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Do not mix cleaning compounds

Aug 3, 2022 | Workers' Compensation

You certainly don’t have to work as a janitor to have cleaning up the workspace be a regular part of your job. For many workers, this is something they have to do at the end of every shift, or they may simply have a set schedule where they all take care of various cleaning projects every week or every month.

Additionally, the focus in many workplaces is productivity. Your boss likely wants all of the employees to get everything done as quickly as they can. This turns the biggest profit, and that’s the main focus of any company.

This can cause some workers to believe that it’s a good idea to mix cleaning products together. They may want one product that can remove dirt and grime, while they want another that can kill bacteria or viruses. Cleaning everything twice would simply take too long, so they decide to mix the solutions so they just have to do it once.

This can be a fatal mistake

It’s understandable why this happens, but it’s very important for workers and employers to know that mistakes like this can be fatal. Some cleaning products, when mixed, can create very dangerous solutions.

One of the most common examples is mixing bleach and ammonia. This can cause chemical burns if you inhale it, it can impact your throat, it can irritate your eyes and it may even make it impossible for you to breathe if you’re exposed to too much of the gas that is created.

These are certainly not the only chemicals you don’t want to mix together. As a general rule, you should always use each chemical independently unless otherwise specified.

Unfortunately, your employer may not give you the proper training or they may not give you the right protection equipment that you need to be safe. If you end up getting injured on the job, then you need to know about your legal options to seek compensation.

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