Commercial & office cleaning

1. Walk the area first: note what needs restocking (paper towel, toilet paper, soap, hand rub) and remove clutter.
2. Assemble supplies: enough clean cloths; prepare fresh solution exactly to the manufacturer's dilution, wearing the PPE the SDS names.
3. Hand hygiene, then gloves.
4. Work clean to dirty and high to low: dust and wipe from top surfaces down; washrooms last.
5. Use fresh cloths per area; never double-dip a soiled cloth into the solution; do not shake cloths out; change the cloth when it is no longer wet with solution and after heavily soiled areas.
6. Collect and remove waste; replace liners.
7. Restock supplies without overstocking.
8. Remove gloves, hand hygiene; clean the cart at the end of the shift.

1. Remove waste and wipe up spills.
2. Clean the door handle, frame and light switch.
3. Clean chrome wall fixtures and all dispensers.
4. Clean inside and outside of sinks, faucets and the mirror; apply disinfectant to the sink interior and leave it wet for the label contact time; rinse and dry.
5. Clean support rails and ledges/shelves.
6. Clean the entire toilet/urinal last, including the handle and under the flush rim, with the label contact time.
7. Remove gloves, wash hands, replenish paper towel, toilet paper, liner and soap.

1. Clean soil off counters first (a sanitizer is applied to a cleaned surface).
2. Sanitize food-contact counters with a no-rinse quat sanitizer at label dilution — Ecolab Oasis 146 Multi-Quat: 0.25–0.67 oz per US gallon; no rinse.

1. Dust-mop first: start in the far corner, keep the head on the floor, overlapping strokes; dispose of debris without raising dust.
2. Prepare fresh solution to the manufacturer's dilution (e.g., Stride Citrus SC 1:128) with the SDS PPE.
3. Put a wet-floor sign out.
4. Wring the mop; do baseboards and corners first, then figure-eight overlapping strokes, turning the head every 5–6 strokes.
5. Work about 3 m × 3 m at a time, rinse and wring, repeat.
6. Change the mop head when heavily soiled; launder mop heads daily and dry them before storage.

1. Vacuum daily with a HEPA-filtered vacuum.
2. Schedule hot-water extraction / shampooing.
3. Respond to spills quickly.

1. Apply an acid washroom cleaner (e.g., Ecolab 91 Heavy Duty Acid) only per its label to remove soap scum and hard-water deposits.
2. Rinse fixtures thoroughly before any disinfectant step.
3. Never use in the same fixture as a bleach/chlorine product.

1. Write the procedures down, train to them and inspect against them — the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (ISSA CIMS) certifies building-service contractors on this basis (quality systems, service delivery, human resources, health/safety/environment, optional Green Building).
2. Review the WHMIS programme at least annually (OHS Reg s. 5.5).

WHMIS

BC employers must establish and maintain a WHMIS programme (reviewed at least annually, OHS Reg s. 5.5), keep every hazardous product properly labelled, make SDSs readily available to workers, prepare workplace labels (including for decanted bottles, s. 5.10) and provide WHMIS education and training (ss. 5.6–5.7). WorkSafeBC does not run WHMIS courses; training may be done in-house if it meets ss. 5.6–5.7, or by an outside provider. Incompatible substances must not be stored where a leak could let them mix (s. 5.24). US equivalent: OSHA Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200), which the Diversey SDSs also cite.21

Personal protective equipment

• Chemical-splash goggles — Handling concentrates such as Stride Citrus SC (eye irritant Cat. 2A) — filling dispensers, buckets, bottles6
• Chemical-resistant gloves — Concentrates (Stride SDS) and Murphy Oil Soap (skin sensitiser; P280 'wear protective gloves')2
• Gloves + hand hygiene — Every washroom clean; gloves never replace hand hygiene17
• Goggles and rubber gloves — Any use of bleach4
• Per-product SDS section 8 — Before first use of each Ecolab concentrate (Oasis 146, Oasis Pro 66, 91 Acid) — their Canadian SDSs were not read for this manual13

Fire extinguishers

• Class A rated, 2-A minimum — NFPA recommends one 2-A extinguisher per 3,000 sq ft for offices with mainly Class A combustibles (paper, furniture); OSHA: every employee within 75 ft travel distance. Where small amounts of flammable liquids are kept (light hazard, e.g., the chemical closet), a B rating of 5-B (30 ft) or 10-B (50 ft) applies — a multipurpose A:B:C unit covers both — Office floors and the janitor/chemical closet; usually the building's equipment — the cleaner keeps them visible and unblocked and reports any used, damaged or overdue
  See NFPA 10 intervals below
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• (inspection detail) — BC has adopted NFPA 10
  Monthly inspection by a designated employee, annual maintenance by a certified person; record on the tag and checklist; keep records 12 months
  25
• (intervals per NFPA 10) — Any workplace
  Visual when placed in service and at least monthly; maintenance at least annually; internal examination every 6 years for stored-pressure dry chemical; non-rechargeable units removed from service 12 years after manufacture
  24

First aid

WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation s. 3.16 + Schedule 3-A (Table 3-1 for a 'class 1' urban workplace); kit contents per WorkSafeBC, based on CSA Z1220 — Employer must do a written first-aid assessment (workers present, locations, hazards, likely injuries, barriers, travel time). Table 3-1, low hazard rating: 2–9 workers → personal first aid kit; 10–19 → basic kit + basic first aid attendant; moderate rating: 2–9 → basic kit + basic attendant. Personal kit (CSA Z1220 Type 1) includes 16 adhesive bandages, 6 gauze pads, conforming bandage, 2 pressure dressings, triangular bandage, tape, 6 antiseptic towelettes, 4 hand towelettes, 2 pairs non-latex gloves, biohazard bag, forceps, contents list, blank records. Basic kit = CSA Z1220 Type 2 Medium (adds e.g. 50 bandages, 24 gauze pads, CPR barrier, 8 pairs gloves). Kits kept clean, dry, ready, easy to reach; latex-free. Post first-aid procedures and drill them at least yearly. The hazard rating for janitorial work is set by WorkSafeBC's classification — confirm it on your assessment.22

Training

• WHMIS 2015 education and site-specific training — In-house (meeting OHS Reg ss. 5.6–5.7) or an outside provider such as CCOHS or one listed on ohstrainingbc.com; WorkSafeBC does not train or certify (Programme and worker knowledge reviewed at least annually (s. 5.5))21
• Basic first aid certificate (if Schedule 3-A requires an attendant) — WorkSafeBC or a WorkSafeBC-recognised provider (Per certificate; Level 1/2/3 certificates issued before 1 Nov 2024 count as basic/intermediate/advanced until they expire (transition ends 1 Nov 2027))22
• Fire extinguisher use (PASS) and monthly inspection duty — Employer toolbox talk (Ongoing)25

Licences and registrations

• Municipal business licence — The municipality where the business is based (e.g., City of Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton)
  Base licence fee is the home municipality's; kelowna.ca was behind a Cloudflare challenge, so Kelowna's own fee is not recorded.
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• Okanagan Inter-Community (Mobile) Business Licence — Participating municipalities incl. Armstrong, RD Central Okanagan, Coldstream, Enderby, Kelowna, Keremeos, Lake Country, Lumby, Oliver, Osoyoos, Peachland, Penticton, Princeton, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Spallumcheen, Summerland, Vernon, West Kelowna (Penticton's list)
  Add-on of $150 on top of the home licence lets a mobile business (janitorial services named explicitly) work in all participating municipalities without a storefront there; a storefront portion is licensed separately. Vernon: (250) 550-3634, buslicence@vernon.ca.
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• Inter-community licence (Penticton page) — City of Penticton
  Two options for mobile businesses: an Inter-Community licence added to an existing home-municipality licence (contact the City; not via the online application), or a Non Resident licence if based outside Penticton and working only there. Lists the participating municipalities.
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• WorkSafeBC registration — WorkSafeBC
  'All employers are legally required to have WorkSafeBC coverage unless the employer is exempt'; an employer is anyone who hires workers or unregistered subcontractors. Owners without workers can buy optional personal coverage; WorkSafeBC also offers a 'check if my contractor is insured' (clearance) lookup that clients use. US equivalent: state workers' compensation.
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Insurance

• Commercial general liability (CGL) — IBC lists CGL among the common commercial policies a business carries; the limit is whatever the client's cleaning contract requires — confirm with a broker.34
• Crime / employee dishonesty coverage or a janitorial (fidelity) bond — IBC lists 'crime' among common commercial policies. Janitorial (fidelity) bonding is not described on the IBC page — after-hours crews hold keys and alarm codes, so ask a broker whether the client wants a bond or crime cover.34