The word “ergonomics” has been
around a lot of office building these days, yet the
cleaning industry have not yet addressed the matter.
By understanding ergonomics and using ergonomically
designed products and procedures in your cleaning
business can prevent accidents and help your
employees work better and more efficiently.
Statistics show that of all kinds of labor in
America, a cleaning crew is the fifth most likely
person to be injured while working. In the
janitorial industry, most of the injuries are of the
muscle and joint pain and other related injuries.
These can be caused by constant, strenuous activity
placed on the cleaning workers. Problems may also
occur while workers use awkward posture and
positions that are kept for long periods of time.
Activities such as rinsing of mops, washing down
walls and floors and lifting of heavy trash
containers can strain the neck, shoulders, back and
wrists. And since much of the work is repetitive,
the employees’ problem then intensifies.
Ergonomic products are specifically designed to fit
the worker rather than having the worker fit to the
equipment. Using ergonomic products has the
objective of reducing stress on the workers.
Moreover, utilizing ergonomic products and
performing cleaning jobs properly can lessen
injuries.
By combining ergonomic equipment and cleaning
techniques into your business procedures, you’d be
helping workers prevent injuries and increase their
productivity.
To find ergonomic products and equipment, keep
these in mind;
• When buying vacuum cleaner, be sure that the
handle is comfortable to grip and conforms to the
user’s hand. It should also be lightweight.
Vacuuming will be easier and stress reduced if it is
brush assisted. The vacuums’ vibration is also on
big risk factor as it affects the arms and wrist.
Get vacuum with large wheels as it help cut down on
vibrations.
• Look for quieter operating machines when buying
floor machines and vacuums are noise can also cause
fatigue and drop in productivity.
• Choose lightweight buckets and mops. Try using
microfiber flat mops as they are easier to handle
than the usual string mops.
• Look for sprayers with ergonomically designed
handles which fit well into a user’s hand. Handling
is also improved with textured grips.
Workers should also be trained to perform
their jobs properly to help minimize injuries. Here
are a few key concepts that you can include into
your training program:
• Workers should move their feet from side to side
to reduce upper body strain when mopping.
• When cleaning, cleaners should stand upright and
practice looking up rather than keep looking at the
surface their cleaning. By looking up, they will be
stretching their neck. Breaks at regular intervals
are recommended for workers too.
• Workers should bend their knees not their backs.
• When handling tools and equipment, a relaxed grip
is advised to reduce hand and wrist strain.
• Use carts to transfer heavy trash, bags should be
lifted and placed into dumpsters and not tossed to
thrown.
The whole of cleaning industry has be quite slow to
improve on the ergonomics of cleaning equipments as
well as training their workers. Many businesses that
have started to introduce ergonomics into their
business procedures will have the upper hand over
other cleaning businesses. By making simple
adjustments in purchasing and training, your
employees will be more productive and will be
contributing a lot to the success of your business.
