There's a danger in the workplace that's not even visible to the naked eye, yet it could change your life forever if you're exposed to it.

     Bloodborne Pathogens are microorganisms carried by human blood and other body fluids and if proper precautions are not taken, they can easily lead to infectious diseases. The most common diseases caused by bloodborne pathogens are Hepatitis C (HBC), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Workers in many occupations, including first aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some industries, employees that handle contaminated waste or trash, and healthcare personnel, maybe at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. 

     In order to reduce or eliminate the hazards of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, an employer must implement exposure control plan for the worksite with details on employee protection measures. Personal protective equipment is the "last line defense" in protecting employees from any hazard. It includes: gloves, gowns, face shields, face masks and eye protection.

    One of the most important benefits of having a mold cleaning program apart of your company is that it gives the client reassurance that you will do you best to keep areas dry and ventilated while cleaning for the safety and health of there family/employees. All the while at the same time educating them on how to prevent it from coming back. You are letting your clients know that each one of your workers is certified on how to identify mold and clean properly.

    This also saves time and money for the client having to hire another company outside of yours to come in and take care of there mold problem before you can come in to clean. You can go in give an estimate on how and what you need to remove the problem and then you can give them a quote for the cleaning job there after. Great opportunity to offer a great package deal!

Two Ingredient Goo-Gone: Never buy chemical-crap, Goo Gone Again!

Never again.

Never again will my hand feel like a slimy orange peel.

Never again will I have to smell that disgusting fake orange smell in my house.

And I could not be happier!

I’m sure you’ve had this happen to you. You’re hanging out at home, minding your own business, and your wife decide's to look at her DIY Pinterest  board. Well, on this particular Pinterest -inspired-craft day, it was time for her to make something amazing out of those recycled glass jars she's been hoarding! In her mind all our guests will stare in awe at our  perfectly Pinterested house and wonder, “How do you do it?”. No? Well, anyway, She decided it was time to put them to good use housing baked goodies (Earth-friendly and husband approved!).

Listen. This is not my first label-peeling-rodeo. The glue gods and I have danced many-a-time,and frankly, they win 98% of the time. But today, I was victorious. Unfortunately, when I reached for my trusty Goo-Gone, I didn’t have any. So I had to make my own out of two common household ingredients. Baking soda and olive oil.

After I soaked all of her  little jars in water and peeled the label off the jar and I was left with the glue residue. So now was the moment of truth. Goo Gone is one of those things that you just “have” in your house. If we’re honest though, it should be one of the first things we replace in our homes. Goo Gone is filled with tons of chemicals and carcinogens, and you can tell just by the burning, laboratory orange smell wafting up from it. It leaves your hands and the thing you put it on with a slimy, dirty residue that... never quite leaves your fingertips hours later. I didn’t have to worry about any of this with my DIY fix.

What I love about making my own Goo Gone, is that you never have to deal with that gross concoction in your lungs or on your skin again. I never have to worry about it being ingested by a pet or small child. I don’t have to worry about the environmental impact it takes to make Goo Gone and how I’m contributing to the larger pollution problem. Best of all, I can make as much as I want, when I want. For only pennies on the dollar, I can cut out cancer-causing chemicals for an environmentally better option & my wife was happy, I call that a win-win!

Everyday household cleaning chemicals can be harmful because they contain large amounts of toxic materials. The chemicals can cause various diseases and alarming health concerns. Such as ammonia, sodium hydroxide, and fragrances. These are examples of harmful chemicals in which we use daily.

The reason why ammonia is a harmful chemical, because it irritates your lungs when breathed in. Ammonia can also be more harmful to children. Sodium hydroxide is commonly used in oven cleaners and if used improperly can cause burns to the skin. Fragrances can be dangerous because they cause reproductive abnormalities.

However, with most of the everyday cleaning products being toxic there are plenty of green products to use. For example, baking soda, vinegar, and borax. Using green cleaning products can benefit your health and the environment.

Baking soda is a great alternative to common cleaners because it can be used to deodorize. Vinegar diluted with water can be a safer alternative to window cleaner. Vinegar also yields a key ingredient of acetic acid that is less harmful and can be used for cleaning of hair, and coffee makers. Borax is a mineral that can clean painted walls, floors, disinfects, and deodorizes.

In conclusion, the benefits of using green cleaning products are far greater than common cleaning products. Green cleaning products cause significantly fewer health concerns. They also provide a cleaner healthier living environment around us and in nature. For more information on green cleaning refer to IJCSA green cleaning directory.

Learning OSHA's on the job methods when handling biohazardous waste and working in hazardous areas is strongly advised because it reduces the risk of accidents, potential lawsuits, and can lower a business's insurance rates.

The duty of a certified Biohazard removal company is to completely clean, sanitize and deodorize the site where a violent crime, suicide or traumatic accident has occurred.

Biohazard cleanup can be challenging work that requires employees to handle potentially hazardous materials such as blood and body fluids, and proper handling is essential to the safety of all concerned.

OSHA requires any employee having the potential of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens to complete a training program in such and personnel protective equipment. This includes individuals working in a wide range of industries.

We at IJCSA and it's members are happy to offer on-the-job training in bioremediation and safety compliance to all its employees in order to keep them safe during these challenging times and during the clean up procedures.

Find Professional Certified Biohazard Cleaning Companies Here

Eighty percent of common infections are spread by hands. Washing your hands at least five times a day has been shown to significantly decrease the frequency of colds, influenza (the “flu”) and other infections. Not only will it help keep you healthy, it will help prevent the spread of infectious diseases to others.

Even if your hands appear to be clean, they carry germs and viruses. Hands pick up germs, viruses and other micro-organisms in a number of ways. When people who are sick sneeze or cough, the germs that are making them sick are expelled into the air in tiny droplets. If these droplets get onto your hands, and then you touch your mouth, eyes or nose without washing away the germs, you can pick up the infection. You can also get sick if you don't wash your hands before and after preparing food, after handling raw meat and after using the toilet.

Although hand washing might seem like a simple task, you should follow these steps to thoroughly rid your hands of germs.

What kind of soap should I use?

• Use plain soap that does not contain antibacterial agents. Plain soap will remove the dirt and grease that attract bad bacteria.
• Plain soap will not kill the good bacteria that live on the hands.
• Using antibacterial products unnecessarily increases the concentration of antibiotics in the water supply and in the environment and may contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Proper steps.

• Remove any hand or arm jewelry you may be wearing.
• Wet your hands with warm water.
• Apply plain soap to your hands and rub together for 20 seconds (the length of time it takes to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Happy Birthday)
• Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
• Rinse your hands well for 10 seconds under warm running water, using a rubbing motion.
• Wipe and dry your hands gently with a paper towel or a clean towel. Drying them vigorously can damage the skin.
• Turn off the tap using the paper towel so that you do not re-contaminate your hands. When using a public bathroom, use the same paper towel to open the door when you leave.
• If skin dryness is a problem, use a moisturizing lotion.

Learn More About Bloodborne Pathogens Here

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms present in blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.

Some of the ways in which employees are infected by bloodborne pathogens in the workplace are as follows: Salivia, sweat, tears, vaginal fluids, and blood. If you touch your eyes, mouth, and nose these microorganisms can enter your body.

There are ways to protect yourself by using gloves, safety glasses, mask, washing of hands. Do everything possible to not handle a syringe improperly if you should need to pick up and discard. Follow all  OSHA recommendations.

How Important Are Janitors & Janitorial Staff To Our Daily Lives ?

I can't tell you how many times we have received many thank you and appreciation on keeping our clients facilities clean. We as janitors face huge risk and sometime are frown upon as well. However, janitors and staff play a vital role in protecting the health of every individual in the facility that's being service. We help prevent and decrease the spread of illness and infections like COVID-19 and others. It times like this, we are needed more than ever. Janitors make sure things are cleaned properly and in a timely manner. 

Not only is janitors there to keep the facility healthy and clean. Our janitorial services is vital in keeping the appearance of the facility up and also keeping visitors and customers happy. This help create longevity business relationships and a positive outlook on the company brand. A business brand speaks many things about them, and all businesses always want to leave an ever lasting impressions. I know a janitorial staff aids in this. 

Good and healthy cleaning help people to live, work, and learn in a more enjoyable atmosphere. People are happy to know they can enter into a building that is consistently clean and well-maintained. IJCSA offer a list of cleaning companies that provide great service. Even in a time during COVID-19 there are many cleaning business still in operation https://www.ijcsa.org/Janitorial-Service-Directory-Find-A-Janitorial-Service-JanitorialServices because our services are mandatory and much needed to public health and safety. Although janitors face the battle of invisible gems head on, we still strive to get the job done to keep everyone healthy. 

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms present in the blood that can cause disease in humans.These pathogens include but are not limited to: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes Aids. Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted through contact with human blood and other potentially infectious body fluids.

Workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens are at risk for serious or life-threatening illnesses. OSAH's Bloodborne Pathogens standard can be found in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations at 29 CFR 1910.1030. The standard's requirements state what employers must do to protect workers who are occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). This standard protect workers who can reasonably anticipated to come in contact with blood or OPIM as a result of doing their jobs.

Employees of cleaning companies come into contact with blood or OPIM on a daily bases. The dangers that lurks in the workplace form bloodborne pathogens aren't always visible to the naked eye, yet if expose to could change your life for ever. As a result employees must be familiar with the dangers of bloodborne pathogens as well as the steps they must take to protect themselves and others from BBP exposures.

Keeping carpets regularly clean is vital to your health. Hidden in your carpets or rugs are germs and dust mites. Whether you have small children with allergies or asthma cleaning your carpets frequently will keep them healthy. Also, cleaning your carpets will kill germs and limit sickness. Choosing the right cleaning company will ensure that your carpets are cleaned the right way. Here at IJCSA, we are passionate about carpets. Our top priority is to keep your carpets and rugs spotless. When your carpets and rugs require cleaning think of IJCSA certified cleaners.