A janitorial company working in a Missoula nursing home has been cited with almost $60,000 worth of safety violations after exposing workers to multiple hazards, including failure to provide hepatitis B exposure prevention training to employees.

Healthcare Services Group Inc. was issued five citations Aug. 7 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after inspections were opened in May at the Missoula Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Two “repeat” violations – for failing to make vaccinations for hepatitis B available and failing to provide training to employees on hazardous chemicals – carry $44,000 worth of fines. Healthcare Services was cited for similar violations in its Laurel facility and at a facility in Pueblo, Colo., in the past five years, an OSHA news release said.

The three other violations were classified as “serious,” and included not providing the correct training to prevent the spread of hepatitis B.

“Employers must protect workers who are occupationally exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials,” Jeff Funke said in the OSHA news release. Funke is the director of OSHA’s Billings-area office. “This employer placed workers’ health at risk by not offering them required bloodborne pathogens training.”

More at source: Missoulian

The DeSoto Board of Supervisors, with little debate but hearing a plea for janitorial workers who are losing their jobs to outsourcing, approved Tuesday a lean fiscal 2013 budget of $104.2 million in expenditures.

It's an 8 percent cut from this year's blueprint but still allows for increases in jail-operation costs and a 3 percent raise for county workers. The vote of the five-member governing board was 4-1, with supervisor Bill Russell of Walls casting the lone "no."

More at source: Commercial Appeal

Spills on your couch can be difficult to spot clean and many people go to using expensive and harsh chemical cleaners. Before you resort to that, try removing the spot using dish detergent that's been whipped by a hand mixer.

Household weblog Apartment Therapy recommends using a manual hand mixer to whip dish detergent into a froth, rubbing the froth into your upholstery with a rag, and rising the whipped detergent out with water.

More at source: Life Hacker

MANILA, Philippines - Two window cleaners were slightly injured after their gondola was hit by a sudden strong gust of wind while cleaning the RCBC Plaza along Ayala Avenue in Makati City on Monday morning.

Acting Makati City police chief, Superintendent Jaime Santos, identified those injured as Roberto Rendon and Victoriano Nietes.

Rendon and Nietes were rushed to the nearby Makati Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.

According to the Makati Rescue, Rendon and Nietes were cleaning the outside reflective glass at the 40th floor of the RCBC Plaza’s Yuchengco Tower at about 10:15 am when their gondola was hit by a strong gust of wind. The Yuchengco Tower has a total of 46 floors.

More at source: PhilStar.com

Jani-King International, the world’s largest commercial cleaning franchise company is proud to announce its new partnership with the Buffalo Bills as the Official Cleaning Company of the team and Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The new partnership allows Jani-King to provide services and sponsorship to the Bills organization which is a huge victory, boosting the mindset of the local Jani-King regional office and its franchisees.

“The Buffalo Bills are a staple in their city and throughout Western New York,” said Andrew Espitia, Executive Director of National Accounts at Jani-King corporate. “There is a lot of excitement among our franchisees in Buffalo and we are proud to have the opportunity to clean Ralph Wilson Stadium.”  Jani-King of Buffalo started its service at Ralph Wilson Stadium in July.

More at source: Buffalo Bills

Mount Airy Fire Department units responded to a structure fire in the building that houses the Salvation Army Family Store and Professional Rental Services on Fredrick Street after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to Mount Airy Fire Department Chief Zane Poindexter, flames and smoke were visible when units arrived on the scene. No one was hurt in connection with the fire that appears to have started from a professional cleaning machine that produces heat. Poindexter said the machine had malfunctioned and overheated, causing the fire.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The City of Hattiesburg and Gaddy Janitorial and Floor Care hosted the health summit today at the University of Southern Mississippi's Trent Lott Center.
Representatives from hospitals and clinics from across the state learned about the benefits of a safe and clean environment.
Experts talked about how scoring an "A" on cleaning and infection prevention equals higher consumer satisfaction ratings and more money.

More at source: CBS

Maintenance workers are laboring overtime to get various repair and construction jobs done before school starts back on Monday.

During this month’s regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting, Maintenance Director Garvin Trinks reviewed the different jobs on which his crew is currently working.

One of those jobs is the McDowell High School roofing project, which has been ongoing over the summer.

More at source: Mcdonnell News

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. undefined More and more employees at a Winston-Salem business are coming forward about not getting paid.

The owners of the locally owned and operated Maid Brigade in Winston-Salem are accused of writing bad pay checks to their employees, going weeks without paying them.

Cliff and Marie Keith, owners of the cleaning company, would not comment on the accusation when they returned to their office late Monday night.

“It comes a point when it gets ridicules,” said Michelle Hairston one of the latest former employees to come forward.

Hairston said she resigned after several red flags including the owners never taking her information for tax purposes. She said she also questioned why she and others were made to work some days for 15 hours.

More at source: Fox News  ( including video )

One business is returning to its Beloit roots thanks to the efforts of a band of brothers.

Robert Whitley Jr., Ron Whitley and Ricky Whitley are resurrecting the commercial cleaning business their parents, Helen and the late Robert Whitley Sr., started back in 1968. 

Robert Whitley Sr. started Father and Sons Cleaning as a side business while he was a custodian at Waterman School in Beloit. His entrepreneurial spirit drove the business to eventually employ 15 and support his family. In its heyday, clients included the Besley Corporation, First National Bank, M&I Bank, PepsiCo, Alliant Energy, Durst, the Rock County and Winnebago County courthouses, as well as the Beloit Public Library. 

More at source: Beloit Daily News