Cleaning doesn’t sound like a dangerous profession to most people. But as an experienced cleaning professional or team manager, you know that’s not the truth. Many severe injuries, and even deaths, happen annually because of cleaning accidents.

And many of those happen because of mistakes in how employees wear (or don’t wear) their safety gear. Here’s some tips for your cleaning team to stay safe in 2017:

1. Your Team Members Must Know Their Body

This one gets overlooked often. Awkward position, using force to do a task, staying in the same position for long periods of time, and continuous pressure on any part of your team member’s body can lead to injury. “Continuous pressure” could mean things like kneeling for a long time on a bathroom floor.

You and your team members must be aware of these situations, and you should develop strategies to minimize the harm they cause. Knee pads, for example, could be used to nearly eliminate pain, discomfort, and potential injury from kneeling.

2. Using PPE For Safe Handling of Cleaning Chemicals

You should have a policy in place, regular training, and incentive for using PPE. It’s so easy for your cleaning team to get out of the habit of using it when necessary. If they have to handle cleaning chemicals, safety glasses (with side shields), splash goggles, a face shield, nonslip shoes, gloves, and a rubber apron should be worn.

Not only does this keep your cleaning team safe, but it nearly eliminates the threat of your company getting involved in a lawsuit.

3. Remember to Use Ergonomics To Minimize Your Risk of Injury

There’s a safest way to do nearly everything. In fact, there’s so much to go through we can’t cover it all here.

However, here’s some things your team can do to use ergonomics to their advantage so they don’t get injured:

• Distribute cleaning materials evenly around waste barrels as you push them to minimize the chances of it tipping over
• Never assume office or workplace trash cans all weigh the same. Always lift them with your back straight and knees bent
• Whenever you need to move furniture, use harnesses, rolling carts, and other equipment whenever available
• Wrap padding around bucket handles to minimize pressure on your hand
• Use mop heads that aren’t known to shed threads so you minimize your risk of slipping and falling (or causing the same for your customers)s

Again, there’s dozens more we could go through. But, this gives you an idea of what to look for.

Safety First Always Wins the Day

When you put safety first, you build the respect of your cleaning team. They avoid injuries. Your company avoids civil lawsuits and worker’s compensation claims.

It’s a big win for everyone involved. So make safety a priority at your organization today.