Posts Tagged ‘janitorial services’

The First Step towards a Truly Clean Office: A Safe, Clean and Organized Janitor Closet

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

A proficiently organized janitor closet is the first step to ensure your office is truly safe and clean.  Why?  Because places with important amounts of human traffic, like hospitals, apartment buildings, hospitals, and office complexes, depend on organized and efficient janitorial services to run smoothly, and this can only be accomplished if the cleaning supplies are in order and adequately stored.

Janitors’ closets are, in many cases, the neglected source of many chemical dangers and accidents.  A janitor closet must have more than enough room to hold all the cleaning equipment and products.  The size of the space will depend on the size of your office and its needs; however, there should be enough room for extra supplies and for the staff to move freely and safely around.

Every janitor closet must have a good place to put the ‘material safety data sheets’ (MSDS). These explain the correct use of every chemical, and the entire cleaning crew should know them by heart and must know where they are in case of an emergency.  In the same way, the cleaning staff must know how to dispose of dangerous products or materials. They should be trained for it, and it is your responsibility, as the hiring company’s owner or representative, to ensure the office cleaning services you hire are professionals in preventing accidents as much as they are for cleaning.

A well-equipped janitor closet must contain:

-The relevant MSDS sheets

-The appropriate labels for all bottles

-A list of emergency phone numbers

-First aid kit

-Extra supplies

-Protective equipment like goggles, gloves, and aprons

-A sink and tap with the right drainage

-Enough room to safely store the equipment and products

No one should neglect the janitor’s closet when checking safety and health aspects at the office.  If there’s room for everything, it is easier to store it and keep it clean, organized, and safe, and it is also easier to deal with an emergency in case there is one. 

Janitor’ closets are a priority on the lists of health and safety inspectors.  They check that these comply with every health and safety regulation, like the MSDS sheets, the storage capability, type of ventilation, and proper work area for the staff.  Your company can save lots of money and prevent serious emergencies by complying with these simple guidelines.

But maybe the most important thing is that all the office cleaning personnel receive the right training and that they know where everything is in the janitor’s closet.  They must respect your company’s policies and standards as well as reinforce the good habits and safety procedures your business abides by.

The janitor’s closet may be the smallest room in your office’s building; however, it is most certainly not the least important.

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Commercial Janitorial

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Whenever someone mentions commercial janitorial services it often means that the service is judged on price rather than on the quality of the services that they offer. A good commercial janitorial company will ensure that their services are unique to the needs of a particular client. Some companies will be bond certified and these are probably the best companies around. Bond certification means that the company keeps a certain amount of money in escrow to cover any damage or breakages that may occur.

A good commercial janitorial company will have a detailed selection process, an in-depth training process and great onsite management. A good company will know that their janitors have the cleanliness and safety of your building in their hands and will act in your best interests. Cleaning operations will take place on a nightly basis and the company will send someone to come and inspect the buildings under its charge at least once a month as a means of quality assurance.

If you require green cleaning services then most good companies will be able to provide that through the use of products that have eco chemicals and through the safe disposal of all rubbish. One thing that you do need to check when you hire commercial janitorial services is that the company is properly insured. Having uninsured contractors in your building could involve you in a lawsuit at some time in the future. If a company is legitimate then they will be happy to provide you with proof of their insurance. Once you know the worth of a company it should be a simple process to get them to understand and deal with your cleaning needs.

You may want to do a walk through when your commercial janitorial services begin their cleaning. You should also make sure that all the things that you and the company agreed would be part of the service are actually in the written contract and are being carried out. Most commercial janitorial companies have a reputation to keep up and they will immediately dispense with the services of any janitor who is not doing the job properly. The company will usually only take on people with impeccable references so it is unlikely they will have unreliable staff if you have chosen the right company.

Outsourcing the cleaning of your office block may cost quite a bit of money but it will pay back dividends because you will no longer have to worry about the cleanliness and state of your building. Both you and your employees will be able to get on with the job in hand; growing your business while someone else deals with the day to day running of the building. You and your workforce will be much happier in a clean and comfortable environment where you know things are being looked after. In many ways a good janitorial services company is worth its weight in gold as it will take care of your building while you take care of the company and increase your overall profits.