Sometimes it is easy to take for granted different services that we depend on, but just don’t see. Janitorial Services most often fit into this classification. When you arrive to work in the morning, the wastepaper basket is empty and the office smells fresh. However, because it happens at night when nobody is there to see, it is easy to overlook the hard work and effort that goes into delivering clean.
A little appreciation goes a long way in recognizing a good, cleaning service. A good Cleaning Company will have a system in place where positive comments are passed down to your night-time cleaner so they receive recognition. Talk to your Facility Manager and ask if there is a formal system in place to recognize the Office Cleaning staff.
Here is a list of the basic responsibilities that most Office Cleaners perform:
- Sweeping
- Mopping
- Vacuuming
- Providing a safe and germ-free environment, by disinfecting restrooms, door knobs, etc.
- Restroom Sanitation
- Trash Collection
- Dusting
- Emergency Clean-ups
- Cleaning Glass
Delivering cleaning is a team effort bridged by good communication between the cleaner and the building occupants. While every cleaner maintains a facility to some minimal expectation, they are mostly focusing on what they think is important to the building occupants. When that focus is wrong, it is very important to give good feedback to the Facility Manager that can be used to re-focus the Cleaning Company’s effort. A good cleaning service company will have a Customer Representative conducting regular janitorial inspections and walking through the building, talking to the occupants and getting feedback. Good cleaning service will also have recognition programs in place to make sure that good employees get noticed.
The one thing that goes the longest way is a simple "Thank you." It could be a fancy card or just on a post-it note placed on the janitor closet door because how it is communicated is not all that important. The most important thing is the message, "Have you thanked your Office Cleaners lately?"
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Don't we all miss our school days? We cherish our school memories throughout our lives. School acts as a foundation which prepares us for all phases of life. A single crack in this foundation can haunt us. Recently, schools are making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Most of us can't imagine hiring a convicted felon in our offices. However, many school officials are doing just that. Headlines such as, “Germain Street Elementary School Janitor Arrested for Inappropriate Sexual Contact with the Student,” and “River School Custodian Arrested on Child Pornography Charges” were hot on the news, spreading fear and nightmares to parents, children, and communities.
This dropped a bomb on the school board officials, as well as district and local school administrators, who failed to conduct background checks on employees. Background checks of employees are important and must be regulated across the country. School board officials must perform background checks and review them frequently. All levels, from bus drivers, to cleaning staff should be reviewed to avoid such horrible incidents and make schools safer. Originally, school officials thought it wouldn't be necessary to conduct these checks on employees (such as volunteers, bus drivers, and janitors) because they aren’t in direct contact with the students. Moreover, it is a time consuming process and can’t always be done on a regular basis. But these incidents have proved them wrong and has shown our community its importance.
While performing background checks on employees, school officials must take certain points into consideration, as it’s not limited to criminal history checks. Education, employment history, reference verifications, professional licenses, and medical records are important too. Let’s take a look at points which must be taken into consideration while performing a background check:
Points to Lookout for while Performing a Background Check:
- Education Verification
- Employment History Verification
- Professional References Verification
- E-Verify
- Criminal History Verification
- Drug Testing
If you outsource your school cleaning needs before contracting work to cleaning businesses, you must have enough information about them. Especially when businesses have employees that are here today and gone tomorrow. A recent survey showed a combination of insufficient talent, intelligence, and the lack of references. Checking this information resulted in 33% of bad hires. There is no doubt that most employers will make the wrong hiring decision at some point. Today businesses avoid reference checks, police background checks, and drug testings before hiring because it consumes time and effort. You’d be surprised to know that some of them are not even licensed businesses and do not offer what they advertise. This, in turn, is putting yours and others lives in danger.
WATCH DO YOU KNOW WHO IS YOUR BUILDING "BAD EGG" VIDEO:
At STATHAKIS, we have a unique perspective on how to provide janitorial services. We believe cleaning is much more that just dusting, mopping, and emptying trashcans. At school everyone expects a clean and safe environment and we go the extra mile to provide our clients with the same. While other companies offer just simple janitorial services, we provide building maintenance services who know the building better than its professional cleaning staff. We believe in building a family like relation with our clients. This in turn, puts their mind at ease and in carefree mode when it comes to business cleaning. We have various verification methods in place at the time of hire to ensure that our staff is knowledgeable and clean as a whistle, as they are the one's representing us.
Posted by
Brian Mamo on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 06:02 AM
HCAHPS is important tool which is used for obtaining feedback from patients on their overall hospital experience. HCAHPS stands for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers. Data which is derived from the assessment helps you to compare different hospitals on their quality of care provided to their patients. The HCAHPS survey asks patients to answer questions related to ten topics. The assessment asks patients about their experiences with medical, surgical, or maternity care during their stay in the hospital.
All hospitals use the same survey questionnaire and data collection procedures which are later posted on website.
- How often did nurses communicate well with patients?
- How often did doctors communicate well with patients?
- How often did patients receive help quickly from hospital staff?
- How often was patients' pain well controlled?
- How often did staff explain about medicines before giving them to patients?
- How often patients’ rooms and bathrooms were kept clean?
- How often was the area around patients' rooms quiet at night?
- Were patients given information about what to do during their recovery at home?
- How do patients rate the hospital?
- Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?
So how is your medical cleaning service related to your HCAHPS Score?
However, one little question that you don't want to worry about, “During your hospital stay, how often your room and bathroom were kept clean?” On the surface it seems to have little to do with the care given by Doctors, Nurses, and other healthcare professionals. However, this is an important reason why medical cleaning services can help you improve your HCAHPS score.
Patients seem to judge their overall care by the impression made on them by the facility and that why an entire section of the survey is dedicated to the “cleanliness of the hospital environment."
Failure to maintain cleanliness in hospitals can make or break a patient’s prospective about a hospital. Would you recommend a hospital to your friends and family that does not meet basic patients needs a clean room and bathroom? This will affect front line health care workers as well, as even they can contract harmful diseases if cleanliness in not maintained. In a hospital doctors and nurses helps patients to get better by putting their lives on the line. What will happen if they started falling sick at work? it’s a scary thought isn’t it.
If your cleaning is outsourced, choosing the right cleaning service is the key to making sure your cleaning scores are coming back satisfactory. According to a new Press Ganey report, the top 25% of U.S. hospitals with the highest scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems were also the most profitable. People remember what the floor in their room looked liked before they set their feet down. They have come to the hospital to get better and expect a home like experience in not worrying if their room is clean. So hospital cleaning plays a very important role in HCAPHS scores.
Data collected from these questionnaires not only help the patients but also the hospitals to analyze and improve their quality of care. As the assessment gives a better understanding of the patient’s prospective on how they rate and what they expect from a health care facility.
Stathakis is a provider of hospital cleaning services in Michigan and helps healthcare systems in the "cleanliness of the hosptial envirnment." In addition, Stathakis is a ISSA CIMS-GB certified janitorial company and has been providing business cleaning services for over 35 years. CIMS assures our customers that our processes are among the industries best. The "Green Building" (GB)*** part of the certification symbolizes our capability to assist our customers in achieving a greener clean, in addition to earning LEED-EBOM points.
WEB SOURCES:
APA: Medicare Hospital Compare Information for Consumers-Patients ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/staticpages/for-consumers/hcahps/data-collection.
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Infection Control is the number one goal when providing hospital environmental services in Medical Facilities. There are many ways that germs can spread such as airborne contamination. When most people think about infection control they think about wiping down counter tops, floors, and other flat surfaces, with some sort of disinfectant cleaner. But what happens when germs are in the air on dust particles floating around? Hospital Housekeeping Staff can’t wipe the air down like they do countertops. A good HVAC air filtration system will help eliminate contaminated dust particles from the air. But it is more important to find out why those dust particles are in the air to begin with, to try and minimize Infection Control through airborne contamination. Hospital Environmental Services can help reduce airborne contamination with the use of ProTeam Backpack Vacuums.
The pro team backpack vacuums has a unique 4 level filtration system that captures dust particles, dust mites, and bacteria without stirring particles in the air and therefore keeping the air healthy. This makes the vacuum suitable for cleaning of carpets, floors, countertops and other surfaces. Now, one can clean more effectively without disturbing indoor air quality. The level of filtering consists of: A Micro Filter, a Cloth Filter, a Dome Filter, and and a Foam Exhaust Filter. There are many ways that germs can spread, such as airborne contamination. When most people think about infection control they think about wiping down counter tops, floors, and other flat surfaces with some sort of disinfectant cleaner. But what happens when germs are in the air on dust particles floating around? Hospital Housekeeping Staff can’t wipe the air down like they do countertops. A good HVAC air filtration system will help eliminate contaminated dust particles from the air. But it is more important to find out why those dust particles are in the air to begin with to try and minimize Infection Control through airborne contamination. Hospital Environmental Services can help reduce airborne contamination with the use of ProTeam Backpack Vacuums.
With its new four level filtration system ProTeam Backpack Vacuums have become a preferred tool for vacuuming, setting a high standard for cleaning in medical facilities. With the use of such high performance and green cleaning equipments it is now possible to save cost on unnecessary cleaning products. Such tools have longer service life than conventional product and are more superior in terms of effectiveness. Every ProTeam vacuum collects at least 99.9% of indoor pollutants, one micron or larger.
Features of ProTeam Backpack Vacuums:
- High performance
- Outstanding flexibility
- Impressive product’s service life
- Compact and Light Weight
- More suction
- Prevents Cross Contaminations
- 4 level filtration system
- Reducing time and cost
A systemized approach
A systemized cleaning program will help to maintain an organized cleaning service which can improve the quality outcomes of patients, employees, and the facility itself. In a medical facility where cleaning is more intense and done more frequently, one thing is certain that all elements of medical cleaning must involve new and green cleaning equipments. Employees must be equipped well enough to fight the good fight against bacteria, dust mites, and germs, which we cannot see through our naked eyes. New high performance products will save us time, labor, and money which are crucial for any business. Steve Jobs, an innovator, once said “People never know what they want until you show it to them”.
We at Stathakis show healthcare systems how to improve patient satisfaction in hospitals everyday. 
We are a ISSA CIMS-GB certified janitorial company and have been providing business cleaning services for over 35 years. CIMS assures our customers that our processes are among the industries best. The "Green Building" (GB)*** part of the certification symbolizes our capability to assist our customers in achieving a greener clean, in addition to earning LEED-EBOM points.
Posted by
Brian Mamo on Wed, May 09, 2012 @ 06:01 AM
Today everywhere we go we are surrounded by dust particles!
It won’t be wrong to say that dust has become a part of our lives. An allergen is a small particle found in dust that can cause irritation if inhaled. These particles are carried through the air or can settle on surfaces and floors.
Did you know the dust allergens in a normal office are twice as compared to outdoors?
Therefore, need of regular office cleaning has become more of a necessity. A clean and hygienic workplace is an attribute of an effective, efficient, and positive workplace where customers are given a good impression. The most important benefit which can be derived from regular cleaning is the impact that it has on people’s health. Many people suffer from various types of allergies and conditions related to airborne pollutants, which can be eliminated with the help of proper cleaning procedures.
Office staff and workers and those working in commercial properties are commonly expected to maintain their workplace’s cleanliness. Dust Allergens affect a building’s IAQ (Indoor Air Quality). When an office has poor IAQ those who are present in that building will suffer. When allergens are inhaled there are immediate effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; allergens can also make someone suffer from asthma. Long term effects from poor IAQ are more serious and can range from respiratory disease to heart disease, and even cancer! The results have proven that airborne pollutants that are present in dust are the number two reasons why adults miss work. This impacts their motivational level and thus their effectiveness too. Even if one suffering does not miss work, their symptoms can cause low productivity.
Effects of Dust allergens on different organs:
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Organs
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Effects of dust
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Lungs
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Cough and phlegm production, chest tightness, impairment of lung function, obstructive and restrictive lung disease, emphysema, and lung nodulation.
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Liver
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Diffuse swelling, Perisinusoidal and portal fibrosis and hepatic lesions.
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Stomach
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Stomachache and cancer of the stomach
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Brain
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Headache and fatigue
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Eye, skin
and bone
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Irritation of eyes, runny eyes and conjunctivitis, skin irritation, itching, skin boil and burn, lesion of the humerus, thinning of the cortex and reduction of epiphyseal cartilage.
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Now that we know about dust and its impact on our health, let"s discuss the solution to bust the dust from your office. Well, the simple solution is regular office cleaning. But not just any office cleaning will do. When trying to eliminate pollutants and raise the IAQ, the most important factor is finding the source. Eliminating the source is the most efficient way in clearing the pollutants from the air.
Areas that needs frequent attention:
- Furniture – couches, desks, chairs (plastic or leather), shelves, cabinets, closets.
- Flowers (Artificial or Natural).
- Curtains or Blinds.
- Walls.
- Windows.
- Carpets, Floors, Rugs.
How to avoid Workplace Dust Allergens
Office cleaners must employ methods of cleaning geared towards eliminating dust and allergens. These include:
- Avoid using allergy-provoking irritant chemicals and sprays.
- Thorough cleaning of surfaces, woodwork, walls and floors with micro- fiber cloth that prevent dust particles to flow in air when cleaned or wiped off from a surface.
- Regular cleaning of rugs and carpets on weekly basis helps remove dirt and dust particles that can build up over time, eventually even ruining your carpet.
- Cleansing of soft furnishings.
- Regular vacuuming, using a specially designed bag-less vacuum cleaner with an allergen filter, that meets world standards.
- Airing a workspace whilst cleaning is carried out.
- Try and limit the number of plants in the office; plants provide a perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow.
- Prevent moisture around areas such as sinks and bathrooms.
- Most importantly, remember to change the building’s air filter frequently!
Contracting a professional cleaning services in Michigan can greatly help you to fight against dust! Hire a professional who can also provide building maintenance services to you so that proper indoor air flow can be maintained in the office. A good regular office cleaner will avoid using allergy-provoking irritant chemicals and sprays and will advise business owners on how best to promote a healthy workspace. Sticking to wooden, plastic or leather chairs; avoiding flowers – natural or artificial; choosing blinds rather than curtains, and various other initiatives will all help to shun air pollutants. Even while vacuuming proper attention must be given so that dust particles do not go anywhere else but the vacuum itself. STATHAKIS is a specialist when it comes to office cleaning. Detroit businesses rely on us to promote a healthy workspace by employing various eco-friendly cleaning methods and building maintenance services.
Do you work with chemicals or other hazardous substances? Did you know that by law you must have a MSDS Sheet for every chemical product in your building? It doesn’t matter if your cleaning company is providing the chemicals for use in your building or not. At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the occupants to provide MSDS information, in case someone became sick or injured as a result of coming in contact with a chemical in your facility. A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance. The law for “Employees Right to Know” is protected by OSHA, where employees working with hazardous chemicals must know how to use and store that product easily and safely. If any employer does not provide employees with MSDS's, they are violating the law and must be reported. MSDS's provide good information on composition, toxicology, hazard identification, first aid measures, handling procedures, and personal protection.
MSDS's act as a good source to know what a certain chemical is made of with its properties, hazards, usage, and storage. Today there are thousands of MSDS's available for you over the internet,where you can learn how to use and understand them. Today they are used as a system to catalog information on chemicals. These can be found at any workplace where chemicals and other hazard substances are used. It is the duty of employer to spread awareness about MSDS’s and to see if people are actually following the instructions which are included. One of the precautions that people take when they are working with chemicals, is they should always label chemicals. These labels may include instructions, name, storage, disposability, and symbols to categorize a chemical on how hazardous and lethal it is.
Example:
When a generator which runs on fuel such as petrol or diesel, is turned on it releases carbon monoxide in the exhaust. Characteristics of carbon monoxide are colorless and have no smell or taste. The release of this toxic in a closed area can have a devastating impact of a person’s health when exposed. It can cause unconsciousness and even death. It’s the duty of the employer to calculate the risk and hazard involved when using fuel-based generators before putting it in use. Awareness must be spread amongst employees to use precautions at all times and label indicating phrases such as:
- may cause harm to the unborn child.
- toxic by inhalation.
A person must have knowledge while working with a certain chemical. Whether a person is an beginner or professional still doesn’t give you an excuse to use chemicals without checking with MSDS's properties. You should always check MSDS's to ensure that you know how to handle, store, and dispose a chemical so that you don’t put yourself and other lives in danger. Some of the most serious incidents in any industry are result of not having enough knowledge of handling a chemical. Don’t become an number-spread knowledge and use this standard to make a safe and healthy work environment.
Posted by
Brian Mamo on Fri, May 04, 2012 @ 06:11 AM
Office cleaning is much stricter than home cleaning, because the sales pitch to customers and potential investors that visit there will be greatly affected if the building or office is not presentable. A healthy office means a steady increase in the output performance by its employees. You’ll be amazed to know that the issue of decrease in productivity due to employees falling sick at work is directly associated with the cleaning of the office not being up to par. A study done by health insurer Southern Cross, states that sick workers are costing employers more than $2 billion a year. The study also states that one can easily contract diseases at work if proper cleaning procedures are not followed. This can impact you if you are an employer and trying to win your employees harmony and trust. Recent studies show that undoubtedly, employees can work better in clean workplaces, while well-kept establishments or premises are most likely to entice new customers.
If you think falling sick at work doesn’t impact your health in long run, you are clearly mistaken. Some of the diseases can certainly impact your health in the long run. The most common diseases which are linked with cleaning issues are: poor indoor air quality, dirty restrooms, messy desks,and unclean refrigerators. Dusty carpets can range from respiratory disease to heart disease, and even cancer! Feel lucky if you haven’t had any of these yet. Once these are in the air supply, those in the vicinity can breathe them in causing a variety of health problems. The results have proven that these cleaning issues are the main reason why adults miss work.
Office staff and workers and those working in commercial properties are commonly expected to maintain their workplaces’ cleanliness. Knowing that the management has hired an office cleaning service to clean and maintain the spotlessness of the office doesn't give you the excuse to leave your office areas looking like a tornado just went by and wrecked havoc. It is your personal responsibility to keep your own little office space organized. Remember that you spend almost as much time in the office as you do in your own home.
Five things that can be done to prevent sick days:
1. Contract a Professional True Green Cleaning Staff
They will help to keep the office premises, indoors, desks, and shelves clean. Make sure green certified products are used to reduce the harm caused to office air, as well as the environment. Many cleaning and hygiene products contain harmful chemicals. Choose an ‘Eco-friendly/Green Cleaning’ cleaning service. Do not supply “antibacterial products” for customer/employee use. Create a “fragrance free” policy (no perfumes, air fresheners, scented soaps or cleaning supplies).
2. Bust that Dust
Maintain proper indoor air quality and ideal temperature as recommended by the EPA. Toxic chemicals from consumer products can settle into dust. Work area surfaces should regularly be cleaned with a damp cloth. Recommend employees to remove their contaminated clothes and shower when they get home. Wash work clothes separately from the family laundry.
3. Pay frequent attention to Hazardous and Problematic areas
Areas such as restrooms, refrigerators, office phones etc. require more attention. As these areas are shared and get used more frequently, the need for disinfecting is important to make sure they are 100% germ free. A simple clean for the sake of presentation is not good enough, as it can cause serious infections when one is exposed to any blood or other body fluids which are highly contaminated.
4. Share the Responsibility
It’s your job to look after your own areas of work. Everybody who is working in the office must clean up after themselves. Self awareness plays an important role in contributing in cleaning. This will help the cleaning staff hired by the management to clean more efficiently in less time. It will also portray a sense of responsibility and respect in the eyes of your boss.
5. Help in Maintain the same on Regular basis
These tasks may seems like they require many efforts to do, but they are for your own safety and well being. This is not a one time job but needs to be done on regular basis to continue having a clean and healthy working environment.
The main reason that companies have been focusing on working with the right cleaning contractor, is the fact that they must manage the cleanliness of the company with cost effectiveness. In other words, they have to complete their corporate social responsibility to create a proper image of the brand in society. Before hiring always ask for ISSA CIMS GB certification, as it is a great way to make sure that the cleaning service you pick is truly “Green.”The cost of hiring a company that cleans will cost a lot less than having an in house crew to maintain the premises.
CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD OUR FREE eBOOK
If you are shopping for Cleaning Services see Stathakis’ newest Ebook, "The 360 Buyer’s Guide to Better Cleaning Services", cleaning industry experts provide key insight into how to navigate through the maze of Cleaning Companies to find the best value for your facility. Get this Janitorial Buying Guide today!
Posted by
Don Simon on Wed, May 02, 2012 @ 06:09 AM
How many of you have encountered bed bugs at your workplace? A myth about bed bugs is that they can only be found in beds. Most workplaces of today’s generation have never seen a bed bug before. Even amongst the pest control professionals they were a rarity. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people complaining about being bugged by bed bugs in apartments, hotels, health care facilities, schools, offices, rental outlets and even movie theaters. Bed bugs are small brownish color insects that feed on animal blood. The most common hideout places for bed bugs are in cracks of walls, floors, furniture, couches, carpets, closets and curtains. In most cases, people carry bed bugs into their workplace unknowingly, in infested bags, furniture, or clothing. Bed bugs may also travel between offices through small crevices and cracks in walls and floors.
If your office gets infested with bed bugs you may see itchy welts on your skin. You may also see the bed bugs themselves, small bloodstains from crushed insects, or dark spots from their droppings. It is often hard to find them because they hide in or near furniture, and in cracks. This is not a pretty site for any business office as office cleanliness can make or break customers perception about a company. This may also result in failure to provide employees with a safer and healthy work environment as these bug can cause skin infections and may result in people falling sick at work which would ultimately lead to decrease in productivity.
How to get rid of bed bugs?
Now that you know about bed bugs and their hiding places, the first thing you’d do to get rid of these bugs will be to call a pest control company. This will cost you time, as you’ll have to make appointments and need to find out that which pest control company will be right for you. Another thing is to be sure that the pest control company is licensed and meets professional standards. After you have gone through this entire process, still there’s no surety that bed bugs won’t come back again.
A simple solution to get rid of bed bugs, their nymphs and un-hatched eggs, is to clean, disinfect, and eliminate their hiding places. Also, ask your office cleaning service provider to steam clean. A true comprehensive bed bug steam clean will save you time and money. Steam cleaning can be done on the following:
- Upholstery
- Closets
- Cabinets
- Couches
- Restrooms
- Bags
- Carpets
- Floors
Steam cleaning in itself offers a nontoxic complete solution. In addition, it can be done on a regular basis and in appropriate manner to assure that these bugs do not come back. Reason being, is if you look closely at the list above, many of those items listed cannot by any means necessary be taken care of by pest control professionals. In addition, a thorough steam cleaning is significantly more cost effective. The savings are so significant that you can reduce your cost by up to 60%!
How can you keep bugs out of your office?
- Wash curtains on regular basis.
- Steam clean carpets, floors, couches and, rugs
- Inspect used furniture for bed bugs before bringing it into your office.
- Never bring discarded upholstered furniture into your office
- Dispose of infested items that cannot be cleaned
- Repair cracks in plaster and repair or remove loose wallpaper
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Today the use of word green is much more than compiling a sentence. The word itself defines a movement. A movement to save our planet and our eco-system. The whole point of the green movement is to do more using less. Going green helps a company to gain respect in the eyes of society and portray a sense of responsibility to their customers. Commercial cleaning companies have found their way to go green by realizing that chemicals used in the process of cleaning can be toxic and harmful for the health of the people using them and for the environment. Before contracting work to your cleaning company, you should always ask for ISSA CIMS GB Certification, which is a great way to make sure that the cleaning service you pick is truly “Green.” This also ensures that business has a policy and procedure in place for innovative ways to reduce, minimize, or eliminate the need for cleaning chemicals. Going green is not limited just to the use of eco-friendly products, but also focuses on optimum utilization of resources. Green products are made with natural ingredients, low allergenic, non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning agents. All green products are biodegradable.
These chemical features:
- Non-caustic
- Non-corrosive
- Non-flammable and non-fuming
- No petroleum
- No chlorine
- No ammonia
- No phosphate
- No dangerous acids
- No caustic ingredients
Purchasing these chemicals has a major responsibility in any successful environmentally friendly cleaning business. Even though these are environmentally friendly products, one should always look for smart and innovative method to minimize packaging waste and look for different purchasing options. At Stathakis,we work with our vendors to coordinate chemical and supply orders to minimize the number of deliveries received each month. This also helps to insure that packaging materials can either be returned for re-use or are recyclable to avoid the use of landfills. This makes Stathakis a true green cleaning company!
High Performance Cleaning Equipment
In the case of cleaning, equipment is re-usable and chemicals are not. Therefore, using equipment that minimizes the use of chemicals just makes true “Green Sense.” Why many people see “Green” in the cleaning industry as using Green Certified Chemicals, equipment plays just as big of a role as chemicals. A need to use equipment that can withstand concentrated chemicals over extended periods of time without breaking, is essential in the cleaning industry. Properly training employees to use that equipment and chemicals can ensure the same. Such equipments are called "High Performance Cleaning Equipment." These are much more secure, reliable, and advanced then using traditional equipment.
These equipment feature:
- High performance
- Outstanding flexibility
- Impressive product’s service life
- Eliminating fluid contamination
- Reducing time and cost
- Can be disposed safely without causing harm to environment
Along with improved green cleaning chemicals, innovations in high performance cleaning equipment have significantly developed. High performance equipment can effectively capture and remove more soil with the use of fewer chemicals than traditional equipment. Performance advancements include products such as microfiber materials and special vacuum cleaner air filters called high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
Examples of High Performance Equipment and their importance in green cleaning:
Microfiber Cloths, Mop heads and Dusters:
- Offer greater absorbency of soil (picks up more).
- Keeps soil from re-depositing on surfaces by trapping soil within the fibers.
- Reduces the amount of chemicals used.
- Can be laundered and reused repeatedly.
Green Label-Certified Vacuums with HEPA Filters (see note below):
- Improve indoor air quality by trapping 99.96 % of small particles down to 0.3 microns in size (25,400 Microns are in one inch) that would otherwise be released back into the room.
- Meet the high performance standards of the Carpet and Rug Institute.
STATHAKIS uses Seal of Approval/Green Label certification as the standard for its chemicals and equipment. Systems such as Dilution control to insure the chemical is not overused during the mixing process are in place. Also, at times we try to reduce frequency of cleaning when possible, to reduce chemical usage. All of our equipment that is used in cleaning are the latest and High Performance Equipment. We use tools such as vacuum cleaners, Wet/dry vacuums, which are extremely durable and have exceptional filtration, and floor machines (which allow chemical free stripping and rotate special pads against the floor to remove or polish the top layer of floor finish). Our floor machines are equipped with dust collection systems which bust the dust and prevent from becoming airborne during floor burnishing. Proper training programs have been designed to train our staff so that they can use and operate these chemicals and equipment smartly and efficiently.
CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD OUR FREE eBOOK
If you are shopping for Cleaning Services see Stathakis’ newest Ebook, "The 360 Buyer’s Guide to Better Cleaning Services", cleaning industry experts provide key insight into how to navigate through the maze of Cleaning Companies to find the best value for your facility. Get this Janitorial Buying Guide today!
Posted by
Brian Mamo on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 06:04 AM
Bloodborne pathogens are found in the human blood and if proper precautions are not taken, they can easily lead to infectious diseases. You can contract these infectious diseases at your work place while eating or working on contaminated desk, eating from unclean refrigerators, unknowingly using a tool with contaminated blood, or even while cleaning or using restrooms. The risk of infection is high among people who are exposed to blood and other body fluids due to their jobs. Workers in many occupations, including first aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some industries, employees that handle contaminated waste or trash, and healthcare personnel, may be at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The most common diseases caused by Bloodborne Pathogens are Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV.
If at work you accidentally get exposed to blood or other body fluids, you will need to clean that area as soon as possible. Cleaning precautions must be taken by cleaning personnel, such as allocating signs to inform others to avoid entering the area to reduce the risk of others getting exposed. If you take timely action, and have proper knowledge about bloodborne pathogens, it can help in reducing the risk significantly. There are many everyday situations in today’s environment where events such as an accidental puncture by a sharp object contaminated with the pathogen, may occur.
Consider the following example:
A doctor is taking blood samples of various patients in his clinic using a needle and syringe. When he finishes with the process, he carelessly tosses the needle in the trash. The next morning, housekeeping comes to clean and take out the trash. While removing the bag from the trashcan, the staff member is stabbed through the plastic bag with the syringe and can get exposed to contaminated blood.
The number of infected people in the cleaning industry from accidental exposure to contaminated blood, is staggering and continues to increase. In answer to the growing problem, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) issued a standard regarding bloodborne pathogens. This standard reaches many businesses and applies to any workplace in which workers face potential exposure to human blood or other body fluids that may carry a disease.
OSHA believes that the best way to prevent hazards from affecting employees is to eliminate them, rather than to protect the employee, through the use of personal protective equipment. The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is composed of a written plan, entitled the Exposure Control Plan, training requirements, and recordkeeping guidelines.
Not following OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens put people at risk of infection of many types of disease and sicknesses that are transmitted through bodily fluids. In addition, OSHA could also impose heavy fines and result in negative publicity for a company in violation from an inspection.
What a Janitorial Contractor should do to follow the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard:
OSHA offers a wide selection of training courses and educational programs to help broaden worker and employer knowledge on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. OSHA also offers training and educational materials that help businesses train their workers and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Personal protective equipment is another area that is dealt with at length in the Standard. This is because OSHA has traditionally felt that personal protective equipment is the "last line of defense" in protecting employees from any hazard. They view bloodborne pathogens no differently. In addressing personal protective equipment the Standard requires that you provide employees with access to all types of personal protective equipment, including, but not limited to:
- Gloves.
- Gowns.
- Face Shields.
- Face Masks.
- Eye Protection
- Mouthpieces.
- Pocket Masks (or other ventilation devices).
What facility mangers can do to make sure that their janitorial contractor is in compliance:
- Ask to see their Bloodborne Pathogens Policy.
- Require to see documented training before an employee is placed in their building.
- Check the cleaning closet for Personal Protective Equipment that should include disposable gloves and safety glasses.
- Talk to their cleaning at night to find out if they have been trained in and are they familiar with Bloodborne Pathogens.
- Require that your next Cleaning Contract is ISSA CIMS GB Certified.
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