Ways to Keep Your Crew Protected and Safe While Cleaning

As a business owner, it’s important to avoid liabilities of all types – and your obligation to provide those under your employ with a safe working environment, free of unnecessary risks and hazards. As a good boss, it’s only natural to want to ensure your team and their well-being is prioritized at all times. There are a number of times and ways an employee could become injured while on the job, which can vary depending on the industry and needs of the role. For example, office environments typically carry less direct risks than warehouses. However, no matter the job, it’s important to recognize cleaning is one area where injury or harm could occur – which is often overlooked. Here are a few ways to keep your crew members protected and safe while cleaning.

Ensure the safe handling of chemicals

Certain chemicals can be dangerous on their own if exposed to skin or eyes, while others can be deadly when mixed. In order to prevent an injury, developing and maintaining a system for the proper safe handling of chemicals is essential. A few important steps include:

• Keep an inventory of all chemicals in the facility
• Keep all cleaning chemicals in their original containers with the original labels
• Store in an area that is well ventilated
• Keep chemicals away from fire hazards

Provide personal protective equipment to all employees

Any employee that may need to handle cleaning chemicals or tools should be given the proper protective equipment to ensure their personal safety. This equipment should be regularly cleaned, inspected and maintained. A few important items may include:

• Slip-resistant, closed toed shoes
• Safety goggles or protective eyewear
• Gloves that are chemical resistant for the products they may be handling
• Respirator masks
• And more, depending on need

It is also a good idea to implement a system to sign these items in and out so you can ensure they are being used by the teammates doing the tasks they’re designed for. This helps keep everyone accountable, and lets you know when they may need to be cleaned or replaced.

Routine inspections

By inspecting consistently, you’ll find yourself more aware of a potential hazard developing before it spirals into a more dangerous issue. Fire hazards, electrical hazards, slipping hazards, and physical hazards can all develop over the course of time in your facility. By making regular inspections a part of your daily, weekly, and monthly routine, you’ll be much more likely to identify potential risks, resolve them, and keep your team safe.