Someone shattered a glass coffee mug on the lunchroom floor? Is it finally time to toss that sofa with the torn upholstery? Did an employee… get sick in the carpeted showroom? Who’re you going to call?
(GHOST BUS — ok I’ll stop)
Lets discuss how to safely handle unusual, but not unheard-of, waste disposal situations and some best practices for each one. Spoilers, hazmat suits required for one:
- Broken Glass
- Needles and Sharps
- Large, Heavy or Awkward Items
- Rodents and Pests
- Blood and Body Fluids
Broken Glass
Broken glass is sharper than a scalpel and scatters over a wide area. Be careful when entering the room where the glass broke! If you’re close by when the incident happened, DON’T MOVE RIGHT AWAY! Calmly survey the extent of the situation, and if someone was hurt. They may not have noticed, since clean cuts often hurt less. Of course, get the appropriate medical attention right away for any injuries and inform the appropriate personnel.
Once you’ve taken stock of the situation and everyone is taken care of. Either carefully get a cardboard box, a garbage bag, a stiff bristle broom and dust pan or get someone to bring them – check the janitorial closet. If you must pick up any pieces with your hands, wear work gloves. We recommend taping the edges of large, cracked pieces to prevent further breakage. Once the room is swept and the pieces are in the cardboard box, label it “Broken Glass”.
Let your cleaner know where it happened so they can ensure their cleaning is done safely, too.
Needles and Sharps
If your office uses needles and medical equipment, we don’t need to remind you about the sharps disposal container. They are designed to prevent punctures or leaks. You can remove needles from the syringe and disposed of separately to save on space, too. Your cleaner may leave your bin if they believe a needle or sharp implement in it, however.
Large, Heavy, or Awkward Items
Some large or awkward items are just plane difficult to get rid of! Many times, they wont qualify to go out with the trash, but maybe, if you ask really nicely, your cleaner may take care of them. Items heaver than 50 Lb. and/or requiring 2 people to lift may require a garbage disposal company’s assistance. If you’re not sure, give use a call and we’ll be happy to discuss it.
Rodents and Pests
Pests normally show up seasonally. Your regular cleaner isn’t equipped or trained to clean up after them. Its best to consult the professionals to safely deal with them and prevent future problems.
Your cleaner may have the appropriate training to clean up the feces, but can’t remove the pests. Best call a specialist, especially for fleas, ticks, bedbugs and rodents. We can recommend some great pest control companies in the area!
Blood and Body Fluids
The worst kind of clean-up, in our opinion. Blood, vomit and other body fluids and waste carry a plethora of harmful pathogens including STI’s, Cholera, and Norovirus – which can all become airborne. Lovely! We strongly recommend everyone stay clear of contaminated areas until safe decontamination can be arranged.
Health and safety procedures include:
- Proper PPE
- Proper sterilizing equipment and sanitizing solutions
- Physically removing the waste
- Scrubbing and sanitizing contaminated areas
- Deodorizing
We can assist in finding a company to deal with this if you’re unfortunate enough to need it.
Related: Is It Regular Garbage?
This is not an exhaustive list of everything that may call for specialty services to clean up. All kinds of things can happen in the office, ranging from annoying to extreme. Have a specific question? We are happy to see what we can do to help. Call, email or text our office today.
Leave a Reply