How can you better protect your staff?

It was on the front page this week: according to a Norwegian study, the breathing capacity of women who clean is gradually deteriorating. It suggests that exposures related to cleaning activities may pose a long-term risk to the lungs. To reach this conclusion, scientists from the University of Bergen have followed some 6,000 people over a 20-year period who use cleaning products for private or professional purposes.

Some cleaning products can pose a risk to the respiratory tract of the people who use it. However, there are preventive measures that can be taken.

Here are some guidelines to protect the health of your staff:

• Ventilate rooms as much as possible during and after cleaning
• Train your staff on good cleaning practices
• Educate colleagues on the use of personal protective equipment
• Emphasize the use of products without OEL (Occupational Exposure Limit Value)
• Use unclassified products, without any specific risk to the user’s health
• Choose Ecolabel products
• Look for alternatives to toxic and solvent products
• Favor liquids to spray products as much as possible
• Never mix products (the fumes they release can be toxic)