JANITOR

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JANITOR CUSTODIAN HAZARD AWARENESS
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Taking the Safest Approach

• The best way to prevent injuries is to (1)
  remove the hazard altogether, or keep it
  isolated, away from workers, so it cannot hurt
  anyone. This way the workplace itself is safer!
• Removing the hazard can sometimes be the most
  difficult solution or take the longest time to
  implement. You may need other solutions to
  protect you in the meantime, like changing the
  way the work is done (2) or using protective
  clothing and equipment (3).

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EXAMPLE

• Chemicals like toilet bowl cleaners can splash
  into janitors eyes. What controls can be put in
  place
• to keep workers from getting hurt?
• 1. Is there a way to remove the hazard?
• Use a less toxic product that causes fewer
  health problems. This is the safest approach.
• 2. What improvement in work practices would help?
• Train workers on the importance of pouring
  chemicals from a low height to avoid splashing.
• 3. What protective clothing or equipment would
  help?
• Use goggles to prevent any splashes from
  getting into the eyes.

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WITH ALL CLEANERS

• Read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for
  the cleaner.
• This sheet explains what is in the product, how
  these ingredients may harm you, and how to
  protect yourself while using it. Many companies
  also have MSDSs on their website.
• You can also find them at MSDS Search
• http//www.msdssearch.com/msdssearch.htm

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Physical Hazards
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Theyre responsible for a large variety of tasks

• Vacuuming
• Sweeping and Mopping
• Waxing floors
• Cleaning bathrooms
• Dusting furniture
• Moving furniture
• Emptying trash
• faucets
• Mowing lawns
• Restocking supplies
• Wiping counters
• Scrubbing
• Unstopping drains/ repairing

• Removing stains
• Heating/Air conditioning
• Ventilation
• Insect control
• Maintaining and cleaning doors and windows
• Delivery/Pick up of items
• Extra security
• Weather emergencies
• Lab spills
• Helping with disabled cars
• Minor repairs
• Painting and carpentry

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Physical Hazards

• Falls from ladders and elevated platforms
• Wet, slippery floors
• Falling objects
• Moving or rotating machinery parts
• Electrical equipment and wires
• Hot equipment
• Sharp objects, scrap metal, broken glass
• Noise from machinery or cleaning equipment
• High temperatures

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Preventing falls from elevations

• Dont work on an elevated floor or work location
  without guardrails in place.
• Dont stand on guardrails to gain extra height.
• Dont lean over railings.

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Preventing slips, trips, and falls

• Wet, slippery floors are a major cause of slips,
  trips, and falls. To help prevent accidents
• Wear safety shoes with non-skid soles
• Keep floors free from water or grease
• Clean floors regularly
• Use slip-resistant waxes on floors
• Clean up spills immediately
• Put up warning signs around spills or wet floors

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Preventing injuries from machinery

• Machinery with moving or rotating parts must be
  equipped with guards.

Become familiar with the hazards associated with
particular machines. Do not work with or around
machinery in which safeguards have been
removed. Report to you supervisor about a
damaged or missing safeguard.
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Preventing burns from hot equipment

• Do not handle or touch hot (or those that may be
  hot) articles or surfaces with bare hands
• If needed, wear heat-protective gloves
• Organize your work area to prevent contact with
  hot objects and flames
• Open hot water faucets slowly to avoid splashes
• Report any faulty equipment to your supervisor

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Biological hazards you may encounter

• Blood and body fluids
• Pathogens
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Parasites
• Rodents and rodent droppings
• Insects

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Musculoskeletal Hazards

• Musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries
  can occur from
• Overexertion (Heavy or awkward lifting)
• Awkward postures (bent back, kneeling)
• Repetitive movements (ex. Scrubbing)

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Preventing musculoskeletal injuries

• Moving and storing items
• Filling and emptying liquids from containers
• Using hand tools
• Handling laundry, trash, and other bags
• Cleaning small items in large sinks
• Loading or unloading laundry
• Wet cleaning and mopping
• Vacuuming or buffing
• General cleaning

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Use carts to store and transfer supplies

• Carts should have wheel locks.
• Handles that can swing out of the way may be
  useful for saving space or reducing reach.
• Heavy carts should have brakes.
• Balance loads and keep loads under cart weight
  restrictions.
• Ensure stack height does not block vision.

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• Most products used to remove graffiti contain
  harmful chemicals.
• These products may be liquids or solids.
• Liquids include cleaning solutions in
• bottles,
• sprays, or
• special towels that come pre-soaked with
  chemicals.
• Solids used to remove graffiti are usually in the
  form of a paste.

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Chemicals can get into your body in four main
ways

• Breathing (Inhalation)

You may be breathing chemical vapors or fumes
from the products you use, even if you cant see
or smell them. From your lungs, chemicals can
get into your blood. They then travel to many
organs in your body, where they can cause
damage. It is easier for chemicals to increase
to a harmful level in the air inside an enclosed
area such as a bus.
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SKIN
You may accidentally get chemicals on your skin.
Even if you wear gloves or protective clothing,
chemicals can sometimes soak through to your
skin. Chemicals can also get onto your
skin when you are removing wet gloves
or clothing. Chemicals can be absorbed into
your body through your skin. Some chemicals go
through the skin very fast, and others slowly.
Your blood then carries the chemicals
throughout your body. Some chemicals can hurt
your skin itself and cause irritation or serious
burns.
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EYES..
Your eyes can be seriously injured by chemicals.
Chemicals may splash into your eyes, or you may
accidentally touch your eyes when you have
chemicals on your hands. Chemical vapors in the
air can also harm your eyes. If you remove
graffiti outside and its windy, the wind can
blow chemicals into your eyes. If you remove
graffiti overhead, chemicals can drip into your
eyes.
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Swallowing (Ingestion)

• Sometimes people swallow
• chemicals that have
• gotten into their food or
• drink, or onto their
• cigarettes.
• You can swallow
• chemicals if you eat
• drink, or smoke if you
• dont before washing your
• hands.

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Can You Tell By the Smell?

• NO!
• Dont depend on smell to tell you if a product is
  safe or unsafe.
• Many chemicals are very toxic even though they
  have no odor or smell good. Other chemicals have
  a strong smell but are fairly harmless.
• Some people have a better sense of smell than
  others. Also, you may get used to the odor and
  lose your ability to smell certain chemicals if
  you are around them for a while.

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Health Effects of Chemicals
Many chemicals can hurt your body. With some
chemicals, a small amount can harm you. With
other chemicals, it takes a much larger amount to
harm you. Effects of chemicals can be
either short term - cause symptoms right away
(like a burn or a cough). long term - damage
your health slowly. You can use them for months,
or even years, before symptoms show up.
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Health Effects of Chemicals

• Blood-Forming System
• One class of chemicals, ethylene glycol
  ethers, can damage the bone marrow, where blood
  cells are formed. They can also damage the red
  blood cells themselves. This can cause anemia.
• Liver and Kidneys
• A few chemicals can cause permanent liver and
• kidney damage.
• Reproductive System
• Some chemicals can damage eggs and sperm, or
• cause birth defects. This is not common.
• Cancer
• Certain chemicals, such as methylene chloride,
  can cause cancer.

• Brain and Nervous System
• Vapors of some chemicals can cause
• headache, dizziness, drowsiness, lack of
• coordination, or nausea.
• Eyes
• Some chemicals can burn your eyes or cause
  redness, watering, or itching.
• Nose, Throat, and Lungs
• Some chemical vapors can cause a runny nose,
  scratchy throat, coughing, or shortness of
  breath. A few can cause asthma and other
  allergies. If you become allergic to a particular
  chemical, you may have an allergic reaction every
  time you use it.
• Skin
• If you get certain chemicals on your skin,
  they can cause redness, itching, dryness,
  cracking, flaking, or burns.

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Other Hazards of Removing Graffiti

• Musculoskeletal
• Hazards from extensive
• standing
• bending
• reaching
• scrubbing
• repeating the same motions many times
• You can often prevent injuries by
• using better equipment, such as longer handles or
  padded grips
• working in a better position
• taking frequent breaks to stretch

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Resources used for this overview

• Removing Graffiti Safely
• http//ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/lohp/graphics/pd
  f/graffiti.pdf
• Developed by the staff at
• Occupational Health Surveillance and Evaluation
  Program (OHSEP), Occupational Health Branch,
• California Department of Health Services
• Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP), Center
  for Occupational and Environmental Health,
• School of Public Health, University of
  California, Berkeley.

• WISHA Core Safety Rules (WAC 296-800)
• (Basic safety and health rules needed by most
  employers in Washington State)
• http//www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/defaul
  t.htm
• Additional Safety Rules
• (Fall protection, ladders, machine safety,
  lockout/tagout, electrical, hearing conservation,
  etc.)
• http//www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/RULES/Find/RuleName/d
  efault.htm
• Look for more in-depth modules on many of the
  topics covered in this module at
• http//www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/TrainTools/Online/Co
  urses/default.asp
• Workplace Safety and Health
• http//www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/default.asp

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Additional Resources

• MSDS Search
• http//www.msdssearch.com/msdssearch.htm
• Cleaning Fact Sheets
• http//www.wrppn.org/Janitorial/factsheets.cfm
• WISHA has many workplace health and safety
  regulations, which are called standards. For
  example, there are standards that require
  employers to
• Provide necessary PPE, safety equipment, and
  training at no cost.
• Limit workers exposure to chemicals, noise, and
  other hazards.

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Thank you for taking the time to learn about
safety and health and how to prevent injuries and
illnesses.