Work safety: risks of industrial cleaning - Workers employed in industrial cleaning must be protected from falls, slippery surfaces and exposure to harmful gas and liquid substances.
The workers
employed in the cleaning of industrial infrastructures and warehouses are a
group at risk of several health hazards because of the work conditions in which
they have to do their jobs. This is due to several reasons, among which the
most important ones are the unstable, slippery surfaces and the cleaning
products like detergents that often contain noxious chemicals. In fact, the
main casualties in the industry are related to falls, tripping and to dermatitis
caused by handling of harmful substances.
As a consequence,
it is important to provide employees with the adequate work clothes and shoes,
specific to the setting in which they have to act and in compliance with
current regulation. It is also fundamental that all used machinery is
periodically controlled and in optimal operating conditions.
In general, all
human resources involved in cleaning with specific products like surfactant
based industrial detergents must wear protection glasses, to protect themselves
from acid detergents that produce toxic gas when in contact with the surface to
be cleaned. The cleaning of metallic elements for example, requires
the use of detergents with hydrochloric,
sulfamic and sulphuric acids, some of which have a high degree of noxious
components that can damage both skin and lungs and that should never be used
without specific personal protection services.
Another risk the
workers in the industrial cleaning sector are exposed to is that of back
injuries, that can be caused for a number of reasons like having a bad posture
when operating certain cleaning equipment, falls from height and falls on
slippery floors.
Like in many other
industries, like restaurants, the presence of waxes and liquids on the floors
can represent a significant danger, especially if one considers that these
tasks often require transportation of heavy loads and dangerous products.
Therefore it is crucial that all workers receive dedicated training specific to
the job, the behaviour and habits to adopt in the work setting as well as on
the products and machinery to be used. Since in the different industries these
employees can find equipment that requires a certain treatment or products of
which they may not know the composition, the importance of a training period
before initiating any job is ever more present.
Moreover, it is
considered a good practice to set medical controls for employees in contact
with potentially dangerous substances and whose health conditions may be
affected of physical requirements linked to the execution of the job. In
addition, there are many firms that are undertaking the path of eco-friendly
detergents in substitution of the acid ones, a choice that is safer and more
convenient in the long term and that will undoubtedly contribute to decreasing
the number of illnesses due to exposure to harmful liquids and gas.
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