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Employees Rank Health Insurance as Top Benefit
According to a National Business Group on Health survey, most workers employed at large businesses consider their health plan to be the most important part of their benefit package. In fact, workers would rather face a salary cut or a reduction in retirement benefits than lose any aspect of their health benefits.
According to reports, “health care costs are rising at 7.5 percent, double the inflation rate, which is forcing employers to find ways to trim employee medical costs. One way is by shifting health care responsibilities to the worker, such as through health savings accounts, a key part of the consumer-driven health care movement.” That said, the survey reveals that employees are not interested in purchasing coverage on their own.
Reportedly, two out of three workers are happy with their health plans and employees accept the fact that businesses have to offer fewer health-plan choices in order to keep premiums low.
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What are the most beneficial safety programs you have in place for your cleaning department?
Every facility views safety in a different way. Some look at employee training or safety programs, while others focus on implementing products and programs that will help aid worker safety. Regardless of how you look at it, safety is an important part of every facility and managers should carefully review what programs they have in place to help keep both workers and building occupants safe.
- We have several safety programs in place to benefit our housekeeping department. Some include annual blood borne pathogen training as well as training on hazard communication (MSDS) with a Powerpoint session and a link directly to OSHA online for questions and answers. Additional training includes annual DOT/EPA classes on hazardous and pharmaceutical waste, numerous training sessions on infection control (measures and practices/procedures) every other month, as well as annual training on back and stress from our physical therapy department. Some of this training is intense, but it educates the staff on the importance of safety in the entire facility, not just their area of responsibility.
- Kent Miller, CHESP/CLLM, Director of Environmental Services/Linen Services at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- We have found safety sessions focusing on our conversation from “old style” cleaning chemicals to new “green” chemicals have been most helpful. This allows us to convert to safer chemicals and to ensure our conversion sticks with our employees. Now we are protecting our environment, protecting our clients and protecting our employees. A great win without too much effort.
- Ted Weidner, PhD., PE, AIA, Assistant Vice Chancellor Facilities Management & Planning at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Neb.
- We incorporate safe work practices into every phase of the housekeeper’s duties. We make sure they understand the hazards associated with exposure to chemicals, hazardous drugs and infectious agents — including sharps — and train them on how to protect themselves from these hazards. We also work on eliminating ergonomic hazards to they can perform their job without strains and sprains. Because they work throughout the facility, they are aware of how to prevent fires and are trained to provide assistance in case of a fire. Preventing falls by patients, staff and visitors from web floors and other tripping hazards is another beneficial component of the safety program. And finally, the housekeeping staff does a tremendous job of helping us minimize nosocomial infections by disinfecting patient care areas and maintaining a clean environment.
- Michael Gabennesch, CSP, Safety Director/Officer at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Edgewood, Covington and Williamstown, Ky.
July Question:
Why do you attend industry focused trade shows?
E-mail Housekeeping Solutions your response and look for the results in the July issue of the eReader.
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Recent surveys conducted by Housekeeping Solutions indicate that even though green initiatives have been around for years, it has only been within the last year or so that cleaning managers have begun embracing and actually practicing green.
Some experts believe that the trend is due to state requirements on the use of green products in schools and government facilities. Regardless, laws like this make the switch a no-brainer for facilities in those states, but other facilities across the country have been slow to make the switch.
Cleaning managers who are hesitant about green cleaning initiatives should bone up on the process of implementing green and the long-term benefits of doing so. Check out CleanLink.com for up-to-date news on green initiatives and watch for the June issue of Housekeeping Solutions to focus on the return on investment associated with going green.
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From the April 2007 issue
The Whole Package
End-users rate their distributor relationship on more than products — it’s all about the value-adds
The Green Continuum
As the momentum towards green cleaning grows, cleaning managers find alternative ways to implement environmentally friendly cleaning practices
From the Feb. 2007 issue
Restroom: Not a ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Proposition
Training, budget and the environment determine the best approach to restroom cleaning
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| LOOK FOR THE JUNE 2007 ISSUE TO INCLUDE... |
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Green cleaning return on investment
Reader Survey: Benchmarking
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