Everything you need to know about mould in the workplace.
Maintaining a clean work environment is extremely important no matter what industry you’re working in. A clean space contributes to staff morale, health and, overall, presenting a professional image to clients and visitors.
It goes without saying that mould is an unwelcome guest anywhere, but especially in the workplace. Mould is one of the most serious hidden cleanliness issues, posing significant health, structural and legal issues. Therefore, it’s important you keep it under control.
At Orbit Cleaning Services Australia, we specialise in customised cleaning tailored to your workplace. So, if mould is an ongoing issue in your workplace, we can help you take care of it. Learn more about our commercial cleaning services here.
Your health is at risk:
Apart from mould simply looking unpleasant, it can also be the cause of some extremely serious health issues that will put you, your employees and clients at risk. This is because mould produces small particles called spores. These spores become airborne and cause health problems when inhaled, especially for people who are sensitive or allergic to them.
Some symptoms of mould sickness are shortness of breath, watery eyes, coughing and an itchy nose. Similar to that of hay fever allergies. While these symptoms are mild, frequent inhalation of mould has been linked to heart disease and chronic lethargy, both which can develop into life threatening conditions.
At Orbit Cleaning, our office cleaners are trained to remove mould and work with specialised equipment to protect staff from the harms of mould.
Mould can grow anywhere:
The scary thing about mould is that it has the potential to grow anywhere if the conditions allow for it. Contrary to what many believe, mould doesn’t just grow in areas that are exposed to moisture such as bathrooms and kitchens. It can grow in areas you might not suspect, which is why it’s such a serious problem.
If there are problems with water leakage and rain, mould can potentially develop in the ceiling cavities and walls. Mould can also grow inside of air conditioning units or on ceilings and walls that have high humidity as a result of air con use.
Other common breeding grounds for mould include beneath flooring, particularly carpet and in spaces that have little ventilation.
Occupational Health & Safety Violation:
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OH&S) is the framework that legally binds the duty of care that employers have for their staff’s health and safety. While each state in Australia has its own OH&S framework, the overarching concepts are often the same.
Control of mould growth is undoubtably an OH&S responsibility because it threatens the health and safety of you and your employees. Therefore, failure to keep your workplace clean and provide a safe work environment that minimises risks can result in damaging measures such as cessation of trading or hefty fines.
It can also involve worker’s compensation claims for affected employees, which can end up being a significant business expense.
Prevention is Key:
Not only can mould cause very serious health problems, it can also damage the structure of your workplace building as it can penetrate plasterboard, timber and flooring. Once a building is infested with mould, getting rid of it and fixing structural damages can be expensive, invasive and time consuming.
Unfortunately, once there is a large-scale mould infestation, it can be challenging, sometimes impossible to completely eradicate it from the building. Therefore, the best option is to take preventative measures and deal with small mould infestations before they become a large problem.
Orbit Cleaning can visit your workplace on a regular basis to focus on mould cleaning and prevent any potential build ups.
At Orbit Cleaning Services Australia, our services have been approved to meet standards and cleaning requirements set by industry bodies. To book in your next clean with Orbit, contact us on 1300 660 699.