Hazards and Solutions

The following references may be used to assist cleaning industry employers and employees in recognizing potential hazards in the workplace and provide examples of possible solutions. Selected OSHA Spanish-language publications are referenced below. For a complete list of OSHA's Spanish-language resources, please see Spanish-Language Compliance Assistance Resources.

• Bloodborne Pathogens
  
• Cleaning Chemicals
  
• Confined Spaces
  
• Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
  
• Electricity
  
• Ergonomics
  
• Falls
  
• Hazardous/Toxic Substances
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)

Bloodborne Pathogens

• Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  
  
• Bloodborne Pathogens. ISSA Safety & Health Portal.

Cleaning Chemicals

• Protect Yourself: Cleaning Chemicals and Your Health Poster [541 KB PDF^*, 1 page]. OSHA Publication 3511, (2012).
• Spanish: [179 KB PDF^*, 1 page]
• Chinese Traditional: [257 KB PDF^*, 1 page]
• Tagalog: [180 KB PDF^*, 1 page]
• Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals. [149 KB PDF^*, 4 pages]. OSHA Publication 3512, (2012).
  


• Chemical Reactivity Hazards. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Dermal Exposure. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Hazard Communication. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Occupational Asthma. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Youth Worker Safety in Restaurants: Clean-up/Hazardous Chemicals. OSHA eTool.
  


• Ventilation. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Chemical Hazards from Cleaning Products Online Safety Course. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, (2005, June 8).
  


• Cleaning Chemicals in the Workplace (Hazard Communication). ISSA Safety & Health Portal.
  


• Common Cleaning Products May Be Dangerous When Mixed. [150 KB PDF*, 2 pages]. Iowa Department of Public Health.
  


• Household Product Database. National Institute of Health (NIH), National Library  of Medicine (NLM), (2004, May 12).
  


• Janitors and Custodians. Oregon Health and Safety University, Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, (2006).
  


• Removing Graffiti Safely [803 KB PDF, 12 pages]. Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Health Services and the University of California, Berkeley, Labor Occupational Health Program, (2004, January). Describes job conditions and chemicals that may be hazardous when removing graffiti.

Confined Spaces

• Confined Spaces. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Permit-Required Confined Spaces in General Industry QuickCard. OSHA Publication 3124, (2006). Also available as a 20 KB PDF.
  
  • En Español, Permisos-Requeridos Espacios Confinados. Also available as a 19 KB PDF.
    
  
  
• Ventilation. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topics. Provides a manual, A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces, NIOSH Publication No. 87-113. This manual provides information on recognition of confined spaces and their hazards.
  


• An Industrial Washing Machine Operator Died When Pulled Inside a Machine While Loading Sheets. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) California FACE Report #01CA010, (2001).
  


• Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Working in Confined Spaces. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Publication No. 80-106, (1979, December).
  


• Custodian Dies in a Confined Space in a Hospital Laundry. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Massachusetts FACE Investigation 91MA002, (1992, February 12).

Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)

• Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• The OSHA Standard for Control of Hazardous Energy Sources [212 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002).
  • En Español, La Norma de OSHA Sobre el Control de Fuentes de Energía Peligrosas [355 KB PDF^*, 2 páginas].

Electricity

• Electrical. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Electrical Safety QuickCard. OSHA Publication 3298. Also available as a 19 KB PDF.
  • En Español, Seguridad Eléctrica. Also available as a 19 KB PDF.

Ergonomics

• Working Safer and Easier for Janitors, Custodians, and Housekeepers [4 MB PDF, 86 pages]. California Department of Occupational Safety and Health. Fact sheets designed to be used by companies of any size and in places such as schools and universities, office buildings, apartments, and rental properties.

Falls

Falls from Elevation

• Fall Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Janitorial Worker Dies As Result of Injuries Sustained In Fall With Personnel Lift--Virginia. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) FACE 9516, (1995, August 17).
  


• Window Cleaner Killed in Fall Due to Unsecured Line. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Oregon Case Report: 05OR038, (2006, October 10).
  


• Two Window Washers Fall 90 Feet When Their Horizontal Static Line Failed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Massachusetts Case Report: 03-MA-010-01, (2006, February 16).
  


• Cleaning Maid Dies in Ohio Following a 12-foot Fall Through a Floor Opening. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) FACE 9127.
  

Slips, Trips and Falls

• Walking/Working Surfaces. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  
  
• Slips, Trips and Falls in the Workplace. ISSA Safety & Health Portal.

Hazardous/Toxic Substances

Carbon Monoxide

• Carbon Monoxide [397 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002).
  
  
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning QuickCard. OSHA Publication 3282, (2005). Also available as a 413 KB PDF.
  • En Español, Envenenamiento por Monóxido de Carbono (Carbon Monoxide Poisoning QuickCard) [413 KB PDF, 1 página]. 
    
    
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Associated with a Propane-Powered Floor Burnisher -- Vermont, 1992. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 42(37);726-728, (1993, September 24).
  


• Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning From Small Gasoline-Powered Engines and Tools. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-118, (1996, September).

Lead

• Lead. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Health Hazard Evaluations: Occupational Exposure to Lead. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-113, (2001, March).
  


• Potential Lead Exposure During Custodial Operations at the University of Maryland; College Park, Maryland [312 KB PDF, 33 pages]. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report No. HETA-94-0374-2534, (1995, October).
  


• Protecting Workers Exposed to Lead-Based Paint Hazards: A Report to Congress, Chapter 6: Lead Exposures Among Janitorial and Custodial Workers.
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-112, (1997). 

Other Hazardous/Toxic Substances

• Asbestos. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Hazardous and Toxic Substances. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Mold. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Ventilation. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Personal Protective Equipment

• Eye and Face Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  
  
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  
  
• Hand Hygiene in Hurricane-Affected Areas [286 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002).
  
  • En Español, Equipo de Protección Personal [68 KB PDF^*, 2 páginas].
    
    
• Respiratory Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). ISSA Safety & Health Portal.
  


• Eye Safety. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topics, (2009, May 27).

Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)

• Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Janitor falls from personnel platform resting on forklift prongs and dies in California. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) California FACE Report 98CA01301, (1998).
  

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at 202-693-2200 for assistance accessing PDF materials.

^*These files are provided for downloading.