OSHA, which stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is the Federal agency that oversees the health and safety of workers and, in many cases, the way an industry is set up. One of the most important industries that OSHA oversees is the cleaning industry, both residential and commercial. One can understand why this would be so as cleaning requires the use of chemicals, sometimes poison to humans, and equipment which can become hazardous if not used correctly or is not in good condition. There is a difference between residential cleaning and commercial cleaning. Residential cleaning involves relatively small spaces used for personal living. In contrast, commercial cleaning handles large spaces often used by many people with various furnishings and sometimes hazardous waste materials. Of the two types of cleaning services, commercial cleaning brings with it a greater degree of risk both to the cleaning staff and the areas to be cleaned.
While it may seem a nuisance to follow the standards of cleaning set by OSHA for commercial cleaners, there are definite reasons it is important to do so. Commercial cleaners keep a business tidy, clean and sanitized, a feat immensely necessary due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Most businesses rely on having a clean working environment which lends itself to more satisfied workers, less chance for accidents, and a lower risk for illness and allergy attacks. Another benefit for the business being professionally cleaned is a lower insurance rate.
Studying the standards set by OSHA for commercial cleaning companies requires a lot of reading. To help you get an idea of the concerns addressed by OSHA standards, a brief summary of the areas where OSHA standards apply is as follows:
Air contaminants
Electrical protective equipment
Eye and face protection
Flammable liquids
Powered platforms for building maintenance
Asbestos
Hand protection
Head protection
Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals
Ventilation
Lead
Powered industrial trucks
Foot protection
Eye and face protection
Occupational noise exposure
Hazardous waste operators and emergency response
Just reading over the above list makes a person realize some of the dangers and risks associated with commercial cleaning. If you are interested in details involving OSHA standards for any of the above concerns, you can go online and google OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910).
It is important to make sure workers in the commercial cleaning industry are properly trained to ensure OSHA standards can be understood and thus followed. In particular, since the onset of COVID, there have been several new and important upgrades to traditional OSHA standards. Following OSHA standards makes sense, both for the safety of the workers and the welfare of those who work in properly maintained commercial environments.
