Safety is not only to be considered with the big pieces of equipment like your pressure washing machine or with the chemicals you use, but with everything else too.
Having to work off the ground is the second highest cause of server injury behind miss use of a pressure washer in this industry. It can be from improper use of a ladder, not wearing a safety harness on a roof, wearing incorrect foot wear or glasses. Reasons for not using or following safety guidelines can be big or small but even small ones can be a big mistake.
Take not wearing safety glasses, goggles or a face shield when using a pressure washer. Sure it can be a pain especially if you already wear glasses for daily vision but just one miss directed spray of water or chemical causing permanent blindness is not something to play with.
Ladders are the number one cause, according to OSHA, over all occupational hazard injuries in all industries. Here is a link to their flash card on ladder safety that you can print out on heavy stock paper, cut out and laminate. http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/portable_ladder_qc.pdf. You can also pay companies to supply you with these kinds of materials. Here is the same info on a single page form to place in your MSDS or safety book. http://www.osha.gov/Publications/portable_ladder_qc.html. OSHA's site http://www.osha.gov/ should be bookmarked on your computer for quick reference for all safety information.
There are also many good ladder safety videos on Utube and other sites that you can access and use in your safety instruction plan if you do not have the funds to go buy them. Here is just one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD0U6Df3ReA&feature=fvw. To find more just do a search inside Utube or other search engine for 'ladder safety'.
There is also added equipment that can improve ladder safety, things such as painter arm braces as they are sometimes called, or ladder stabilizers or ladder braces. These items attach to the ladder near the top that extend out and then will brace against a surface to help stabilize or diminish the side to side movement of a ladder. There are also ones that extend and curve out form the back of a ladder to rest on the roof surface to provide stability without increasing the width of the ladder. Here is a site that has some really neat ladder attachments. http://stores.homestead.com/LadderMaxLLC/StoreFront.bok They also have ladder levelers. Here is another site as well http://www.globalwholesalersinc.com/quick_connect.htm with ladder products.
Next once on the roof you need to be wearing a harness and have the proper anchoring to arrest a fall. You need to purchase a well fitting harness, ropes, anchors, clasps and hooks that are made for roof work. Here is one site I did not include yet in the other safety equipment blog http://www.discountsafetygear.com/. They have a wide range of items. Most of the time you will not be able to attach and remove to reuse roof anchors but you do not want to spend all your profit on the more expensive perment mount anchors. Most guys I have talked to suggest buying the inexpensive temporary or labeled 'reusable' anchors and plan not to remove them when you leave. Since removing anchors once attached can cause damage to the roof or take time and costs more money for you to try and patch the holes you have made to avoid causing future damage for the homeowner. Plus they will already be in place for work at this same location in the future.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Pressure Washer Safety and more
Your pressure washer is one of your best tools to do your jobs but it is also one of the most dangerous if proper safety measures are not followed when operating it.
Thousands of people are injured every year by improper use of a pressure washer and not all are by amateurs, hundreds of even so called professionals have accidents. As demonstrated here in this article and why accident attorneys shop for workers comp claimants. http://www.bignews.biz/?id=816222&keys=accident-claims-jet-wash
Most professionals use the higher powered gas machines many of which are also hot water machines. Both of these factors can cause good things such as reduced time spent doing a job, reduced amount of chemicals needed and so on. But more power and hotter water can also increase bad things as well such as the potential for increased accidents and damage to property.
First make sure your equipment is always in good working order, do not let little problems like loose connections or worn fittings turn into major trouble. Second; Wear your safety gear! Heavy shoes or boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, safety glasses, goggles or face shields, gloves and any other item indicated on the MSDS when using chemicals. We have had too many customers that have had to call us or hospitals just because simple measures were not taken. Had a customer on his day off go check on one of his job sites. He did not bother to change clothes, walked up on a worker using the washer and he was back sprayed with caustic chemical that burned him without him knowing it until an hour or so later once the damage had already been done. He now has permanent white scare spots on this arms and legs.
Third know your equipment, how to operate it, and how to maintain it. Cleaner Times magazine has a great series for companies that have a machine shop and do their own work on their pressure washers. Go to their website and check out the archived articles to find lots of great information. http://cleanertimes.com/. Cleaner Times also have great articles on safety and covering all aspects of your business.
Keep a log book on all of your equipment. When and where purchased, where the instruction information is located if not with the log, the cost of and when and where repairs and maintenance was preformed on the equipment. This information can help you with calculating job expenses, handling insurance claims and at tax time figuring deductions. If you have to keep smaller logs with separate pieces of equipment or in separate vehicles or locations fine but make sure you routinely bring at least copies of all of them to be in one location. The best thing would be to scan the pages into a computer file and then burn a disk of the data that is stored in a fire safe or safe deposit box. This is true for all your important business documents. I had a customer just after I started working here that had a fire burn down her house with all her records inside. Her shed with her rig was saved but nothing else from all her years of work. It took her weeks just to contact all her customers because she had to look up every number, remember every name, every vendor. It took her almost two years to get her business back to where it was and to sort out the insurance and tax mess that the fire caused.
Here is another site if you are not familiar with them you should be The Power Washer Advisor. They have great information no matter what equipment you use. Here is their safety info area http://www.the-power-washer-advisor.com/pressure-washer-safety.html. They also have a great blog area where I have learned a lot so I know you can too. I feel it is much easier to direct you to the places that have good information instead of trying to reinvent the wheel or try to pass it off as my knowledge. I know there is plenty in the business I do not know and that is why I am constantly searching and reading up on things about the industry. If there is something you want to find out about and do not have the time to look give us a call. I will be happy to find information and make it available to everyone. Because if you want to know about it I am sure someone else does too.
More in our next installment
Thousands of people are injured every year by improper use of a pressure washer and not all are by amateurs, hundreds of even so called professionals have accidents. As demonstrated here in this article and why accident attorneys shop for workers comp claimants. http://www.bignews.biz/?id=816222&keys=accident-claims-jet-wash
Most professionals use the higher powered gas machines many of which are also hot water machines. Both of these factors can cause good things such as reduced time spent doing a job, reduced amount of chemicals needed and so on. But more power and hotter water can also increase bad things as well such as the potential for increased accidents and damage to property.
First make sure your equipment is always in good working order, do not let little problems like loose connections or worn fittings turn into major trouble. Second; Wear your safety gear! Heavy shoes or boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, safety glasses, goggles or face shields, gloves and any other item indicated on the MSDS when using chemicals. We have had too many customers that have had to call us or hospitals just because simple measures were not taken. Had a customer on his day off go check on one of his job sites. He did not bother to change clothes, walked up on a worker using the washer and he was back sprayed with caustic chemical that burned him without him knowing it until an hour or so later once the damage had already been done. He now has permanent white scare spots on this arms and legs.
Third know your equipment, how to operate it, and how to maintain it. Cleaner Times magazine has a great series for companies that have a machine shop and do their own work on their pressure washers. Go to their website and check out the archived articles to find lots of great information. http://cleanertimes.com/. Cleaner Times also have great articles on safety and covering all aspects of your business.
Keep a log book on all of your equipment. When and where purchased, where the instruction information is located if not with the log, the cost of and when and where repairs and maintenance was preformed on the equipment. This information can help you with calculating job expenses, handling insurance claims and at tax time figuring deductions. If you have to keep smaller logs with separate pieces of equipment or in separate vehicles or locations fine but make sure you routinely bring at least copies of all of them to be in one location. The best thing would be to scan the pages into a computer file and then burn a disk of the data that is stored in a fire safe or safe deposit box. This is true for all your important business documents. I had a customer just after I started working here that had a fire burn down her house with all her records inside. Her shed with her rig was saved but nothing else from all her years of work. It took her weeks just to contact all her customers because she had to look up every number, remember every name, every vendor. It took her almost two years to get her business back to where it was and to sort out the insurance and tax mess that the fire caused.
Here is another site if you are not familiar with them you should be The Power Washer Advisor. They have great information no matter what equipment you use. Here is their safety info area http://www.the-power-washer-advisor.com/pressure-washer-safety.html. They also have a great blog area where I have learned a lot so I know you can too. I feel it is much easier to direct you to the places that have good information instead of trying to reinvent the wheel or try to pass it off as my knowledge. I know there is plenty in the business I do not know and that is why I am constantly searching and reading up on things about the industry. If there is something you want to find out about and do not have the time to look give us a call. I will be happy to find information and make it available to everyone. Because if you want to know about it I am sure someone else does too.
More in our next installment
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How do you mix and store to use your cleaning chemicals?
Now that we know what chemicals we are using to do our work we need to know how to properly handle them.
First know how and at what concentrations the containers of chemicals you are using come in. Many times contractors forget to properly label or mark the containers cleaners are in that can cause serious safety concerns. For instance a customer that always carried premixed products on his rig for his hired help to use right out of the container, but then one day he got busy and poured a non diluted amount of product in the same container that usually held the diluted product. Once out on the job his employees not knowing the product was not the same strength they were use to, applied it directly on a surface causing damage that the business owner ended up having to pay for. Luckily the employees wore proper safety gear and none of them were injured. But what if that had not been the case?
Our products are sold highly concentrated to save you money but they must be properly labeled to be used safely. This also can be a big loss of income as well if you are wasting product by not using the proper dilution rate. The old adage more is better is not the case with chemical products for cleaning.
All cleaning products, not just Hazardous ones, should be labeled following OSHA guidelines. You can easily purchase the correct NFPA Diamond or HIMS warning labels to place on any and every container as needed. Here are a few places to find them:
Compliance Signs: http://www.compliancesigns.com/nfpadiamonds.shtml
Label Master: http://www.labelmaster.com/shop/labels
Safety Sign: http://www.safetysign.com/
To learn more about them here is a web site to check out: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/nfpa.html
To get a free guide to using NFPA labels you can get here: http://www.graphicproducts.com/guides.html
Always follow the label directions on how to mix products that come in kit form. There is a reason they are labeled A, B, C. Do not think you should mix all the powders in first (A and C) because you think it is easier. There can be a safety concern if you mix some product components out of order or with out the proper amount of water in the mixing tank or drum.
Care should also be used when transferring mixed product to secondary containers so not to spill or splash contents. Use siphon pumps, funnels and other approved items to help with this. Be sure to label these as well so not to use one pump with another chemical which might cause a reaction. It is much safer to have each pump or other type of transfer item marked to know which chemical it is to be used with. Even using measured pump dispensers can make the job safer for large or small amounts. Here are some links: http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/288
http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/266
http://www.refrigeratorparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=chemb&Product_Code=MAN-01273&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=refrigeratorparts
http://www.jiffysupply.com/servlet/the-552/Hand-Transfer-Pump/Detail
http://www.toolhawker.com/Fluid-Lubricant-Transfer-Pump_item_41084.html
Next item to cover is how to store chemical products. Read the label and MSDS that will tell you proper storage temps as well as other considerations. You should not leave an open bag of caustic in a laundry wash room that could allow moisture or water to get to it. It also might be mistaken for laundry detergent and cause sever skin irritation or burns not to mention damage to the washer if accidently used. Keep chemicals away from other normal household products, kids and pets. Store in a cool (not cold or hot), dry area in as air tight as possible. Products should also always be kept in the containers they where shipped in until mixed or transferred and properly relabeled. No old (deteriorating) or empty chemical container should be reused for another purpose due to cross contamination of incompatible ingredients. Always properly dispose of empties as soon as possible. Plastic containers that did not contain hazardous products can even be rinsed and recycled according to the plastic code marked on the container.
See you tomorrow.
First know how and at what concentrations the containers of chemicals you are using come in. Many times contractors forget to properly label or mark the containers cleaners are in that can cause serious safety concerns. For instance a customer that always carried premixed products on his rig for his hired help to use right out of the container, but then one day he got busy and poured a non diluted amount of product in the same container that usually held the diluted product. Once out on the job his employees not knowing the product was not the same strength they were use to, applied it directly on a surface causing damage that the business owner ended up having to pay for. Luckily the employees wore proper safety gear and none of them were injured. But what if that had not been the case?
Our products are sold highly concentrated to save you money but they must be properly labeled to be used safely. This also can be a big loss of income as well if you are wasting product by not using the proper dilution rate. The old adage more is better is not the case with chemical products for cleaning.
All cleaning products, not just Hazardous ones, should be labeled following OSHA guidelines. You can easily purchase the correct NFPA Diamond or HIMS warning labels to place on any and every container as needed. Here are a few places to find them:
Compliance Signs: http://www.compliancesigns.com/nfpadiamonds.shtml
Label Master: http://www.labelmaster.com/shop/labels
Safety Sign: http://www.safetysign.com/
To learn more about them here is a web site to check out: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/nfpa.html
To get a free guide to using NFPA labels you can get here: http://www.graphicproducts.com/guides.html
Always follow the label directions on how to mix products that come in kit form. There is a reason they are labeled A, B, C. Do not think you should mix all the powders in first (A and C) because you think it is easier. There can be a safety concern if you mix some product components out of order or with out the proper amount of water in the mixing tank or drum.
Care should also be used when transferring mixed product to secondary containers so not to spill or splash contents. Use siphon pumps, funnels and other approved items to help with this. Be sure to label these as well so not to use one pump with another chemical which might cause a reaction. It is much safer to have each pump or other type of transfer item marked to know which chemical it is to be used with. Even using measured pump dispensers can make the job safer for large or small amounts. Here are some links: http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/288
http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/266
http://www.refrigeratorparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=chemb&Product_Code=MAN-01273&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=refrigeratorparts
http://www.jiffysupply.com/servlet/the-552/Hand-Transfer-Pump/Detail
http://www.toolhawker.com/Fluid-Lubricant-Transfer-Pump_item_41084.html
Next item to cover is how to store chemical products. Read the label and MSDS that will tell you proper storage temps as well as other considerations. You should not leave an open bag of caustic in a laundry wash room that could allow moisture or water to get to it. It also might be mistaken for laundry detergent and cause sever skin irritation or burns not to mention damage to the washer if accidently used. Keep chemicals away from other normal household products, kids and pets. Store in a cool (not cold or hot), dry area in as air tight as possible. Products should also always be kept in the containers they where shipped in until mixed or transferred and properly relabeled. No old (deteriorating) or empty chemical container should be reused for another purpose due to cross contamination of incompatible ingredients. Always properly dispose of empties as soon as possible. Plastic containers that did not contain hazardous products can even be rinsed and recycled according to the plastic code marked on the container.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Do you have a safety plan?
Most small businesses, including pressure washing, do not follow the same rules or guidelines like large corporations because they are not as closely watched by local, state and federal agencies, but they should. OSHA and ANSI safety guidelines should be known and followed. Here are their sites, please go find and read the sections that cover your business. OSHA http://www.osha.gov/, ANSI http://www.ansi.org/
As we have touched on in earlier posts, you should still follow best work practices and procedures no matter what the size of your operation, or number of employees (1-100+). Since labor is usually your number one expense, keeping this expense safe should be a number one consideration. We will assume that you already know and have the insurance you should have to safely operate your business, this being a topic to cover at another time. This being the case we can move on to more specific things for safety.
First know the chemicals you will be using for the jobs you will be doing. The first way to know what you are working with is to read and understand the MSDS that came with the product. If for some reason you do not have an MSDS for a product, get one immediately, and place a copy in every MSDS book it needs to be in. Please reference and read our earlier post on MSDS procedures at some point during this series. Date posted 9/17/09.
Second be sure you have are using the safety equipment suggested in the MSDS including, masks, gloves, aprons, boots etc. Here are a few sites to find these items.
Lab Safety http://www.labsafety.com/
Approved Gas Masks http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/index.htm
Masks N More http://www.masksnmore.com/index.html
Next be sure any first aid measures that are called for in the MSDS of product you are using can be met. This includes having eye wash bottles, hydrofluoric acid cream (Calcium Gluconate gel 2.5%) as well as a stocked first aid kit available with you on every job, on every rig or in every vehicle.
Here are a few links to places you can go to find these items:
Mask N More http://www.masksnmore.com/sweykit.html
Lab Safety http://www.labsafety.com/Plum-Saline-Eye-Wash-Solution-500mL-Bottle_s_156646/Personal-Eye-Washes_24545268/
For Calcium Gluconate gel: ATT Minerals: http://attminerals.com/other_items.htm
Lab Safety: http://www.labsafety.com/Calcium-Gluconate-Gel_24544074/?CID=9PP001
The First Aid Kits: http://www.thefirstaidkits.com/products/41780.html
Not all medical facilities understand or know how to deal with chemical emergencies so you must have the information ready for them including the emergency phone number listed on the MSDS for the product you are using. For us that is Infotrac at 800-535-5053. If you get your most of your products from the same supplier you should put the number they supply in your automatic dialer in your cell phone or at least in the address book under 'MSDS Emergency'. If you use any hydrofluoric product from us you will also receive a special hazard sheet along with the MSDS every time you purchase product that contains any amount of hydrofluoric acid, because of how hazardous it is. Keep this with the MSDS to have available for medical staff.
Tomorrow we will discuss safety procedures for mixing, storage, and handling of chemicals while you use them.
As we have touched on in earlier posts, you should still follow best work practices and procedures no matter what the size of your operation, or number of employees (1-100+). Since labor is usually your number one expense, keeping this expense safe should be a number one consideration. We will assume that you already know and have the insurance you should have to safely operate your business, this being a topic to cover at another time. This being the case we can move on to more specific things for safety.
First know the chemicals you will be using for the jobs you will be doing. The first way to know what you are working with is to read and understand the MSDS that came with the product. If for some reason you do not have an MSDS for a product, get one immediately, and place a copy in every MSDS book it needs to be in. Please reference and read our earlier post on MSDS procedures at some point during this series. Date posted 9/17/09.
Second be sure you have are using the safety equipment suggested in the MSDS including, masks, gloves, aprons, boots etc. Here are a few sites to find these items.
Lab Safety http://www.labsafety.com/
Approved Gas Masks http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/index.htm
Masks N More http://www.masksnmore.com/index.html
Next be sure any first aid measures that are called for in the MSDS of product you are using can be met. This includes having eye wash bottles, hydrofluoric acid cream (Calcium Gluconate gel 2.5%) as well as a stocked first aid kit available with you on every job, on every rig or in every vehicle.
Here are a few links to places you can go to find these items:
Mask N More http://www.masksnmore.com/sweykit.html
Lab Safety http://www.labsafety.com/Plum-Saline-Eye-Wash-Solution-500mL-Bottle_s_156646/Personal-Eye-Washes_24545268/
For Calcium Gluconate gel: ATT Minerals: http://attminerals.com/other_items.htm
Lab Safety: http://www.labsafety.com/Calcium-Gluconate-Gel_24544074/?CID=9PP001
The First Aid Kits: http://www.thefirstaidkits.com/products/41780.html
Not all medical facilities understand or know how to deal with chemical emergencies so you must have the information ready for them including the emergency phone number listed on the MSDS for the product you are using. For us that is Infotrac at 800-535-5053. If you get your most of your products from the same supplier you should put the number they supply in your automatic dialer in your cell phone or at least in the address book under 'MSDS Emergency'. If you use any hydrofluoric product from us you will also receive a special hazard sheet along with the MSDS every time you purchase product that contains any amount of hydrofluoric acid, because of how hazardous it is. Keep this with the MSDS to have available for medical staff.
Tomorrow we will discuss safety procedures for mixing, storage, and handling of chemicals while you use them.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Safety, what Pressure washing businesses need to know.
This will be a series on safety that will discuss some areas we have touched on before, but is always good to review, as well as new topics. And as always, please feel free to add to, and comment on, these blog postings. This is how we all learn is by sharing with one another.
In these next few days and blogs we will go over; the MSDS, why you should have them and use them. Chemical safety; how to mix, store and use products. Equipment safety; such as with your pressure washer, and ladder. And also safety equipment; goggles, gloves, hats, harnesses, etc. while we discuss these other points.
I will try to include links to other sites and materials that you can review on your own to future educate or to back up the material we cover in this series. If you know of others I did not find or get a chance to cover please bring them up and add them to the blog information that it has the closest relationship with.
I hope you will find these blogs a useful reference that you can refer back to in our archive by doing a word or phrase search.
See you tomorrow.
In these next few days and blogs we will go over; the MSDS, why you should have them and use them. Chemical safety; how to mix, store and use products. Equipment safety; such as with your pressure washer, and ladder. And also safety equipment; goggles, gloves, hats, harnesses, etc. while we discuss these other points.
I will try to include links to other sites and materials that you can review on your own to future educate or to back up the material we cover in this series. If you know of others I did not find or get a chance to cover please bring them up and add them to the blog information that it has the closest relationship with.
I hope you will find these blogs a useful reference that you can refer back to in our archive by doing a word or phrase search.
See you tomorrow.
Kitchen Cleaners, not just for hood cleaning.
Here at Soap Warehouse we have over 80 individual products in over 7 categories.
Many times business that buy from us get caught up in the one or two products they have used in the past, and do not look or know what many other items we have to offer.
In kitchen cleaning for example; we have the main stays for hood cleaning, our “Hood Cleaner” and “Smoke House” but we have so much more to offer.
We have “Oven and Grill” a cleaner for flat cooking grills and for vertical surfaces inside ovens and standing ovens like chicken rotisseries. This product has a high viscosity, there fore it will cling to the upright surfaces longer, without added foamer, to allow for proper contact and better cleaning.
“Mighty-Green” is a user friendly degreaser that is not friendly to grease. Since this product is Non Abrasive, non-flammable, non corrosive, bio degradable and non toxic it is great to use in a kitchen setting. It can be diluted for light jobs like cleaning glass or mirrors up to full strength for really tough grease cleaning on tile and stainless steel, weather it is used on floors, walls or appliances.
“Natures Green” All Purpose Cleaner, is similar to Mighty-Green for cleaning, but it is also all natural for those wanting a true ‘Green’ approach to their cleaning. This degreaser can similarly be used from full strength to a dilution of 1:10 for almost any kitchen surface cleaning need.
“Ceramic Tile and Grout” is what you need to clean those ugly grease stained grout lines from black or dark brown to an almost like new lightness. Once used to get the area back to a fresh clean, maintenance is much easier using 8 oz per gallon of hot water to keep the floors grease free and squeaky clean. It will also clean stainless steel, chrome, and plastics found in most kitchen and bathroom applications.
Another place grease can be a big problem in a kitchen, is in the floor drains. Our “Drain Opener” is designed to dissolve and liquefy grease, hair and even paper that can be found in commercial kitchen and bathroom floor drains. This is not a 'use at home' product, but made only for commercial applications. All aluminum covers or strainers must be removed before application, so not to damage them, yet this is a non-acid product. If this product is too strong for your use our next product should work for you.
“Qwic Zyme” is a product that contains biological components that will break down food wastes, grease, hair and other organic matter found in kitchen and bathroom drains. Its biological action deprives odor causing bacteria of their food source, thus inhibiting their growth and ability to product obnoxious odors normally found in sinks and around floor drains. “Qwic Zyme” is safe to use in food disposals, septic tank systems and can be used inside and outdoors. The main things to remember when using this product is follow label directions and to use warm water to activate the enzymes first in order to work properly.
We also have quite a few USDS approved butyl degreasers that can be used around food processing equipment and storage areas to clean, coolers, floors, equipment housing, walls and counter tops: “Mighty-O”, Mighty Max” as well as “Mighty Max Plus”.
For current pricing information go to www.soapwarehouse.biz and click on the 'Kitchen/Exhaust' tab or call us at 800-762-7911.
Many times business that buy from us get caught up in the one or two products they have used in the past, and do not look or know what many other items we have to offer.
In kitchen cleaning for example; we have the main stays for hood cleaning, our “Hood Cleaner” and “Smoke House” but we have so much more to offer.
We have “Oven and Grill” a cleaner for flat cooking grills and for vertical surfaces inside ovens and standing ovens like chicken rotisseries. This product has a high viscosity, there fore it will cling to the upright surfaces longer, without added foamer, to allow for proper contact and better cleaning.
“Mighty-Green” is a user friendly degreaser that is not friendly to grease. Since this product is Non Abrasive, non-flammable, non corrosive, bio degradable and non toxic it is great to use in a kitchen setting. It can be diluted for light jobs like cleaning glass or mirrors up to full strength for really tough grease cleaning on tile and stainless steel, weather it is used on floors, walls or appliances.
“Natures Green” All Purpose Cleaner, is similar to Mighty-Green for cleaning, but it is also all natural for those wanting a true ‘Green’ approach to their cleaning. This degreaser can similarly be used from full strength to a dilution of 1:10 for almost any kitchen surface cleaning need.
“Ceramic Tile and Grout” is what you need to clean those ugly grease stained grout lines from black or dark brown to an almost like new lightness. Once used to get the area back to a fresh clean, maintenance is much easier using 8 oz per gallon of hot water to keep the floors grease free and squeaky clean. It will also clean stainless steel, chrome, and plastics found in most kitchen and bathroom applications.
Another place grease can be a big problem in a kitchen, is in the floor drains. Our “Drain Opener” is designed to dissolve and liquefy grease, hair and even paper that can be found in commercial kitchen and bathroom floor drains. This is not a 'use at home' product, but made only for commercial applications. All aluminum covers or strainers must be removed before application, so not to damage them, yet this is a non-acid product. If this product is too strong for your use our next product should work for you.
“Qwic Zyme” is a product that contains biological components that will break down food wastes, grease, hair and other organic matter found in kitchen and bathroom drains. Its biological action deprives odor causing bacteria of their food source, thus inhibiting their growth and ability to product obnoxious odors normally found in sinks and around floor drains. “Qwic Zyme” is safe to use in food disposals, septic tank systems and can be used inside and outdoors. The main things to remember when using this product is follow label directions and to use warm water to activate the enzymes first in order to work properly.
We also have quite a few USDS approved butyl degreasers that can be used around food processing equipment and storage areas to clean, coolers, floors, equipment housing, walls and counter tops: “Mighty-O”, Mighty Max” as well as “Mighty Max Plus”.
For current pricing information go to www.soapwarehouse.biz and click on the 'Kitchen/Exhaust' tab or call us at 800-762-7911.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Why should I run a background check or drug screening?
We are now to our last point, the background/drug check.
Most small business employers do not see the need to spend money on a background check or drug screening if they have already done the other three steps we have already been over. But this could be a more costly mistake to your business not to. Small claims lawsuits where on the rise the last 10 years and they do not look like they will decrease any time soon. There are commercials on every hour of the day on television and the radio telling people it is all right to sue, almost like a God given right to do so and you have to protect your self, your family and your business.
I will mention the main reasons here but please read this very good article I found by Less Rosen from the carwash.com from the on line addition of their magazine: http://www.carwash-digital.com/carwash/201001/#pg32. This article says it all.
1. There is no single place private companies can go to confirm or verify criminal records of prospective hires. Background checks once only a seldom seen practice are now even routinely done when renting an apartment or to be able do volunteer work at schools.
2. Screening is legal but only if done for every applicant at your business as we discussed earlier about hiring procedures, or at least for everyone doing a certain job. Make sure it is also listed in your handbook with the guidelines spelled out. It should also include the guidelines for any follow up or random testing later as well. Such as a mandatory test for anyone driving a company vehicle, involved in a traffic accident.
3. Screening is well worth the cost. It can save you anything from time lost from a hung over worker, cost of damage claims of customer property, from insurance claims of stolen equipment, to the extreme of lawsuits from customers for criminal actions the employee did while at their location. It can even lower your insurance premiums. This is also why paying for your employees to be bonded, which will include a background check, can be a good thing and a great marketing tool.
4. Screening does not deter prospects or slow down hiring. (Unless you hire by driving to a street corner and pick up day labor) Good workers understand the need for screening and most appreciate knowing they will be working for an upstanding company if hired, as well as most likely working in a safe environment.
5. Screening is not hard to have done. There are many local, regional and national companies that do this work that pay to have access to the records you need and the employees to find the records that you do not have the time or money to find yourself. There is even a professional organization for this work, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. You can find them here: http://www.napbs.com/ and use their member directory to find one near you.
6. If you feel the need for the extra step of drug screening above a background check, it too must be administered equally to be a legal hiring practice. You can find qualified medical companies to do this just by putting in your city, state and the words drug screening in a search engine. Most companies work with established chains of clinics like Quest and LabCorp to do the work or the healthcare company your business uses may also offer these services at discounted rates for their clients, just call them and ask. Some even have lower healthcare premium rates for companies that require testing for all employees because they know this should lower the number of claims for your business.
I hope that this weeks series of entries have been helpful to you and even if you may not or will not include all these steps into your routine hiring practices, that you have found some parts you feel are worth exploring or using in the near future. Feel free to comment to any entry in our blog, mention steps you have found or currently use your self that could help others and always feel free to e-mail us directly with questions or comments. Have a good weekend.
Most small business employers do not see the need to spend money on a background check or drug screening if they have already done the other three steps we have already been over. But this could be a more costly mistake to your business not to. Small claims lawsuits where on the rise the last 10 years and they do not look like they will decrease any time soon. There are commercials on every hour of the day on television and the radio telling people it is all right to sue, almost like a God given right to do so and you have to protect your self, your family and your business.
I will mention the main reasons here but please read this very good article I found by Less Rosen from the carwash.com from the on line addition of their magazine: http://www.carwash-digital.com/carwash/201001/#pg32. This article says it all.
1. There is no single place private companies can go to confirm or verify criminal records of prospective hires. Background checks once only a seldom seen practice are now even routinely done when renting an apartment or to be able do volunteer work at schools.
2. Screening is legal but only if done for every applicant at your business as we discussed earlier about hiring procedures, or at least for everyone doing a certain job. Make sure it is also listed in your handbook with the guidelines spelled out. It should also include the guidelines for any follow up or random testing later as well. Such as a mandatory test for anyone driving a company vehicle, involved in a traffic accident.
3. Screening is well worth the cost. It can save you anything from time lost from a hung over worker, cost of damage claims of customer property, from insurance claims of stolen equipment, to the extreme of lawsuits from customers for criminal actions the employee did while at their location. It can even lower your insurance premiums. This is also why paying for your employees to be bonded, which will include a background check, can be a good thing and a great marketing tool.
4. Screening does not deter prospects or slow down hiring. (Unless you hire by driving to a street corner and pick up day labor) Good workers understand the need for screening and most appreciate knowing they will be working for an upstanding company if hired, as well as most likely working in a safe environment.
5. Screening is not hard to have done. There are many local, regional and national companies that do this work that pay to have access to the records you need and the employees to find the records that you do not have the time or money to find yourself. There is even a professional organization for this work, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. You can find them here: http://www.napbs.com/ and use their member directory to find one near you.
6. If you feel the need for the extra step of drug screening above a background check, it too must be administered equally to be a legal hiring practice. You can find qualified medical companies to do this just by putting in your city, state and the words drug screening in a search engine. Most companies work with established chains of clinics like Quest and LabCorp to do the work or the healthcare company your business uses may also offer these services at discounted rates for their clients, just call them and ask. Some even have lower healthcare premium rates for companies that require testing for all employees because they know this should lower the number of claims for your business.
I hope that this weeks series of entries have been helpful to you and even if you may not or will not include all these steps into your routine hiring practices, that you have found some parts you feel are worth exploring or using in the near future. Feel free to comment to any entry in our blog, mention steps you have found or currently use your self that could help others and always feel free to e-mail us directly with questions or comments. Have a good weekend.
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