CMM Weekly News Recap-February 7, 2020

As many of CMM’s readers are business owners in the cleaning and maintenance industries, they have a vested interest in protecting the physical health of people in facilities they service as well as protecting the financial health of their companies. This week’s news focuses on both priorities.

Our readers clean and maintain schools, many of which are older buildings that may contain asbestos tiles. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined a Michigan school district that terminated an employee for reporting unsafe maintenance practices involving asbestos violated whistleblower status.

The terminated employee had assisted with a 2012 federal investigation that came about when a worker objected after the school district’s director of operations and construction management told him to dry-sand floor tiles that contained asbestos at a high school. The director failed to train school employees in asbestos hazards and provide protective equipment.

All school buildings, new and old, are at risk of harboring flu germs. Cleaning crews across the country have been on overtime disinfecting campuses due to this year’s severe flu season. School custodians in Tennessee were no exception, as more than a dozen school districts in the state temporarily closed early this week due to widespread illness, including the flu.

Switching to financial health, tax season is upon us, which means small and midsize businesses are at risk for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits due to math errors and dubious expense categories. Four tips, including hiring a designated financial advisor, can help the auditing process go smoother for these businesses.

We hope you and your business are physically and financially healthy. Continue to read CMM’s news for more tips on maintaining that health.