Custodial work is about more than cleaning. Janitors are the caretakers of our building’s interiors and exteriors. They provide a safe, functioning and attractive environment so the public can work, shop or learn seamlessly. If done incorrectly everyone’s at risk. Maintenance personnel encounter dangerous chemicals, hazardous materials and blood borne pathogens. They are at higher risk of developing asthma, repetitive motion injuries and slips and falls. That’s why custodial training programs are so important. A well-trained crew will do their job better, faster and stick around longer. Are you taking training seriously?
Ignorance Ain’t Bliss
A lot can go wrong–really wrong—in the custodial field. The National Education Association website tells a story about a custodian who left an aerosol can of gum freezing chemical on his cart during school. A student got ahold of the can and sprayed the chemical in his mouth, freezing his mouth and lungs.
“It was a horrible day for all of us,” recalls Nancy Tooms, president, Kentucky Education Support Professionals Association in the piece. She insists that proper training could have prevented the incident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers training in the handling of bloodborne pathogens, asbestos, hazardous substances and more. Yet according to a NEA ESP study fewer than half of support professionals receive regular health and safety training on hazardous waste removal or asbestos even though they face these issues every day.
Other training topics may be less dramatic, but just important to your staff and bottom line. Workshops on best practices ensure a variety of building materials are cleaned with the right tools and correct amount of chemicals. Classes on ergonomics, back safety and slip, trip and fall avoidance teach workers how to protect themselves.
The Value of Feeling Valued
Churn is a big issue for the custodial industry with turnover running anywhere from 50 to 400% a year as cited by Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine. A revolving door of workers is expensive for management, demoralizing for the whole team and potentially hazardous for the client.
A custodial training program, certification and the accompanying bump in pay enhances skills and performance but perhaps more importantly helps retain workers by proving that the work is important and valuable. Courses can come from professional organizations like ISSA or the Cleaning Management Institute or from product and equipment suppliers. Either way, training should be a consistent and repetitive for full effect.
Click here for more information on the importance of cleaning right.
Image source: freeimages.com
Amy Milshtein
Amy Milshtein covers design, facility management and business topics for a variety of trade publications and consumer magazines.
Her work has won several awards, most recently a regional silver Azbee Award of Excellence.
She lives in Portland, OR with her family and Clyde, a 15-lb tabby cat. Once an avid hiker, these days she finds herself on the less-challenging -but-still-exciting 'creaky knees' trails.
Related Topics
Related Products
![KaiBlooey™ Restroom Cleaner]()
KaiBlooey™ Restroom CleanerKaiBlooey is a high performance restroom cleaner that contains a blend of fast-acting mild acids to de-scale mineral deposits and remove soap scum.KaiBlooey is low-foaming and designed specifically for use with our wet vacuum systems. Too often, users simply apply common cleaning detergents or mop soaps when cleaning and then carelessly vacuum them up. This is like pouring standard dish soap into an automatic dish washer. The result is predictable - extreme foaming, filling the vacuum tank with useless suds and causing premature shut-off. Worse, the excess foam has the potential to damage the vacuum motor. We are so confident in the performance and suitability of our chemicals that we extend our equipment warranty to customers who use them exclusively.Now also available in 8 oz. preportioned packets.
![KaiVac 1750 No-Touch Cleaning® System]()
KaiVac 1750 No-Touch Cleaning® SystemWhen it comes to restrooms and other heavily soiled areas, nothing beats Spray-and-Vac cleaning. Kaivac’s No-Touch Cleaning systems are built for extreme soil removal, empowering workers to clean hygienically without touching contaminated surfaces. Plus, it cuts labor, chemical and equipment costs. Achieving great, consistent results is easy with these patented systems. Simply apply automatically diluted cleaning solution to fixtures and floors in a low pressure fan spray, and then rinse surfaces and floors with always-fresh, clean water. The built-in power of the indoor pressure washer flushes soils out of grout lines and tight places that mops can’t reach. Finally, just vacuum the floor dry -- completely removing soils, moisture and contaminants from all surfaces, grout lines and crevices, leaving the floor virtually dry and soil free.The Kaivac 1750 is perfect for areas large and small. It boasts a 17 gallon fresh water and a 17 gallon recovery tank. The system is powered by a 500 p.s.i. pump and a powerful 3-stage wet/dry vacuum.
![OmniFlex™ AutoVac™]()
OmniFlex™ AutoVac™The OmniFlex AutoVac is an automated floor cleaning machine that's three-four times faster than mopping with one major difference: it actually removes the soils completely from the floor surface instead of spreading them around. Even more impressive, it rivals the performance of an auto scrubber - at a fraction of the cost!A really fast, simple approach to clean, safe floors, this system is perfect for high speed cleaning of hard surface areas, such as hallways, entranceways, cafeterias, lobbies, warehouses, fitness areas and more. It’s as fast and effective as an auto scrubber without the added cost or complexity, making it perfect for building service contractors and facility managers alike.Also available, our newest AutoVac powered by Lithium-Ion.
![OmniFlex™ Dispense-and-Vac]()
OmniFlex™ Dispense-and-VacThe OmniFlex Dispense-and-Vac system offers a simple, fast approach to cleaner, safer floors. Its extreme cleaning capabilities achieve hygienic results in even the heaviest soil and grease conditions. In fact, like most Kaivac systems, it's up to 60 times better at removing soil and contaminants than mopping. That makes the Dispense-and-Vac is perfect for food service establishments, industrial facilities, light duty public restrooms and much more.Just apply fresh cleaning solution to the floor, spread and lightly brush into grout lines, and then completely vacuum away all soils and liquid, leaving floors really clean and bone dry. It's perfect for daily cleaning and degreasing of commercial floors. It's also great for applying and removing stripper on finished floors. The process is radically better, faster and safer than cleaning with a mop.
Click here to see the compact Space Saver Dispense-and-Vac model
![OmniFlex™ SUV™]()
OmniFlex™ SUV™Say goodbye to the traditional janitor’s cart. The Lithium-ion powered OmniFlex™ SUV™ is the first practical whole building mop replacement ever developed. In fact, it’s a true all-in-one system that not only replaces mops and buckets, but also wet vacuums, dust mops, and in some cases, even autoscrubbers. Plus, it reduces trash volume by up to two-thirds with its integrated trash compactor.Most important, it gets floors and other surfaces really clean, really fast. The ultimate in Crossover Cleaning, it combines high speed push-behind cleaning for large areas with the precision and flexibility of a vacuum wand for smaller or congested areas, tight corners, or grouted floors. The result is a compact cart that‘s three-four times faster than mopping and 30-60 times better.
