Back in May, when the state officials in Maryland signed proposed legislation requiring K-12 public schools to use green cleaning products (effective Oct. 1, 2009), Olivia Klaus, manager of the Office of Custodial Services for the Howard County Public School System had no worries. The district had already begun its green journey several years before.

“We were delighted [by the mandate], ecstatic really, because we were already there,” she says.

In 2006, before sustainable cleaning caught the legislature’s attention, Howard County cleaning crews began using sustainable chemicals to clean the 7.5 million square feet that makes up the district’s 72 schools and five office buildings. Small steps toward green continued over the next three years, as the operation added ergonomically correct vacuums with HEPA filters, incorporated products eliminating the need to strip floors (which Klaus estimates has reduced its use of non-biodegradable stripping products by 45 tons), adopted recycling processes and added EPA-approved disinfectants.

Taking green one step further, the district applied for Green Seal 42 (GS-42) certification. For help in achieving certification, the district enlisted the assistance of the Building Wellness Institute, a Silver Spring, Md.-based organization designed to help custodial operations protect the health and comfort of building occupants through comprehensive training, consulting and assessment programs, including GS-42 certification.

“I commend the school system and I commend the staff on what we’ve already done,” says Klaus. “We still have a lot more to accomplish, but our journey will continue.”

Greening Training

One primary element of any successful transition to green cleaning is training, according to Mark Bishop, deputy director of the Healthy Schools Campaign. It’s not enough to simply move to sustainable chemicals.

“The reality is, as green as your products may be, you’re always limited by the human factor,” he says. “You can be using the greenest products in the world, but if custodians don’t understand the proper techniques and over-use the products, you will have little to no impact on human health.”

Maryland joined the ranks of states such as New York, Illinois and Missouri already cleaning green in schools, while more states consider green legislation every day. That said, the savvy custodial team must realize this and begin pushing sustainable cleaning practices within the schools, if it hasn’t already, says Marion Stecklow, executive director of the Building Wellness Institute, who adds properly training custodians is a primary means to a successful — and green — conclusion.

“The best way to get custodians to initiate any change is through education,” she explains. GS-42 certification requires schools to put custodians through 24 hours of training, then offer 12 hours of annual follow-up education. Such programs help custodians understand what green cleaning truly means, develop and adhere to standard operating procedures, foster open communication with school officials and properly document everything they do.

And certification — while not for everyone — helps in-house operations develop sustainable practices rivaling those already offered by many building service contractors. It shows that an operation isn’t just claiming to be green cleaning, but actually is.

“A respected third-party has audited them, reviewed their documentation and certified they meet nationally accepted green cleaning guidelines,” explains Mark Petruzzi, vice president of certification and strategic relations for Green Seal.

Training Out Falsehoods

Howard County adopted the Building Wellness Institute’s GS-42 training program, which divides the Green Seal training protocol into six four-hour modules. The district graduated its first training class in June and plans to have all of its 419 custodians trained by year’s end.

The multi-faceted training program first stresses custodians clean for health, not just for appearance. Custodians learn to view themselves as the front line of defense in keeping students and staff healthy within school buildings. This module also promotes the custodian’s role in working with other school staff, faculty and administration to ensure everyone works together for greater health within the building.

“If they are working with other staff, they recognize their mission is not just to push a broom but to promote a healthy environment,” Bishop explains. “It places a higher value on the work they do and makes sure schools support them with training and provide the recognition they deserve.”

The training then moves to dispelling misconceptions about green cleaning. That green products fail to work remains a falsehood permeating the industry and it is one training must address.

“There are custodians who’ve been cleaning for awhile, who tried a green product five years ago that didn’t work well for them,” explains Petruzzi.

This belief that nothing has changed often results in misuse. If custodians think the products won’t work, they may use excess chemicals. Not only can this cost the district more money, chemical misuse may leave tacky residue behind or even damage surfaces.

Howard County’s training protocol teaches custodians to read and follow manufacturer’s instructions and material safety data sheets (MSDS) to ensure proper chemical use.

“Training should help them realize they need to follow these instructions,” adds Petruzzi. “If it says two ounces per gallon, that’s what they should use.”

The district’s training also covers cleaning policies and procedures and the specifics of how to clean with the new products and equipment. Klaus explains the products and equipment do work, but often custodians employ old procedures, which can minimize their efficacy.

For instance, custodians may be used to spraying window cleaner directly on glass, then wiping it with a paper towel. This technique doesn’t work when using microfiber cloths. Instead custodians must spray the cleaner onto the cloth, then wipe the glass. And, if the glass isn’t extremely dirty, they may be able to use the microfiber cloth without water or cleaner.

Cleaners also need to be reminded that microfiber cloths must be disinfected and require special handling when laundering.

Training should also include how and when to change a vacuum’s filter. In the past, custodians changed the bag when it was full or the filter fully loaded, now they must be changed when 25 percent full to maintain proper suction. These bags and filters also cannot be dumped into a trash can, they must be emptied into a completely enclosed liner, then thrown into a trash can away from building occupants.

“These are little details cleaners might not know without training,” says Stecklow.

Module Four of Howard County’s training covers supplies, products and equipment. It includes equipment demos, where workers learn to properly fit and use backpack vacuums, for instance.

“People resist change,” says Stecklow. “A backpack vacuum differs from the upright they’ve been using. But, a lot of times their dissatisfaction stems from not fitting machines correctly. We show them how to do it so their jobs are easier and they become more efficient.”

This training module also covers disinfectants. Important because Stecklow points out many custodial operations falsely believe they cannot use disinfectants because of their kill factor. However, these must be used in restrooms and high-touch areas, particularly during outbreaks of flu and other pandemics. They also require proper dwell time; they cannot be sprayed on and immediately wiped off.

“That’s really important,” Stecklow says. “I’ve audited several companies where the staff wasn’t using disinfectants at all because they had been told they were not green.”

Howard County’s training also examines how sustainable practices and correct chemical use can help drive down the cost of chemical purchases, dispelling the notion that green cleaning costs more. The training reviews good purchasing procedures and chemical inventory tracking.

“Often operations have hundreds of different chemicals and no one knows what each is for,” Stecklow says. “Quality control must be part of the green cleaning program.”

Finally, Howard County also considers lean processes developed through Six Sigma, a business management strategy. The operation has examined the best ways to perform various tasks using the most value-added steps while removing unnecessary steps. Areas addressed included things such as properly stocking cleaning carts, or step-by-step ways to clean a bathroom or vacuum.

Keep It Coming

While Howard County’s current employees and subsequent new hires will receive the initial 24-hour training, the school will also offer workers an additional 12 hours of education annually. This ongoing education will include safety training such as how to properly use a fire extinguisher, shut off the gas or water, what to do during a pandemic, proper lifting techniques and more.

Ongoing training takes many forms, admits Petruzzi. It doesn’t matter how it’s done, it’s more a matter that it is done.

“You can’t say, ‘Now you know how to clean a bathroom or strip a floor,’ then let those skills stay stagnant,” he says. “Training needs to be ongoing.”

Training is where it’s at, agrees Klaus. It helps everyone understand the importance of cleaning for health and promotes a mind-set and culture change that will carry the cleaning operation well into the future.

“We’ve asked our custodians and building occupants to open their hearts and minds to things that are better for everyone,” she says. “It’s no quick fix, but it’s well worth the journey.”

Ronnie Garrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Fort Atkinson, Wis.




POSTED ON: 9/9/2009