For staff of iClean, the “job site” changes often. Entering different homes and businesses from day to day can bring unexpected hazards for these cleaners.
Besides the risks of repetitive strain injuries, bumps and cuts, working with chemicals, and even the occasional fickle pet encounter are just a few of the threats they face.
When the pandemic hit, general manager Valerie Lutes knew her team needed more guidance than she could offer on the usual risks. Like many businesses when COVID-19 hit, Lutes reached out to WorkSafeNB in 2020 to ensure iClean was doing everything to prioritize the health of both the staff and their clients.
But the help she got navigating COVID-19 risks sparked the beginning of an important milestone working with WorkSafeNB and our free consulting services; it led to the creation of a comprehensive health and safety policy looking beyond pandemic measures to thoroughly address all risks.
“I had served on the joint health and safety committee at a former job, so I was familiar with WorkSafeNB. When COVID hit, I knew where to go for direction to ensure we were doing the proper thing, following procedures and protocols. We wanted to be as safe as possible for both the employees and clients of iClean,” Lutes said. “WorkSafeNB provided us with guidance that kept everyone safe during a very worrying time. But that was just the start of the help we got. The start of that relationship.”
She said it gave her team peace of mind knowing as they went from home to home that they were following WorkSafeNB’s recommendations to help keep them safe in 2020. Coming out of the height of the pandemic, she began to think about ways to flesh out a comprehensive health and safety policy thinking long-term.
“So when I was put in touch with a WorkSafeNB health and safety consultant who offered to work with us to help in building the policy, I jumped at the chance.”
Lutes said she is immensely grateful to consultant Shelley O’Dell for her collaborative approach.
" ’What would Shelley do?’ Will always be my first thought. I still seek assistance with any question I cannot find the answer to.
“She slowed things down or sped things up according to my ever-changing needs,” she said. “She was a comprehensive guide. As a general manager, I have multiple priorities that need my attention. She understood that and was flexible to accommodate my schedule.
“Our finished product is a living document that allows us to continuously make our workplace safer. Our cleaners are more aware of hazards and the safe work procedures in place to protect them. Our supervisors are also more aware of their responsibilities.”
In the early days in her role, Lutes said she prioritized making herself available whenever an employee called with a concern about a potential problem or hazard, but she didn’t always have a ready solution.
“It was a lot of time online trying to search for an answer of how to handle one hazard or another. But now we’ve brought it all into one document. It’s a guideline for everyone new we onboard. They all get this information. Before, when I would onboard someone, I’d provide them with info, but it was these tidbits I had in my head, and it relied on me to remember to share it all.”
The new policy also ensures every employee has WHMIS training and a stocked first aid kit when they go to each job. It provides guidance for trainers. And when taking on new clients they have guidance on questions to ask on potential hazards before entering a home for the first time.
Lutes said the process has also served to increase her own knowledge around best practices. When an incident does occur, she takes the time not only to ensure the employee’s care, but to also analyze the situation and assess if it merits adding a preventive policy. She said it’s been helpful to think of the policy as something that continually grows, and it helps having WorkSafeNB’s ongoing support to make changes when needed.
“Shelley has been wonderful,” she said. “When I had a question, she was right there with the answer. And when she didn’t have the answer, she went away and found it.”
“Even now after our consultation has been completed, she still reaches out regularly. She’ll say, I saw this thing I thought might help you. It’s amazing.”
Valerie Lutes