Journal of Ergonomics
Open Access

A Short Note on Ergonomics and Cleaning Occupations

Martin Alies^{* *}Correspondence: Martin Alies, Department of Ergonomics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy, Email:

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Description

Cleaning job is considered labor-intensive. Workers such as janitors, custodians, cleaners, and housekeepers, among others are frequently exposed to physical and mental dangers linked to an increase in work-related accidents. While typical cleaning jobs may need little effort, the nature of occupational cleaning tasks is repetitive, sometimes requiring unnatural postures, and must be performed within a set deadline. Cleaning entails a variety of jobs, the use of numerous tools, and movement from one site to another. To make matters even more complicated on the job, a large percentage of workers in this field are racial and ethnic minorities or immigrants who face language and cultural barriers and receive minimal help. The abilities required for this position are likely to be modest. Furthermore, cleaning shifts are frequently scheduled outside of regular business hours to avoid disrupting the activities of the businesses where the services are provided. At the organizational level, a company is likely to reduce human costs and increase workload among existing employees due to profit considerations or market competitiveness. All of these factors can increase the janitorial workforce's risk of harm. While some frequent chores, such as vacuuming and moist mopping, have been studied in the past, compared to other jobs, little attention has been paid to the whole scope of activities covering this occupation. It is critical for the human factors and ergonomics community to contribute to injury reduction and prevention, as well as to continue performance enhancement and design advances within the sector, in order to serve this under-represented group.

When compared to other occupational groupings, cleaning workers have a high rate of injury. While injuries are to be expected given the hard nature of the work, there are measures to prevent further harm to the joints and muscles of people working in the business. The introduction of better ergonomics among workers is one strategy to increase worker safety. While it's critical to be trained and informed on topics such as toxic chemical-related injuries, it's also critical to understand how to protect and support the musculoskeletal aspect of the job.

Custodial organizations can improve their employees' overall physical support by ensuring that the devices and things they utilize are ergonomic. These are things that are made to fit the employee rather than forcing the person to fit the size and shape of the equipment.

New marketing activities, hiring policies, and restructuring decisions are being used by hotels and hotel chains to respond to globalisation and rising competition, which is increasing the job of cleaners. Cleaners' workloads have also been exacerbated by "flexible" working agreements and outsourcing. Interestingly, the cleaners' labour union has negotiated a lower number of room assignments per cleaner, as well as a better method of accounting for job variability when determining the quota of rooms to be cleaned. Despite this, new marketing methods continue to increase the amount of labour that needs to be done. Governmental standards and regulations are a vital complement to union activity.

The goal is to lessen stress on the body while being efficient and successful in the worker's day-to-day responsibilities. Furthermore, employing ergonomic goods and properly executing cleaning jobs can reduce injury and promote safety and wellbeing.