Safe Cleaning Chemical Handling in Commercial Cleaning

Brilliant Office Cleaning firmly believes that the safe handling of chemicals plays a key role in all commercial cleaning work, in terms of safety for people, pets and even items such as furniture, floors, etc., not to mention the environment. With this in mind, we will discuss in detail the process of safely handling chemicals for all commercial cleaning engagements. There are many factors to discuss regarding this topic.

What Are Cleaning Chemicals?

Cleaning chemicals are used in the process of cleaning surfaces, and can be solid, liquid and sometimes gas. However, most cleaning chemicals are in liquid form.

Cleaning chemicals are manufactured using complex chemical compounds. Many of these compounds are organic in nature, however, many currently marketed chemicals contain inorganic compounds. For example, bleach is a strong cleaning chemical that is manufactured with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), an inorganic compound.

How Will Cleaning Chemicals Remove Dirt?

The cleaning compounds in the chemical will react with the particles of the dirt. This process will weaken the bond between the subjected surface and the dirt particles. In some cases, the reaction will continue until the dirt will come off completely from the surface. However, in the other cases, a wiping down is also required to remove the dirt completely. The below sections will discuss these things in detailed.

How Do Cleaning Chemicals Remove Dirt?

The cleaning compounds in the chemical react with the particles of dirt. This process weakens the bond between the surface and the dirt particles. In some cases, the reaction will continue until the dirt is completely removed from the surface. However, in other cases, wiping is also required to remove the dirt completely. This is discussed in detail in the sections below.

What Are the Chemicals Commonly Used in Commercial Cleaning

Many different cleaning chemicals are available. You may have heard of some of these. However, we will describe products that are commonly used in commercial cleaning.

Chemicals to Clean Common Surfaces Such as Desks, Benches, etc.

Lemon-scented cleaning agents are commonly used to wipe general surfaces. Whiteley LEMEX Cleaner, Agar Wipe-Away and Agar Lemon Disinfectant are some examples of leading brands in the industry. These cleaning chemicals are not very strong or harmful to living beings, but will effectively remove general dirt from surfaces. These chemicals are widely used to clean desks, benches, kitchen and toilet areas, skirtings, window ledges, etc.

Generally, these chemicals are diluted with water before use, however, in some cases, they are used undiluted to remove thick layers of dirt.

Glass Cleaner

Most glass cleaning chemicals are alcohol-based. The reason for this is that the chemical evaporates very quickly after removing marks on glass surfaces. Glass cleaning chemicals are usually undiluted and used to clean glass surfaces, splashbacks, etc. It should be noted that these alcohol-based chemicals can react with some metals and are therefore not suitable for cleaning metal surfaces.

Glass cleaners that contain alcohol are sometimes used as disinfectants as well. However, we do not advise using glass cleaners as disinfectants because some have not been approved for this purpose by Health Authorities.

Toilet Bowl Detergents

These detergents are used to clean the insides of toilet bowls. It should be noted that many of these are very strong bleach-based products, and for this reason are not recommended for cleaning other surfaces, such as the outsides of toilet bowls, cisterns or lids of commodes. Bleach-based products are harmful to humans and pets, and can result in severe skin and eye irritation and respiratory issues.

Cleaning staff need to wear proper gloves when using toilet bowl detergents, and it is good practice to replace these gloves to avoid spreading bleach to other surfaces.

Bleach

Bleach is a very strong chemical that can be used diluted or undiluted. It can be used for a number of cleaning applications. The following are some examples:

• To clean the inside of toilet bowls
• Remove heavy dirt from hard surfaces such as tiled floors and walls
• Cleaning floors that have heavy foot traffic
• Cleaning urinals
• Cleaning toilet basins. We do not advise using bleach to clean kitchen sinks because this can result in OH&S issues.

It should be noted that bleach-based products can be harmful to humans and pets. For this reason, we do not encourage the use of bleach-based products to clean frequently touched areas such as door handles, desks, etc.

In addition, bleach-based products can also damage carpets and fabrics. The chlorine in bleach can react with metals to create chlorinates, which can damage metal surfaces. Therefore, it is not advisable to use bleach to clean metal.

What Are The Mopping Cleaning Chemicals

While bleach is used to clean floors that attract heavy foot traffic, a milder detergent is used to clean hard floors that have less foot traffic.

These floor cleaners are specifically used to mop floors, and are rarely used for any other purpose.

Dangerous Chemicals vs. Hazardous Chemicals

Dangerous chemicals and hazardous chemicals are two completely different types of chemicals. All organisations need to identify the difference between these two cleaning products:

What Are The Dangerous Cleaning Products

The inherently hazardous nature of these products can create severe environmental, health and safety risks, compared to other chemicals. There are many types of dangerous chemicals. Some cleaning products are corrosive, flammable, and phosphorus-based, and generate toxic fumes. It is not advisable to store these products on client premises.

Brilliant Office Cleaning’s internal policy stipulates that our cleaners cannot use or store dangerous cleaning products/chemicals on our clients’ premises.

What Are Hazardous Cleaning Chemicals

Cleaning chemicals that can create potential hazards for people or the environment can be categorised as hazardous. However, such chemicals are not as dangerous as dangerous chemicals and products. It should be noted that almost all cleaning chemicals on the market have some hazardous characteristics. This also applies to eco-friendly cleaning products. These factors highlight the need for adequate risk mitigation plans for companies that use cleaning chemicals.

Chemical Handling Risk Management

Using any chemical carries a risk, regardless of the type, strength or the way it is used. This is applicable even for neutral chemicals such as pH 7. Risk management in chemical handling is an important element in any commercial cleaning engagement. This topic is vast, so we will discuss only the key risks and the necessary mitigation procedures for each of these key risks.

What is the Risk of Using the Chemical

The risk of using chemicals can be categorised under five key risks: health, safety, environment, legal and compliance, and workplace. These risks are more significant for regular cleaning work, such as office cleaning, childcare centres, medical facilities, etc. compared to periodical cleaning, such as carpet steam cleaning, window cleaning, floor scrubbing, etc.

What is the Health Risk

Health risk refers to the potential for cleaning chemicals to create health issues for employees, visitors, customers and pets. These include sporulation, poisoning, skin irritation, eye problems, etc., to mention just a few. Amongst all the risks, health risks are the most important and should be mitigated to an acceptable level before the cleaning work is started.

What is the Safety Risk

In addition to the risks to people, pets and even office fittings, there are many other safety risks. Fire, explosion and corrosive damage are just some examples. Chemical manufacturers provide hazard risk statements to identify the hazards associated with their chemicals.

What is the Environmental Risk

Damage to the environment can occur in a number of ways:

• Improper disposal of expired chemicals: Chemicals need to be disposed of carefully, following the manufacturer’s guidelines. Releasing expired chemicals into rivers, canals or soil can result in severe environmental issues.
• Improper usage of chemicals: Chemicals should be used only for specific purposes. For example, using bleach for window cleaning can result in releasing chlorine into the environment. Chlorine is harmful to plants, humans and all living creatures.
• Unsafe storage: Cleaning chemicals need to be stored as per the guidelines provided by the manufacturer. Generally, storage must be in an isolated area on suitable racks.
• Over usage: Cleaning chemicals must be used only in approved quantities and correctly diluted. Over-usage can result in environmental issues.

What is the Legal Risk

Improper usage of chemicals can result in legal liabilities for cleaning companies and their clients. There are many cases where employees have sued their employers and the cleaning company involved.

How to Mitigate the Risks of Chemical Handling

Without question, the risks associated with cleaning chemicals must be mitigated to an acceptable level before commencing any commercial cleaning work. Cleaning companies have a primary responsibility to implement effective safety procedures, however, the client’s management should be involved in this process. Generally, the cleaning company’s staff should liaise with key staff at the client’s site to design and implement some of the risk management procedures.

Proper Training for Cleaners

This is key to the success of a safe cleaning chemical management system. The commercial cleaning company must ensure that ALL cleaners are trained to properly use cleaning chemicals to mitigate the risk. This training is required for all levels of staff within the cleaning company. Importantly, the following key areas should be included in this training:

• Adherence to the manufacturer’s guidelines: Cleaning chemical manufacturers have the best knowledge of their products. The guidelines provided by the manufacturers are very reliable and are crucial drivers of all chemical risk mitigation processes. Cleaners must be trained to follow these guidelines.
• Keeping the MSDS in the chemical storage areas: The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) provides useful information about the cleaning chemicals, including hazard statements, usage instructions and actions to take in the event of an incident. The best approach is to keep the MSDS where the chemicals are stored. This will assist both cleaners and the client’s staff to take necessary action, especially in the event of an incident caused by one of the chemicals.
• Minimizing usage of the chemical: Although cleaning chemicals are sometimes necessary, their usage can be avoided. For example, a mark left by a coffee cup can be cleaned with just a damp cloth. A cleaning chemical is not necessary. Cleaning companies should ensure that their cleaners are trained to use chemicals only where necessary.
• Application of the right chemical: Using the right chemical for each cleaning task is crucial. Inappropriate usage can result in health, safety and environmental risks. For example, using a toilet bowl cleaner to clean the inside of a microwave is inappropriate and potentially dangerous for human health.
• Safety practices of cleaners: Appropriate PPE must be worn when using chemicals. As such, training should include demonstrations of the correct PPE to wear when using each type of chemical.

Using Eco-friendly Cleaning Detergents Wherever Possible

Cleaning companies sometimes use chemicals that are not eco-friendly, however, cleaning companies should identify all possible opportunities to avoid using non-eco cleaning chemicals. Non-eco cleaning chemicals contain toxic chemical compounds that can be harmful. Conversely, eco-cleaning products are always safe. Brilliant Office Cleaning’s internal procedures stipulate that our cleaners are permitted to use only eco-friendly green cleaning products.

Read more information about using the green cleaning products.

Maintaining Cleaning Chemical Registers

It is vital for companies to maintain a cleaning chemical register, which should include all cleaning chemicals and products stored onsite. These details include the name of the chemical, hazard statements, volume, weight, manufacturer and the purpose. It should also include actions to be taken in the event of an incident.

Create Internal Awareness

This is the responsibility of the client. All organisations need to create awareness among their internal staff to adhere to best practices, in particular how to respond to a chemical incident.