ISSA: Updates from the Leading Association for the Cleaning Industry Worldwide

Reading Is FUNdamental!

How many times have you bought a piece of furniture or a bicycle that required assembly? Probably the last thing you looked at was the instruction manual. Most people would rather “figure it out for themselves” than carefully read the instructions, even though doing so often saves valuable time in the long run.

There is reason for this instructions-skipping phenomenon: Most of the procedure books and manuals out there are boring.

When it comes to instructions, the cleaning industry is no different. Many of its training manuals are long, boring, and confusing, reading more like academic textbooks than guides aimed at hands-on performance. As a result, many employees avoid reading instructions altogether — a dangerous situation for industry workers dealing with chemicals, heavy-duty equipment, and other potentially hazardous things on a regular basis.

Bore No More
With an eye toward the cleaning industry — and the basic human aversion to dry, lengthy, and convoluted instructions — ISSA recently developed a new and innovative training aid to help assure your workers get the training they need: the ISSA Official EZ Trainer Custodial Training Manual.

Recently updated, this manual features 15 short, easy-to-follow chapters, detailing correct cleaning methods as well as the proper usage of custodial equipment. Full-color illustrations are included throughout. It’s just one more way that ISSA is working to make training fun.

To order your personal copy, contact the ISSA Customer Service Department at 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

he Hazard Communication Standard continues to be the most frequently violated regulation in general industry, based on figures from fiscal years 2003-05, according to the standard’s developer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) was originally issued in 1983 and pertained only to the manufacturing sector. In 1987, the standard was extended to all industry sectors, including building service contractors and others who apply cleaning chemical products considered hazardous under the standard.

According to OSHA, the most common citations issued for violation of the standard are for failing to have a written hazard communication program in place and failing to provide employee information and training.

Under the Hazard Communication Standard, manufacturers and importers of chemical products must evaluate chemical products to determine what, if any, hazards they present. This information is then communicated downstream to users of the hazardous products in the form of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and labels.

In turn, BSCs and other employers of those who may be exposed to hazardous chemical products must have a written hazard communication program that describes how they are complying with the appropriate elements of the standard, as well as provide a list of hazardous chemicals present in the workplace.The standard also requires MSDSs, information, and training on hazardous chemicals to be readily available to workers at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new physical or health hazard is introduced in their work area.

For more information, contact ISSA’s Bill Balek at 800-225-4772.

A growing percentage of the cleaning industry’s workforce is non-English and non-Spanish speaking, the most common languages for training materials. Trying to accommodate these various languages can put a financial strain on a company’s training budget as well as a communication strain on the organization as a whole. But this doesn’t have to be the case.

Rather than trying to find training materials in less common languages or hiring expensive translators to rewrite existing materials, you can find bilingual individuals at local community centers, ethnic clubs, or community colleges and universities willing to assist you, often for far less than you would otherwise pay.

For starters, have the translator review basic training videos or DVDs, then have him or her narrate, with the sound off. After each segment, have the translator hold a question-and-answer period to ensure that employees have retained the proper information. A local translator also can narrate during onsite cleaning demonstrations, and often, printed materials can be translated at a fraction of the cost. Some foreign-language community schools or high schools may even be willing to work the translation of a training guide or manual into their class or school-project curricula!

One-time technique and task training in a worker’s native language isn’t enough, however. You need to create a continuous training program that brings back your bilingual speaker on a quarterly or more regular basis to lead additional sessions. These meetings can include reviews of previous training, new training, and feedback forums where workers can discuss what works and what doesn’t. Having a third party from the community whom the workers are familiar with can provide a more relaxed atmosphere and encourage more open dialogue.

Welcome New ISSA Members!