Characterization of cleaning and disinfecting tasks and product use among hospital occupations

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers have an elevated prevalence of asthma and related symptoms associated with the use of cleaning/disinfecting products. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize cleaning/disinfecting tasks and products used among hospital occupations.

Methods: Workers from 14 occupations at five hospitals were monitored for 216 shifts, and work tasks and products used were recorded at five-minute intervals. The major chemical constituents of each product were identified from safety data sheets.

Results: Cleaning and disinfecting tasks were performed with a high frequency at least once per shift in many occupations. Medical equipment preparers, housekeepers, floor strippers/waxers, and endoscopy technicians spent on average 108-177 min/shift performing cleaning/disinfecting tasks. Many occupations used products containing amines and quaternary ammonium compounds for >100 min/shift.

Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates that many occupations besides housekeeping incur exposures to cleaning/disinfecting products, albeit for different durations and using products containing different chemicals.

Keywords: asthma; cleaning products; cleaning tasks; disinfecting chemicals; healthcare workers.

FIGURE 1

Duration (min/shift) in cleaning and disinfecting tasks by occupation. Center line in each box indicates median, top and bottom edges of the box represents 75-percentile and 25-percentile, error bars indicates 90-percentile and 10-percentile, and the dotted line indicates mean. Medical Appliance Technicians were not observed performing cleaning and disinfecting tasks during data collection; Surgical Technologists, Pharmacist/Pharmacy Technicians, Medical and Clinical Laboratory Techs, and Dental Laboratory Technicians were observed completing fewer than five cleaning and disinfecting tasks; therefore these occupations were not included in the figure.