Safety issues for home cleaning professionals

For many homeowners, cleaning professionals are essential to helping their spaces stay spick and span. They rely on cleaning pros to keep their homes in the best shape possible. However, as with any profession, those in the cleaning industry face certain safety risks on the job. It’s important for any cleaning business owner to educate themselves and their employees on the common hazards associated with cleaning and janitorial services so they can stay safe and free from injury. 

Let’s go over the common dangers that cleaning professionals face every day, how to avoid them, and what to do if someone does get injured or sick while working. 

Types of Cleaning Professionals

As in any industry, there are various types of jobs that fall into the category of cleaning professionals. According to the CDC, the title of cleaning professional includes anyone who performs the following tasks: 

• Sweeping
• Mopping
• Cleaning surfaces
• Removing trash
• Disinfecting areas or surfaces

That said, those who fall into this category include home housekeepers, maid service workers, and janitorial business employees for professional locations such as offices, healthcare facilities, and public spaces. 

But the real question is, do all cleaning professionals face these risks? Yes. Even if your business is considered a home cleaning business, you and your employees are still subjected to many of the same hazards that janitorial businesses face. Knowing the risks that you and your employees are up against can help ensure that you all stay safe at work.

Safety Issues for Cleaning Professionals

When it comes to cleaning professions, there are a handful of obvious risks — falls, slips, and exposure to cleaning chemicals, for example. However, the CDC advises that there are many more risks to be concerned about. They include:

• Potential for musculoskeletal injury from heavy lifting, consistent standing, and repetitive motion such as bending
• Exposure to infection, disease, and bloodborne pathogens
• Diseases, allergies, skin conditions, and respiratory conditions from confined spaces with cleaning agents
• Injuries from slips and falls

If you or a of your team experiences one of these conditions, you could be short an employee, there could be long-term health effects, and your business could ultimately pay the price for your employee’s medical care, wages while out of work, and even possibly legal fees associated with the claimt. To protect against these types of events, ensure you have a workers’ compensation policy.  Also, enact safety policies and procedures that help your employees to stay safe on the job. Provide personal protective equipment, hold safety training events to educate employees on the risks, and utilize industry best practices when it comes to mixing, using, and storing chemicals. 

In the Event of Injury or Illness

We all try our best to stay safe and avoid workplace injuries and illnesses whenever possible, but the reality is that sometimes accidents happen. So, what should you do if you or someone at your cleaning business gets injured or sick while on the job? 

First and foremost, the injured or ill employee should get the medical attention they need. Whether that’s emergency care or a visit to a primary physician, seeking immediate healthcare is the first step. After that, the process greatly depends on whether or not you carry workers’ compensation insurance for your cleaning business. 

Workers’ compensation insurance is a type of business coverage that protects you, your employees, and your business. It provides coverage for expenses like medical bills, lost wages, disability, death benefits, and legal fees in the event that an employee is injured or gets sick while on the job. Regardless of the size of your cleaning business, it’s best to have a workers’ compensation policy so that you and your employee can be worry-free throughout the recovery process. On top of that, in most states it’s legally required. Check out our guide on which states require workers’ compensation here. 

Cerity — Better Cleaning Business Workers’ Comp

Luckily workers’ comp is easier than ever to get. At Cerity, we’ve revolutionized workers’ comp insurance and made it quicker and less complicated to get. We’ve created a faster, more affordable approach to workers’ comp so that you can get the coverage you need without phone calls or paperwork. We use proprietary tools and modern technology to provide cleaning business owners with quick quotes and instant coverage. 

Visit our workers’ compensation quote tool today, tell us a little about your cleaning business, and get your free online quote faster and easier than you thought possible.