Category Archives: Workplace Cleaning

You already know Desert Oasis Commercial Cleaners offer the best janitorial services in the Phoenix Valley. To compliment that it is important your business is OSHA complaint. OSHA is a department of the United States Department Of Labor and is an acronym for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Read on to learn more about OSHA recommended housekeeping in the workplace to make sure your business not only looks great but is also OSHA compliant.

It is never easy to keep everything in order when a project is ongoing but despite everyones best efforts, if you work in an environment where there are facility inspections, you may receive reports regarding what can be interpreted as poor housekeeping. OSHA does not actually require mandatory housekeeping training but good employees obviously know the value of a tidy workplace. So although OSHA does not have a single standard for housekeeping, some of the following examples include provisions that address housekeeping.

OSHA Rules For Walking And Working Surfaces

OSHA rule 1910.22 says the following:

• “Aisles and passageways are to have sufficient clearance. They are to be kept clear, without obstructions that could create a hazard.”
• “Floors are to be clean and dry.”
• “Permanent aisles are to be marked.”

Some common violations may include:

• Isles that are blocked.
• Materials that lie across the floor on an isle.
• Overhanging materials on high shelves.
• Oily or wet floors and work surfaces.

Good Housekeeping And Building Evacuation

OSHA’s rules for exit routes are covered in OSHA rules 1910, .34, .35, .36, and .37

The exit route has to be an unobstructed and continuous path from any point in the workplace to a place of safety and consists of three components:

• Exit access.
• The exit.
• The exit discharge.

No equipment or materials can be placed or positioned within an exit route that must be a minimum of 28 inches wide at all points.

Chemical Storage And Fire Safety

OSHA has strict guidelines under rule 1910.106 for storing combustible and flammable liquids:

• “Flammable and combustible liquids are to be kept in covered containers”
• “OSHA sets limits on the quantities of flammable and combustible liquids that may be kept outside of protected storage”
• “Inside storage rooms must have approved self-closing fire doors”
• “The inside storage room must have one clear aisle at least three feet wide, and containers over 30 gallons cannot be stacked.”

Some common violations may include:

• Leaving materials in the aisle of a storage room.
• Using a storage room to stack drums.
• Blocking open a fire door with open containers of liquids that are flammable.

Poor Housekeeping and Fire Protection

OSHA discusses sprinkler systems in rules 1910.157 and .159 and include some housekeeping suggestions:

• “Fire extinguishers must be mounted, located, and identified so that they are readily accessible.”
• “Fire extinguishers are to be kept in their designated places at all times except during use.”
• “There must be at least 18 inches of clearance below sprinklers.”

Some frequent violations include:

• Leaving cartons and carts in front of fire extinguishers.
• Stacking materials too close to sprinklers.

Electrical Safety And Good Housekeeping

OSHA discusses generalized requirements for electrical systems in rules 1910.141:

• “Working space around live parts must generally be at least three feet for voltages of 600 or less”
• “Workspace in front of electric equipment operating at 600 volts or less must be at least 30 inches wide.”
• “Working space may not be used for storage”

A frequent violation is the following:

• When access to an electrical panel is blocked by storing items.

OSHA Sanitation Requirements

These requirements are found in OSHA rules 1910.141.

• “Floors are to be kept dry”
• “Disposal containers used for liquids or solids that may turn putrid must not leak, and they must have tight fitting covers”
• “Sweepings, wastes, and refuse must be removed”
• “No food or beverages can be stored in toilet rooms or in an area that is exposed to a toxic material”

Some violations include:

• Oily or wet floors
• The build up of trash
• Waste containers that are open

 

Desert Oasis Cleaning Services Offers Office Cleaning in Phoenix & Throughout The Valley.

To schedule commercial cleaning services in Phoenix, learn more about Desert Oasis’s commercial cleaning services, or to get a free industrial commercial cleaning services quote, use our contact form to submit a request or call Desert Oasis Cleaners today at 1-480-720-0907.

Our quality cleaning materials and experience mean we clean to a higher standard, which leads to better indoor air quality, fewer allergens and lower levels of bacteria creeping around the workplace, just waiting to infect your workforce or cause an accident. At Desert Oasis, we clean and sanitize everything, including the places that most other companies overlook.

Everyone wants to make their office environment as comfy as possible and snacking at your desk becomes second nature to many. However, for cockroaches, rodents and bed bugs, this can create their dream vacation resort! Read on to understand how bed bugs thrive and how you can work with employees to eliminate the problem before it becomes a significant issue.

Cleanliness Equals Compliance

The US Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide their empoyees with a work environment that is clean, hygenic and pest free. Bed bugs and other insects and rodents frequently spread disease and if their presence is not detected and dealt with in an efficent manner, it may be interpreted as a violation of the above federal law. If there is an infestation and your employees are talking about it, do not try to shush them but instead listen as they will have information regarding the extent of the problem. Also, if you try to limit these discussions remember the National Labor Relations Act says employers cannot prevent employees from discussing these issues. But working together gives you the best chance of getting to the root of the problem as soon as possible.

Where To Look

When food has been left out for a period of time or overnight, it is an invitation to insects including flies, cockroaches, rodents and other pests (including bed bugs) that may be hungry. Make sure employees know they are expected to clean up directly afterwards and that any leftovers are in the fridge for no longer than seven days.

Another area to look for is water, bed bugs and other insects are attracted to roof leaks, pipes that are dripping or whenever there is a hard to identify musty smell. Remember, bed bugs and other creatures often prefer environments with a high-moisture content. It may also be indicative of another invisible threat, mold.

Another place to look for bugs and rodents (though not necessarily bed bugs) is any area where there is a draft. Any voids or cracks that are greater than one quarter inch in size offer up an ideal home base for these critters. Be sure to check under exterior doors and if you see any large holes designed for utilities and network cabling, speak to your IT team to have them seal the holes up.

Pest Control Tactics

Pest control issues can have an impact on even the cleanest office. If an employee notices a rodent or insect, the matter should be investigated by the building management team as soon as possible. In most cases, they can recommend a course of treatment once they have locted and identified the source. However, in some instances, the source of infestation that needs to be treated is not clear. When that is the situatuin it may be likely when the employees travel to the office, they are not always arriving alone. Insects like lice, fleas and bed bugs, travel by latching onto their human hosts. Similar to flu, these bugs are very contagious and just a single example can rapidly turn into a pandemic impacting the entire organization.

You may be fortunate in that a responsible employee who has been afflicted comes to you. Clearly, this situation deserves the utmost confidentiality and sensitivity. Make arrangements they can work from home or take paid leave for this situation to be addressed and resolved. However, sometimes an employee may come forward claiming a co-worker has an issue. Remember false accusations may be part of workplace bullying and perhaps, even, discrimination. Speak to the manager of the employee and see if they have witnessed similar evidence, only if the answer is affirmative should you approch the individual who has been afflicted. In private ask if they are the victim of a communicable condition and kindly explain it is your duty to make sure working conditions are safe for everyone. You can then inform the employee of their telecommuting or leave options.

Bed Bugs…A Serious Issue

Just one sighting of one of these bugs, just a fraction of an inch in length, can be the cause of an entire workplace having to shut down their operations until the matter has been dealt with. Amazingly, bed bugs can exist for more than 18 months without eating, having an employee work from home will not be enough. A specialist will have to be hired to visit the property with a bug sniffing dog. If the search shows anything, the next step is to fumigate the entire office building. In circumstances where an employee comes forward on a voluntary basis as a potential source of infestation, you may want to consider paying for the employees home to be fumigated as the cost of doing so may be beyond the budget of the employee. Depending on the extent of the infestation, an expert may recommend treatments that are less invasive such as steaming or freezing the hideouts used by bed bugs.

Desert Oasis Cleaning Services Offers Office Cleaning in Phoenix & Throughout The Valley.

To schedule commercial cleaning services in Phoenix, learn more about Desert Oasis’s commercial cleaning services, or to get a free industrial commercial cleaning services quote, use our contact form to submit a request or call Desert Oasis Cleaners today at 1-480-720-0907.

Our quality cleaning materials and experience mean we clean to a higher standard, which leads to better indoor air quality, fewer allergens and lower levels of bacteria creeping around the workplace, just waiting to infect your workforce or cause an accident. At Desert Oasis, we clean and sanitize everything, including the places that most other companies overlook.

If you are searching for information about the importance of a clean workspace or office, this post should help!

Clean Workplace Environment

The workplace environment affects employees’ productivity, performance, and their well-being. It doesn’t matter what industry, keeping a clean workplace helps keep staff members safe, healthy, and working efficiently. Regardless, busy production schedules and increased workloads can cause standards to dip.

It might be enticing to put off light dusting or other types of cleaning around the office or workplace, but doing so may put employees at risk of suffering an injury or illness and may even impact their performance level. Maintaining a clean workplace is essential for employers to reduce their worker’s compensation claims and keep their business running efficiently.

Necessary To Safety

When employees work in an untidy environment, they sometimes may not notice all hazards, which increases their risk of having an accident. As reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an occupational hazard is anything in or around the workplace that can cause harm. An occupational hazard is usually caused by neglect on the part of the employer or a lack of awareness by their workers. When the worksite or office isn’t clean, it may increase the chance that a hazard will go overlooked by a supervisor and employees.

For example, if equipment is left along an emergency path, workers may become injured if they trip or fall over it because it is not where it is supposed to be. If boxes aren’t stacked correctly, they may fall on an employee and cause injury. Employers may want to bear in mind to keep the workplace free of debris and remind their workers to put all equipment, like personal protective equipment (PPE), in their designated places to avoid an accident.

Crucial To Health

As flu season rapidly approaches and workplaces see an increase in the number of employees using sick days as they become ill. Germs can spread fast through the workplace if supervisors and employees don’t properly sanitize their workspaces and their hands. Commonly used spaces, like break rooms, can be hot spots for germs to collect.

Break rooms have been found to have around 20,950 germs per square inch. Parts of the break room that are usually touched the most, like doorknobs, microwave handles, and sinks, can be riddled with germs. Employers should clean these places on a frequent basis, and every day during flu season.

An additional common health hazard of dirty workplaces is the growth of mold. According to OSHA, mold can cause severe health effects for employees who are exposed to their spores. Mold is a fungi that can discharge millions of spores into the air that can cause severe respiratory illnesses. It is for this reason, that OSHA has strict standards employers are urged to follow to stop the growth of mold in the workplace. Mold germination happens in warm and humid conditions, making it vital that employers regularly clean the worksite facilities, like bathrooms, to lower the chance of mold growth. Employers may also want to replace or clean their indoor air filtration system more frequently to make sure any mold spores that are released into the air don’t reach their workers.

Consequently, a messy or unhygienic workplace can have an influence worker performance. If employees get injured or fall ill at work, they may not be able to perform their job as well as when they were healthy. This reduction in efficiency can cause deadlines to be missed and additional errors to happen.

Desert Oasis Offers Commercial Office Cleaning in Phoenix.

To schedule your office cleaning services, including medical office cleaning in Phoenix and Scottsdale, learn more about Desert Oasis’s commercial cleaning services, or to get a free office commercial cleaning service quote, use our contact form to submit a request or call Desert Oasis Cleaners today at 1-480-720-0907.

First impressions are vital to your business – that’s why you need the experts at Desert Oasis Cleaners who never hesitate to go the extra mile to ensure your workplace looks it’s best!