such chemicals that we should avoid. For example, we need to be careful with components like formaldehyde, mercury, ammonia, benzene, phthalates, fluoride, chlorine, perchlorate, etc.

    In conclusion, I would like to say that every person should only perform green cleaning to avoid themselves and the environment from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals.


  • 08 Jul 2021 7:12 AM | Deleted user
    Being highly skilled when working with bloodborne pathogens is beneficial not just limited to cleaning staff, to the general public as well. It produces you with the knowledge and skills to create a safe environment. It is of importance staff are proficient on the topic for infinite reasons. Cleaners are responsible for containing Bloodborne Pathogens, decontaminating the soiled area to prevent exposure & use appropriate disinfectants. The training of Bloodborne Pathogens can aid in the help of preventing routes of transmission, exposure and spread of infectious disease. Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms such as virus or bacteria, existing in human blood, that can evoke fatal diseases in humans. Two examples of bloodborne pathogens are Hepatitis B Virus & Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Hepatitis B Virus is a liver disease that causes inflammation of the liver. Half of the public infected do not develop any symptoms until their liver is already damaged. Symptoms of Hepatitis B Virus can take 2-6 months to develop. Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the immune system and can lead to AIDS (Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and the complete breakdown of the immune system. There is no vaccination against AIDS & no proven cure. HIV symptoms may not be present for years after infection. Not only are Bloodborne pathogens transmitted upon contact with infected human blood but other infected bodily fluids as well. The routes of transmission you are likely to come across in your occupation are contaminated sharps, splash or spray to a mucous membrane (mouth or eyes), a contaminated inanimate objects, human bites & needlestick injuries. To prevent exposure, proper handling and disposal of used/soiled items or pathological waste is crucial and based on the assumption all blood, body secretions, are potentially infectious.
  • 07 Jul 2021 2:41 PM | Jeannette Rivera

    The Importance on Bloodborne Pathogens

    Cleaning companies are essential professions in our world today. We have established a great industry in the medical field as well as commercial and residential. Due to the busy schedule of people today we play a very important part in people lives. It is vital for employees, staff and business owners to understand the demand as well as to deliver an exceptional service. People count on us to be able to meet their expectations. 

    We must educate our associate and staff of the important guidelines of OSHA. It is important to follow these standards due to the risk of potential exposures when we are performing jobs since we may be in contact with blood or body fluids. Following these guidelines will protect our employees, staff and clients of any bloodborne pathogen. It is crucial for us to have meetings on the topic of bloodborne pathogens especially if we are cleaning doctor offices where patients get blood drawn, patients come in sick and bacteria covering different surface areas. Some ways employees can protect themselves while cleaning is to wear protective gear such as googles, face shields/masks, gloves, shoe coverings and gowns etc. 

    Finally, as a company we must enforce always OSHA Standard guidelines and incorporate them in safety meeting as important topics like  Bloodborne Pathogens for the safety of are employees, staff, families and clients. Always keep a good reputation so other cleaning companies and members of IJCSA can receive good reports and keep in mind the health of everyone in your community. We must keep  ourselves safe in this season  we are facing a Pandemic that has caused numerous losses.  

  • 04 Jul 2021 11:51 PM | Dave Tommet

    There can be many potential issues in an unclean work environment.  These issues include health hazards such as a variety of viruses, bacteria, dust, blood and other bodily fluids. 

    Hiring a certified cleaning service will insure that the workplace is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.  Using proper PPE, disinfectant, cleaners, as well as knowing proper procedure when dealing with sharps and other hazardous material.  Having a trained service is also very important in keeping within OSHA standards as well.

    To summarize Janitorial Services play an important role in keeping your work place a healthy, clean and safe place for employees and customers.

  • 04 Jul 2021 9:28 PM | Deleted user

    Janitors and cleaning staff play a huge role in our daily lives by providing a healthy environment by preventing the spread of pathogens, improving indoor air quality and maintaining a pleasing aesthetic.

Recently Updated

© Copyright 2004-2019  International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association  "The Home Of Professional Cleaning Companies"