Keeping Your Cleaning Staff Safe Around Chemicals: 3 Top Tips

When it comes to keeping your business premises clean, there is a wide range of chemical cleaners on the market that will help your staff to blast dirt and to remove grime. However, while these chemicals are great at removing dirt and killing germs, they can also be extremely hazardous to human health. As an employer, it is vital that you protect your staff from the harm that cleaning chemicals can cause. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the steps you can take to protect your staff.

Issue your staff with personal protection gear

Before your staff begin any cleaning jobs, you should ensure that they are properly kitted out. This means giving them personal protection gear that will help to protect them. The gear supplied to your staff should include heavy gloves, which will help to protect their hands from corrosive chemicals such as bleach. You should also give your staff face masks so they will be protected from any gases or fumes that are emitted by cleaning liquids. Footwear with a good grip will also help your staff to stay steady on their feet when walking on wet flooring that has been washed down to remove chemicals and dirt.

Make sure your staff are trained in first aid

At least one member of staff who is responsible for cleaning your premises should be trained in first aid. This will ensure that someone is on hand to offer immediate help if a staff member suffers an injury due to exposure to cleaning chemicals or as a result of a slip, trip or fall.

Make sure your staff understand how to store chemicals correctly

Finally, it is vital that you ensure that your cleaning staff understand how to store cleaning chemicals correctly. While it may be tempting to throw together different containers of cleaning chemicals, this can present serious hazards. Firstly, if cleaning chemicals are not stored on separate shelves and clearly marked, there is an increased risk that your staff will accidentally use the wrong chemical when performing their duties, which could lead to them exposing themselves to harmful substances. Secondly, if one container begins to leak, it may mix with nearby chemicals, which can result in chemical reactions that produce chlorine gas, which is highly toxic and can cause serious injury.

If you would like more information, you should contact a cleaning supplies company today.


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