c






   
Module 2: Physical Hazards
 —his module:
‡ Will demonstrate that janitors, custodians, and
housekeepers may complete many different tasks

‡ Is one in a series of modules that will discuss hazards

janitors, custodians, and housekeepers may encounter

‡ Will cover physical hazards and provide tips for prevention

± Module 1 will cover chemical hazards from cleaning
products
± Module 3 will cover exposure to biological hazards
± Module 4 will cover musculoskeletal hazards
± Module 5 will cover removing graffiti
± A stand alone module entitled ³Working Alone in Safety´
may also be of interest

‡ Provide sources of additional information

 canitors may be responsible for a large
variety of tasks:

‡ Vacuuming ‡ Removing stains

‡ Sweeping and Mopping ‡ Heating/Air conditioning
‡ Waxing floors ‡ Ventilation
‡ Cleaning bathrooms ‡ Insect control
‡ Dusting furniture ‡ Maintaining and cleaning
‡ Moving furniture doors and windows
‡ Emptying trash ‡ Delivery/Pick up of items
‡ Restocking supplies ‡ Extra security
‡ Wiping counters ‡ Weather emergencies
‡ Scrubbing ‡ Lab spills
‡ Unstopping drains/ ‡ Helping with disabled cars
repairing faucets ‡ Minor repairs
‡ Mowing lawns ‡ Painting and carpentry
 In a variety of buildings:

‡ Hospitals ‡ Stores
‡ Schools ‡ Nursing Homes
‡ Universities ‡ Clinics
‡ Laboratories
‡ Factories
‡ Offices
‡ Restaurants
 Physical Hazards

‡ Falls from ladders and elevated platforms

‡ Wet, slippery floors
‡ Falling objects
‡ Moving or rotating machinery parts
‡ Electrical equipment and wires
‡ Hot equipment
‡ Sharp objects, scrap metal, broken glass
‡ Noise from machinery or cleaning equipment
‡ High temperatures
 Preventing falls from ladders

—o reduce the risk of falls from ladders:

‡ Use ladders with slip-resistant feet
‡ Inspect ladder before climbing
‡ Do not use chairs, boxes, or tables as a
substitute for a ladder
‡ Set ladder on a flat, firm surface
‡ Face the ladder when standing on it and when
climbing up or down
‡ Keep the center of your body between the
side rails of the ladder
‡ Don¶t work from the top two steps of a ladder
 Preventing falls from elevations

‡ Don¶t work on an elevated floor or work location

without guardrails in place.

‡ Don¶t stand on guardrails to gain extra height.

‡ Don¶t lean over railings.

 Preventing slips, trips, and falls:
‡ Wet, slippery floors are a
major cause of slips, trips, and
falls. —o help prevent
accidents:
± Wear safety shoes with non-skid
soles
± Keep floors free from water or
grease
± Clean floors regularly
± Use slip-resistant waxes on floors
± Clean up spills immediately
± Put up warning signs around
spills or wet floors
 Preventing slips, trips, and falls:

‡ Use rubber mats in areas

where the floors are
constantly wet
‡ Report to your supervisor
any repair needed to non-
slip tiling or other non-slip
floor products
‡ Report to your supervisor
any uneven floor surfaces.
 Preventing slips, trips, and falls:

‡ Keep floors and stairs free of

debris and obstructions
‡ Make sure mats and carpet
are free of holes and bumps
‡ Report poor lighting and
replace burned out bulbs as
soon as possible
‡ Report or fix any other
tripping hazards immediately
 What are the best shoes?

—o prevent slips and falls use

shoes with:

‡ Slip-resistant soles and a good

tread
‡ —ightly tied laces
‡ No leather or smooth soles
‡ No open-toes
‡ No platform or high heels
‡ No porous fabric such as canvas
Preventing injuries from falling objects
If there is a risk of injury from
falling objects on the head or
feet, wear a hard hat and/or
safety shoes.

±



 
 

 Preventing injuries from machinery

Machinery with moving or rotating parts

must be equiped with guards.
‡ Become familiar with the hazards
associated with particular machines.

‡ Do not work with or around

machinery in which safeguards have
been removed.

‡ Report to you supervisor about a

damaged or missing safeguard.
 Preventing injuries from machinery

Lockout
‡ Equipment that starts up
unexpectedly, especially during
cleanup or maintenance, can cause
many serious injuries

‡ —o reduce the risk of injury, unplug

equipment before doing clean-up,
maintenance, or repairs.

‡ If the equipment is hardwired, follow

the specific lockout procedure for that
equipment before cleaning it.
Electrical Hazards

Electrical hazards can be

caused by any of these:
‡ Faulty electrical tools
and equipment
‡ Faulty appliances and
wiring
‡ Electrical outlets
‡ Switch panels
‡ Electric transformers
 Preventing injuries from electrical
equipment
‡ Inspect equipment, cords and
fittings for damage prior to use
‡ —urn equipment OFF before
connecting to a power supply
and before making any
adjustments
‡ Make sure cords do not create
a tripping hazard
‡ When unplugging equipment,
m  

  
pull on the plug not on the cord
‡ Keep cords away from heat,
water and oil. —hese can
damage the insulation and
cause a shock
 Preventing injuries from electrical
equipment
‡ Do not use electric tools in
wet conditions or damp
locations
‡ Do not clean electric
equipment with flammable or
toxic solvents
‡ Do not carry electrical tools
by the power cord
‡ Do not tie power cords in
knots
‡ Do not plug several power
cords into one outlet
‡ O


   


 
 Preventing burns from hot equipment

‡ Do not handle or touch hot (or

those that may be hot) articles
or surfaces with bare hands
‡ If needed, wear heat-
protective gloves
‡ Organize your work area to
prevent contact with hot
objects and flames
‡ Open hot water faucets slowly
to avoid splashes
‡ Report any faulty equipment
to your supervisor
Preventing injuries from sharp objects,
scrap metal, broken glass

Never pick up sharp objects,

scrap metal, broken glass with
bare hands.

Use dust pan and brush, heavy

gloves.

Never put sharp objects such as

needles, razor blades, or broken
glass into waster bins without
wrapping and labeling the items
carefully to protect those
emptying the bins.
 Preventing hearing loss from noisy
machinery or cleaning equipment

‡ —urn off noisy machinery when not in use.

‡ Wear hearing protection provide by your

employer when operating or working
around noisy machinery or equipment.
 Preventing illness from working in hot
environments
‡ Where possible, use ventilation to draw heat and steam
away from work areas

‡ Isolate or insulate hot equipment, where possible

‡ Drink plenty of water

‡ Use cool rest areas near the work area for breaks

‡ Use cooling fans to increase air speed and sweat

evaporation.

‡ Where possible, do heaviest work during coolest times of

the shift

‡ Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress

Resources used for this overview:

‡ OSHA Hospital e—ool

http://www.osha.gov/SL—C/etools/hospital/housekeeping/housek
eeping.html

‡ International Labor Organization - International

Hazard Datasheets on Occupation
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/produc
ts/hdo/htm/cleaner.htm

‡   O  Successful Strategies in

the Food Processing Industry. Washington Department
of Labor and Industries. Safety and Health Assessment and
Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program. —echnical Report
Number: 67-1-2001
Resources used for this overview:

Special thanks to the Workers¶

Compensation Board of British Columbia
for the use of photos and text from:

‡ Health and Safety for Hospitality Small Business.

http://tourism.healthandsafetycentre.org/s/Booklet.asp
 Additional Resources
‡ WISHA Core Safety Rules (WAC 296-800)
(Basic safety and health rules needed by most employers in
Washington State)
http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/rules/corerules/default.htm

‡ Additional Safety Rules

(Fall protection, ladders, machine safety, lockout/tagout,
electrical, hearing conservation, etc.)
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/RULES/Find/RuleName/default.htm

‡ Look for more in-depth modules on many of the

topics covered in this module at :
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/—rain—ools/Online/Courses/defa
ult.asp

‡ Workplace Safety and Health

http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/default.asp
 WISHA Consultation Services

Safety & Health program review and worksite

evaluation
‡ By employer invitation only
‡ Free
‡ Confidential
‡ No citations or penalties
‡ Letter explains findings
‡ Follow-up all serious hazards

For additional assistance, you can call one of our consultants.

Click below for local L&I office locations:
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Assistance/Consultation/consult
ants.asp
—hank you for taking the time to
learn about safety and health
and how to prevent injuries and
illnesses.