Planning for Emergencies in Your Cleaning Business

On an average day your staff will go to work and the time will pass routinely, without incident. But unexpected events can happen. Whether the incident is life threatening, a small spill, or the building loses electricity, you need to make sure your staff is prepared and knows how to respond.

When the lights go out. Most cleaning is normally done in the evening hours, so when the electricity goes out your staff will not be able to do their jobs. But that does not mean they should immediately leave the building. Many buildings have emergency lighting, but if it is totally dark, your staff should make their way to the entrance so they can see. Employees should contact their supervisor. They may have to use a cell phone as the building's phones may not be working. If an employee does not have a cell phone, they should wait 30 minutes to see if the electricity is restored. If not, then they can leave the building and go to a phone to contact a supervisor.

Spills. Cleaning companies deal with several different types of chemicals so you need to train your employees on what chemicals they are using, how to use the chemical correctly, and where to find the MSDS sheets. No matter how careful your employees are when using and handling cleaning products, there can occasionally be a spill.

Many cleaning products contain chemicals that can cause burns, eye irritations or skin irritations. Personal protective equipment (gloves and goggles) are to be worn when cleaning up spills. If there is a small spill, wipe it up with a clean cloth and allow it to dry. Barricade anything that cannot be wiped up immediately. If you don't have any barricade tape, use a chair or something that is easily seen and that people can't walk through. Then go clean up the spill. The method for cleaning the spill depends on the chemical that was spilled. The product's MSDS will contain information on how to clean up spills. If the employee has any question on dealing with a spill, he or she should immediately call his/her supervisor.

Falls. Often when someone falls they are embarrassed and want to act like nothing has happened. Encourage the person not to move until you are sure they are okay. If necessary, call for help. After helping the person check and see what caused the fall. If the fall was caused by a slick floor, a hole in the carpet, or loose tile, report it immediately. Fill out a written report of the accident as soon as possible after the incident.

Fire. Your cleaning crew should know where all fire extinguishers are located. They also need to know where emergency phone numbers are posted. If an employee comes across a small fire and knows how to use a fire extinguisher, they should put it out and then call their supervisor. If they are unable to safely put out the fire, employees should immediately leave the building, call the fire department, their supervisor, and the company's contact person.

Health Problems. Encourage sick employees to stay home. You do not want them to spread any germs or viruses to other employees.

There may be sudden health problems that come up that your employees should be trained to deal with:

Choking. If an employee does not have first aid training and there is no one nearby that has first aid training, they should call 9-1-1 and ask for help.

Heart Attacks. Make the victim comfortable and immediately call 9-1-1.

Blizzards and Heavy Snowfall. As most cleaning companies work in the evenings there is a good chance that your employees can get "snowed in". If your cleaning business is located in a part of the country where snow can be a problem, put together a plan to deal with snow emergencies. Make sure your employees know what is expected of them in case of sudden snowstorms.

Earthquakes and other natural disasters. Train your employees to remain calm in any emergency. They should also be aware of what the emergency procedures are for the buildings that they work in and follow those procedures.

Broken items. Unfortunately things break. No matter if the item is small, such as a picture frame, or a large piece of equipment such as a computer, the broken item needs to be cleaned up. Put the pieces in a box and leave a brief note. The employee should then call his supervisor and explain what happened. Train your employees to report all broken items.

No matter how careful we try to be unforeseen events can happen. We hope that nothing will happen while our employees are doing their job - that they are always safe and sound. However, it pays to be prepared by having an emergency plan as part of your company's overall training program. Investing a little time to train and prepare your employees can pay great dividends.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!

How to Make Money By Becoming A Commercial Cleaning Consultant
With a large boom of new businesses over the past 5 years cleaning consultants are making a lot of money. What is a cleaning...

Prices of House Cleaning Services
Typically, starting up a business requires you a lot of money to get the business moving. House cleaning business is one of t...

Green Cleaning for Health and a Healthy Environment
Green cleaning for health is one of the latest movements to be accepted among reputable cleaning companies who wish to provid...

Train Your Cleaning Staff to Read MSDS Sheets
The material safety data sheet (MSDS) is the way to make sure your cleaning staff have all the information they need about ha...

Contract Cleaners - A Guide for Business Part 2
In the first part of this article I put forward 7 questions that I believed were important to ask of your potential cleaning ...

A Well Trained Cleaing Crew Reduces Employee Turnover
The performance provided by a cleaning crew member on the job is dependent upon many different factors. Among these, two tha...

Office Cleaning Marketing Ideas
Are you looking for a job and want to earn extra money? If you wish to open an easy and low cost business that can make you e...

Appreciation for the Entrepreneurship Skill with Business Loans
A business is a continuity of dealings. The continuity of dealings would also require a continuity of funds. Though a success...

7 Advantages to Leasing Equipment for Your Cleaning Business
All small businesses need equipment and your cleaning business is no exception. But you don't necessarily have to buy the eq...

11 Benefits of Starting a House Cleaning Business
One of the biggest fears people have about starting a house cleaning business is the fear of having no real security. But for...

Small Touches That Will Make Your Cleaning Company Stand Out
Your cleaning company can have a big impact on its clients by paying attention to small details that other cleaning services ...

Consistency with Janitorial and Cleaning Businesses
Consistency is a huge word when operating your business. I believe it is one of the key ingredients to success. You should st...

How To Make Money By Starting A Carpet Cleaning Business
If you want to make money working for yourself and be your own boss carpet cleaning is an easy business to get into. When yo...

Avoid Slips, Trips, and Falls While Cleaning a Commercial Office Building
In the cleaning business there are many conditions that exist where slips, trips or falls could occur. Keep yourself and othe...

Aircraft Washing Service Operations Manual
Anyone who is serious about washing aircraft as a full time profession should be prepared to write a manual, which will insur...

No Credit Check Personal Loans - Materialize Your Wishes
There are certain financial emergencies where going for the normal bank loans are not feasible option. Verification and proce...

Cleaning Service Stations with a Pressure Washer
Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take their toll on a service business. It is time to strike back. If you own a...

Carpet Spotting Basics
When you consider all of the time that a good cleaning staff spends in cleaning and maintaining a good quality carpet, it wou...

8 Road Blocks to Success in Your Cleaning Business
All business owners face road blocks throughout the life of their business. It's how they deal with and overcome these road b...

Pressure Washer Companies and Steam Cleaner Maintenance
If you run a pressure washing business it is a must that you understand and take care of your equipment. It is your livelihoo...