How to Start and Grow Your Own Cleaning Business
 

A Safety Program Can Save Your Business!

By Gary Goranson

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that all employers with more than 10 employees have an official Safety and Health Program in place.  However, some states exceed the Federal requirements.  For example, Alaska, California, Hawaii and Washington require that all employers have a Safety Program, regardless of size. 

Legal requirements aside,  it simply makes good business sense to implement a Safety Program.  Business owners are used to taking risks in connection with day-to-day business decisions.  Entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers.  However, taking risks with the safety and well-being of your employees is not worth the gamble. 

Safety is Good Business

Safety is not just a matter of compassionate interest.  Accidents cost money.  For every dollar you spend on the direct cost of a worker’s injury, it can cost you much more in both direct and indirect costs.  Consider what one lost workday injury could cost you in terms of:

• productive cleaning time lost by both the injured employee and his/her fellow team members;

• productive time lost by fellow employees, team leader, or you in attending to the accident victim;

• the time and expense of replacing the injured worker, especially if the recovery time is extended;

• if equipment or vehicles are damaged in an accident, the cost of repair or replacement can be substantial;

• reduced morale among your employees, which can result in reduced efficiency; and, not the least

• increased Workers’ Compensation Insurance rates.

To help you establish and monitor your Safety and Health Program, we have provided a recommended blueprint specifically for the house cleaning business.  Using it can actually help you control costs, because in implementing the program you can identify what needs to be done to promote the safety and health of your employees.

Elements of Your Safety Program:

There are seven essential elements to developing and managing a successful injury and illness prevention program:

1. Management Commitment.  Your employees will not take this issue seriously unless you show that you’re seriously committed to their safety and well-being.  A written policy needs to be implemented and administered faithfully.

2. Labor and Management Accountability. While it is the business owner’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthful work environment for their employees, both labor and management must understand their joint responsibilities under OSHA rules.  Once employees have been instructed in important safety and health issues, they must be held accountable for safe work practices.

3. Employee Involvement.   Employees should be encouraged to identify and report unsafe working conditions (such as reporting a frayed vacuum cleaner cord, for example) to management, without fear of reprisals for doing so.  Invite employee feedback on the subject of safety at meetings held for this express purpose.  Establishing a Safety and Health Committee, even if not required by your State OSHA, is a good way to involve employees in the safety and health issue.

4. Hazard Identification and Control.  This requires an evaluation of the potential hazards which may be encountered on the job.  Walking on wet floors can result in serious injury if an employee slips and falls.  The potential hazards with respect to the use of bleach and ammonia is another typical example.  Leaning out of windows or over balconies, as well as the use of ladders, are other issues to be included here.  What about the danger of pulling the vacuum cleaner around by the cord, or plugging it into a wall socket with wet hands?   There are many issues which can be identified by both management and staff when putting together a hazard identification and control program.

5. Incident and Accident Investigation.  The primary focus here is to find out why the accident happened, and what actions can be taken to avoid a recurrence of this type of incident.  It should not be focusing on who to blame for the accident, but on finding solutions.  If you have a Safety and Health Committee (whether required by law in your state or on a voluntary basis), its members should establish procedures for evaluating all accidents.  By recording incidents of “near misses” and not just accidents involving actual injuries, you can also identify potential hazards and prevent potential accidents and injuries.

6. Worker Training.  It goes without saying that new employees are required to be instructed on the safe use of cleaning products when they’re newly hired.  But what about training them when a new or alternate product is introduced to the system?  Are they provided with MSDS for every chemical product you use, do they understand them, and do you check to make sure the team always has all MSDS on location at each housecleaning job?   Team Leaders need to be trained that they are responsible for being familiar with safety hazards to which they and their team members may be exposed and the rules, procedures and work practices for controlling exposure to potential hazards.

7. Periodic Program Evaluation.  Schedule a review of your Company Safety Program on at least a quarterly basis to determine what parts of the program are working well and what areas need reevaluation and change.

Safety Meetings:

If your business meets the criterion which require you to have an official Safety and Health Program in place (usually required only if you have 11 or more employees, or operate your business in Alaska, California, Hawaii or Washington), you will generally be required to also have an official Safety and Health Committee.  This Committee will usually be required to meet at least quarterly to discuss prescribed safety issues.  If your business qualifies, be sure to keep minutes of these meetings as evidence of your compliance.  (Contact your local OSHA office to determine the regulations in your state.)

The safety and well-being of your employees is an issue that should not be put into place only because of Federal or State regulations.  Regardless of the law in your state, implementing a Safety and Illness Prevention Program is a duty you must take on as a responsible and caring employer.  Safety issues should be incorporated into regular staff meetings; we suggest at least once each month.

Safety Meeting Topics:

To begin with, initial and frequent review and discussion of the Company Safety Program handbook provides a great deal of material.  While it’s important that each employee receive his or her own personal written copy of the handbook, that isn’t sufficient.  It should be reviewed both during each employee’s initial training, as well as in group sessions with all employees present.

In addition to the itemized safety checklist on the New Employee Safety Orientation Form in the Company Safety Program handbook, you can expand on each of these issues, as well as introduce additional safety topics practices.  Topics which can and should be covered in Safety Meetings include, but are not limited to:

The responsibility of management with respect to implementing and enforcing safe practices and injury prevention policies;

The responsibility of each employee to follow the company’s safety and injury prevention program;

• Reporting all unsafe conditions or practices noted by any employee;

• Reporting of “near miss” accidents;

• Reporting all injuries or apparent illnesses immediately, no matter how small;

• Planning on how to respond in the event of an injury occurring to someone on the team;

• Discussion on the contents and use of articles in the First-Aid kit;

• The use of the required fire extinguisher to be carried in any vehicle used for transporting employees to and from clients’ homes;

• When and how to use emergency road flares;

• Review of emergency telephone numbers, and who to call under which circumstances;

• Safe driving practices, such as:  designating someone other than the driver to read maps, instructions and street signs; wet weather and winter driving hazards; speeding and carelessness; and, defensive driving practices;

• Avoiding slips and falls, both inside and outside the home (including icy walkways and steps in the winter);

• Tripping hazards, such as vacuum cleaners on stairways, or left where they present potential tripping hazards;

• Footwear to avoid and footwear to wear;

• Safe bending and lifting practices;

• Personal hygiene, when to wear protective gloves;

• Safe personal conduct with respect to running, horseplay, and on-the-job use of alcohol or drugs;

• Avoidance of electrical shock from frayed cords or electrical wires; prohibitions against using the vacuum cleaner or other electrical apparatus on wet surfaces (or outdoors when raining);

• The use of ONLY vacuums cleaners and other electrical appliances which are grounded or double-insulated;

• The potential dangers in the use of bleach (chlorine) and ammonia:  prohibited use;

• Review and understanding of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets);

• Reaching high places to clean:  ONLY OSHA-approved ladders in first-class condition to be used, if ladders are permitted to be used at all (Class 1 - industrial wooden or fiberglass, not metal, and having non-skid feet);

• No leaning out of high windows or over balconies or banisters;

• Incident and accident investigation policies, procedures and paperwork.

Information and Training Resources:

    State Agencies.  At the conclusion of this section is a list of both local OSHA offices as well as a directory of OSHA-funded state consulting agencies.   It is important, of course, that you contact your local OSHA office to determine your State’s OSHA requirements.  This can also be a source for helpful information.  Some states offer a library of video safety training programs from which you can borrow for the purpose of holding Safety Meetings with your employees.

    Your Workers’ Compensation Provider.  Your Workers’ Comp Insurance Company has a vested interest in supporting your Safety and Health Program efforts.  Reduced incidents of accidents and injury on the job means a lower cost to your insurance company.  In addition to providing you with printed material and/or video training programs on safety issues, they may even be willing to assign someone to conduct a safety program at one or more of your staff meetings.

    Local Red Cross Unit.  Call your local Red Cross chapter for information on the type of programs they offer.   They will often agree to conduct CPR and first-aid training programs on company premises.

    National Safety Council.  If there is a NSC chapter in your area, you can turn to them for a range of valuable information services.

    Local Library.  Ask your librarian to direct you to topical reference materials specific to job safety and health issues.

    Local Health Care Providers.  Your physician or local health clinics and hospitals can direct you on where specific information and assistance can be obtained in your area.

   Chamber of Commerce.  If you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, they may offer information or even sponsor job-related injury prevention workshops or seminars.  Since other business members face the same regulations and safety concerns as you do, they may also be a good information resource.

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