There’s a lot of talk about bloodborne and airborne pathogen risks to cleaners, but what are the real truths behind these risks? Being over-prepared or purchasing over-the-top equipment can be as detrimental to the bottom line as being unprepared. Many building service contractors wonder, “where lies the sweet spot?”

While there is no magic amount of safety gear, having a few items on hand is a good place to start to help keep BSCs safe, yet economically efficient.

The proper gear for the job
Reading equipment labels and material safety data sheets takes much of the guesswork out of what gear to use.

“It’s required by law to have that sheet with each chemical so the employee can see the handling procedures and if exposure what symptoms would happen,” says Amber Hogan, industrial hygienist, OSHA Office of Health Enforcement, Washington. “The gear follows the chemicals. It’s the boss’s responsibility to supply that information.”

“One of the worst things you can do is just say ‘here’s safety gear,’” adds Gary Caldwell, President of EnviroMold Air Quality Services and Aero A/C and Plumbing, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas. “Proper fitting and maintenance of equipment is very important.”

Some respiratory equipment can be, as Caldwell puts it, like “breathing through a straw.”

An N-95 mask is one such device. It has two straps, and the nose can be pinched down for a snug “custom” fit.

“N-95 is perfectly fine for offices, as long as you’re not trying to protect against another element,” says Scott Robinson, director of safety services, American Building Maintenance, San Francisco.

If a face mask other than a basic surgical mask or N-95 are required for a job, it’s safe to say it’s not a job for most BSCs — the task has stepped over into biohazardous remediation.

Protecting the janitor’s hands is just as important as protecting his face. Disposable gloves should be standard issue when handling bodily fluids, including soiled diapers and feminine hygiene products.

Although Hogan says vomit, feces, semen and urine are not considered potentially infected materials, unless visibly contaminated with blood, wearing personal protective equipment is a good precaution, anyway.

Bloodborne-pathogen kits
Any blood is considered a biohazard — potentially contaminated with HIV/AIDS or hepatitis. But BSCs must regularly clean small amounts of blood, and having gear prepackaged in bloodborne-pathogen kits can be used in many different situations — including standard items like biohazard signs and gowns.

Priced around $10 to $20 at safety supply stores (or put together by the BSC), a bloodborne-pathogen kit usually contains latex or vinyl gloves, gown, goggles and/or face shield, special bags, absorbent materials, biohazard disposal (red) bag and a “wet biohazard” floor sign. After use, all materials must be treated as contaminated and thrown away in the biohazard disposal bag, or double- or triple-bagged and then disposed of according to local regulations. Tools that must be reused, such as mop buckets and handles, should be cleaned in a solution of 20 percent bleach, 80 percent water.

The kits come in handy not only for the more routine, small cleanup of blood, but for large cleaning jobs as well. However, tackling biohazard jobs will also require thorough instruction and preparation.

“I think small and medium-sized BSCs could handle small biohazard incidents, but only if they have had the proper training,” says Richard Heeth, a critical care and flight paramedic in Dallas, and owner of safety consulting firm Heeth & Associates, Inc. in Grand Prairie, Texas. “This is not a task to set out on with little or no informative training. In most contracts with clinics or hospitals, it’s addressed for the BSC not to handle. Having a standard procedure in place is the key.”

Robinson agrees. He developed an 11-point SARS response protocol to give clients with employees returning from hot spots like Hong Kong a comfort level about cleaning. The policy doesn’t focus on sterilization — but on what steps the BSC will take. Some of the steps include: reviewing the issue with building management; identifying surfaces; barricading; preparing receptacles for contaminated materials; ensuring proper personal protective gear is used; spot-testing chemicals; mopping; proper disposing of materials; and advising management when the work is complete.

Whatever the size or scope of the job, safety is not an issue to be taken lightly, especially when it comes to biohazards. Purchasing a few recommended safety items won’t hurt a company’s bottom line, and more importantly, will help keep workers safe.

Lori Veit is a business writer in Madison, Wis., and a frequent contributor to Contracting Profits.

Cleaning Without The Kit
What happens if a biohazard emergency arises, but the building service contractor is unprepared for the call? Sometimes, the equipment a BSC already has on hand can be used to safely clean the hazardous area.

As safety training officer of a very large, well established BSC, Dannette Young Heeth, ATM-B, of BCI Janitorial, Grand Prairie, Texas, was jolted from vacation when she received a call from the company president and told that a cleaning crew needed to clean a crime scene.

The crew manager had just received bloodborne-pathogen training but was new to her position and "scared half out of her wits," says Young Heeth.

With no bloodborne-pathogen kits on site, and all janitorial supply stores closed, she walked the crew manager and two employees through the entire procedure, using items on hand.

"First," she says, "I asked if she had bleach, latex gloves, paper towels, large trash bags, two mop buckets, new/unused mop heads — and what type of carpet cleaning equipment she had, bonnet or extraction."

With this equipment, they first tackled the walls, and determined they were washable latex paint.

"I then told her to get the largest trash bag available and to cut the bottom out large enough for a head to go through and to slip it over the cleaner's uniform to protect his clothing," says Young Heeth. "Then, I said to have him put latex gloves on and to gently apply a solution of 20 percent bleach/80 percent water to the walls using a sponge, being careful not to [drip] on the floor or carpet from the mop bucket.

"Once he had completed this process, I told her to put the sponge, any paper towels used and the trash bag that protected their clothing into a second bag. Then, double bag the debris and empty the mop bucket and rinse thoroughly with bleach to kill all the pathogens that might still remain."

Next came the floors. The second mop bucket was filled with quaternary disinfectant and a barrier was created with it around the perimeter of the blood. The blood was mopped up and the mop head disposed of in a double bag. The mop bucket was rinsed with bleach.

The last step was carpets.

"The only correct method to clean blood from carpets is by extraction," says Young Heeth.

Using a carpet cleaning solution with the extractor, the crew thoroughly extracted all surrounding carpet.

"The most important step is to rinse all components of the extractor including hoses and tanks, with a 20 percent bleach solution. Never use bleach on carpet, of course," says Young Heeth.

Since the ceiling did not have any bloodborne pathogens, it did not have to be fogged, she adds.

"All went well," summarizes Young Heeth. "And the project manager looked like a pro with the client."




POSTED ON: 9/1/2003