Workplace injuries are common among custodial workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cleaning professionals – whether working in hotels, hospitals, schools, or commercial office buildings – suffer an average of 50,000 workplace injuries per year, requiring one or more days off from work. Further, they have the 16th highest rate of injuries of all workers.
One of the primary reasons for this is exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Let’s be clear, we know traditional cleaning solutions can be dangerous, but many of us do not realize that even “green” and environmentally preferable cleaning solutions can be hazardous if not handled or used correctly. This is especially true today because so many are so highly concentrated.
Here’s how workplace injuries happen.
Cleaning workers may inhale fumes from these chemicals. They may spill some on their skin or get the chemical in their eyes. They may not mix (dilute) the cleaning solution properly or may mistakenly select the wrong cleaning solution for the task at hand. In all cases, injuries can arise.
This situation becomes all the more critical because many cleaning workers today speak English as a second language if they speak it all. It’s very easy to make mistakes if someone needs help reading a product’s label or instructions for how it is to be mixed or used.
To address this situation, many cleaning contractors are reducing the number of cleaning products they select and store in janitorial closets. Some are even referring to this as part of their Cleaning Chemical Safety Program and mentioning it in their bid proposals.
Creating a Cleaning Chemical Safety Program and minimizing the number of chemicals stored in a janitorial closet offers many benefits, including:
- Greater certainty that the right product is selected for the task at hand.
- Less confusion. When there are fewer cleaning solutions, the cleaning worker can more easily differentiate between products in the closet.
- Less training is necessary.
- Fewer products in storage can reduce the chances of harmful fumes being released.
- Storage hazards are reduced; fewer products stored lessens the chances of an accident occurring.
- For the cleaning contractor, selecting fewer cleaning solutions helps reduce costs.
This tells us that less is more when it comes to selecting cleaning solutions. Fewer cleaning products in the janitorial closet can promote safety, reduce injuries, and help lower costs. The issue then becomes which cleaning solutions to select.
Reducing Workplace Injuries Is Where LEXX® Comes In.
One product that should be in every janitorial closet and replace several other cleaning solutions is the LEXX Disinfectant & Cleaner. This is a patented hospital-grade disinfectant that can clean and disinfect a wide range of surfaces all in one step. This means the surfaces do not need to be cleaned first and then, second, disinfected, according to the traditional two-step process. Plus, no rinsing is needed because no chemical residue is left on surfaces.
EPA-registered LEXX Disinfectant & Cleaner is now used in healthcare facilities, sports venues, schools, and commercial office buildings. These facilities find it is the perfect way to keep surfaces clean, prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pathogen, while also eliminating other health-risking germs, viruses, and bacteria.
Another product eliminator is the LEXX Liquid Sanitizer & Cleaner Concentrate. Once again, this is a one-step product: it cleans and sanitizes in one step. Recently, it has gained popularity in commercial kitchens and food preparation facilities, where disinfectants are typically unnecessary.
When discussing the LEXX Liquid Sanitizer & Cleaner, we should understand what a sanitizer is. It reduces or eliminates the number of contaminants on a surface so that it is safe. A disinfectant eliminates all pathogens as listed on its label; a sanitizer eliminates 99.999 percent.
Both of these products can replace many other cleaning solutions typically used for cleaning glass, mirrors, floors, walls, countertops, and high-touch surfaces. And because these products are manufactured using naturally-derived ingredients, they are much safer to use than traditional cleaning solutions.
