Tips For Hiring Medical Facility Cleaning Services
Not every commercial cleaning company is suited for medical facility cleaning. There are certain standards that need to be met to protect you, your staff, and your patients. Regardless of the size of your facility, you need a company that understands the unique needs of the medical industry. One that has the training and expertise to meet those needs. Here are four tips for hiring a competent medical facility cleaning company:
1) Training
Healthcare facilities represent unique environments with very specific cleaning requirements. Therefore, it is imperative that you hire a cleaning company that trains their employees specifically for healthcare facility cleaning. A quality healthcare facility cleaning company will be able to describe to you the type of training they provide to their employees. Additionally, they should ensure proper policies and procedures are followed when working within a healthcare facility.
- HIPPA Compliance – Any medical facility training program should include training on HIPPA compliance. All staff should be well educated and compliant with HIPPA standards as well as any internal policies with regard to patient privacy.
- Bloodborne Pathogen Training – In addition to HIPPA training, cleaning staff should be in OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standards. They should recognize that they are not to handle sharps or waste liners marked ‘Danger – Infectious Waste”.
- Cross-contamination Avoidance – The last thing you want is a cleaning company that is spreading more germs than they are eliminating. Your medical facility cleaning company should have very specific policies and procedures in place to reduce or eliminate cross-contamination and all employees should be fully trained in this regard.
- OSHA Compliance – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets standards for safe and healthy workplaces and work practices. These standards are designed to protect both the worker and the business. They include guidelines for safe chemical handling
2) Experience
Obviously, you want an experienced commercial cleaning company to manage your medical facility cleaning program, but a company with experience specific to the healthcare industry is paramount. An experienced healthcare facility cleaning company has processes and procedures in place that are designed specifically for the healthcare industry.
They understand the unique needs of the healthcare industry, they understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting and the need for both, and they understand the concepts of cross-contamination and Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs). While training and knowledge are invaluable assets, nothing can replace experience.
3) Employee Screening
As a healthcare facility administrator, you understand the importance of trustworthy staff. The healthcare industry is often home to vulnerable populations, sensitive medical records, and prescription drugs. Yours is an industry ripe for criminal activity and it is vital that whomever you hire to provide cleaning and disinfecting services vigorously screen their employees.
Any medical facility cleaning service worth their salt should be able to provide detailed information with regard to their employee screening processes upon request.
4) Oversight
Even with proper training and employee screening, smart medical facility cleaning services always have a supervisor on site. This practice ensures oversight of the cleaning staff and gives you direct access to management personnel. Having a manager on-site allows you to immediately address perceived problems, request specific services, and address any other issues that may arise.
In Conclusion
Hiring a medical facility cleaning service is not a hit-and-miss process. You should do your research, interview prospective providers, and ask a lot of questions. Don’t trust your healthcare cleaning to amateurs, hire the best.