Workload Study Identifies Custodial Work Issues

Do custodial workers know management has their back? The safety of custodians in Washington State is the focus of a report that was presented to the state legislature earlier this year as a measure to improve working conditions, Safety and Health magazine reports.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L & I) is conducting a 4-year statewide study, which began in 2018, to identify custodial workload issues and take measures to reduce the risk of workplace injuries. The top concerns listed in the report include: poor safety climate, low level of management commitment to safety, and unlawful business practices.

The report is based on a survey of 621 custodians via telephone. Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) researchers within the state’s department of L&I conducted nine focus groups from these workers. The study found that respondents encountered multiple common types of work-related injuries such as being struck against a stationery object, getting caught in or compressed by equipment or an object, falling, undergoing excessive physical effort, and working in awkward repetitive positions. The custodians were also exposed to chemical and physical hazards.

Custodians raised concerns regarding management’s commitment to safety and suggested recommendations for improving working conditions.

The second half of the study will involve multiple actions including: worksite visits, individual interviews, a statewide survey of employers, continual development of multilingual and multimodal education and training resources, and testing of a workload calculator.