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- Prevent Workplace Injury With Proper Mopping Technique, Tools
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This is part one of a three-part article on preventing injuries while mopping.Cleaning can be hazardous work. In fact, 20 percent of all on-the-job accidents in the United States happen in just five industries, and janitorial is one of them, according to the听.Of all the tasks janitors perform, mopping is among the most dangerous. It鈥檚 the second-leading cause of cleaning-related injuries (after trash handling), according to an ergonomics study by the听. Mopping is a common cause of repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and back pain. 听Is Your Current Cleaning Company Not Making The Grade?-Commercial Cleaning in Almond, NY 14804. 听Go To for free videos.鈥淢opping by nature is a laborious task and cleaners need to exert effort to do their job effectively,鈥� says Matt Mitchell, senior brand manager for听, Huntersville, North Carolina.Jan/san distributors can help their customers prevent or reduce mopping-related injuries by selling ergonomic equipment and offering training on safer cleaning techniques.听
The Traditional Method
On its own, a standard mop is typically 1 to 2 pounds. Loaded with water and chemicals, however, it can easily triple in weight. In addition, a water-filled bucket can weigh as much as 40 pounds. Lifting and moving all of that weight around a room 鈥� day in and day out 鈥� can really strain the body.Poorly fitted equipment further exacerbates ergonomic problems.听鈥淢ops are typically one-size-fits-all, and all employees aren鈥檛 the same size,鈥� says Bill Hemann, vice president of sales and marketing for听, Cleveland.Also contributing to injuries is the mopping process 鈥� wringing out a mop head, lifting and carrying a wet mop, lifting and refilling a heavy water bucket, and the repetitive, back-and-forth cleaning motion.鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of awkward stressors to put on the body,鈥� says Hemann.It鈥檚 easy to place the blame for mopping-related injuries squarely on the shoulders of bad equipment or bad procedures. However, truthfully it鈥檚 typically a little of each combined with inadequate training.鈥淭here鈥檚 no question about it, people have been injured while using traditional mops,鈥� says Mark Julo, vice president of sales and marketing for听, Overland Park, Kansas. 鈥淗owever, they鈥檝e also been used without injury all over the world for a very long time. In most cases, it鈥檚 simply a matter of proper training, following procedures and making the necessary adjustments to accommodate the person using the products.鈥�
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