Have you ever considered having emergency contact information for every cleaner that travels with you for your maid and janitorial cleaning service? We found out just how important is was while on our cleaning route.
We can all agree that having an emergency medical kit in all of the vehicles used to transport the work staff is important?
Well, having individual medical information is just as important. Trust me, you don’t want to find this out the hard way.
We discovered the need to have emergency contact information on hand.
Several years ago on a pretty typical day with our cleaning staff. My husband, Elbert, was the driver of our cleaning crew. He picked up our staff of 4 ladies and began the drop off process to the various homes that were on the cleaning schedule.
Sometime in the late afternoon, one of the ladies complained of chest pains when he picked her up. After asking her a series of questions, he finally called me at the office. He asked if I could call her next of kin, her mom. I did just that.
I didn’t have to look up her mom’s phone number because I had it stored in my cell phone. The mom happened to also be a team member but worked with our office cleaning staff.
When I explained what was going on, she asked if Elbert could call 911 right away. He did. The mom went on to explain that her daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition when she was very young. Since she had not had any “episodes” in adulthood she didn’t list her condition on her application. None of that really mattered at the time. Elbert just wanted to GET HER HELP IMMEDIATELY!
Our team member was rushed right away to the emergency room as soon as the ambulance arrived. Her mother met her at the hospital within hours. All ended well that day and the woman came back to work in just a few short weeks.
That was several years ago. Since that incident, Elbert and I have made sure to keep emergency contact information for every employee that travels in the vehicle while cleaning.
After all, imagine what would have happened if that team member’s mother didn’t work with us? Or, worse yet, if I weren’t in the office and could get to her employee file? Even though I was right next to those files, she didn’t list a childhood condition because she was in her 20’s now and hadn’t had an episode in years. I don’t want to even think of a different outcome.
We chose to travel with these emergency contact information sheets for all team members including the driver. Nowadays, QR codes can be easily encrypted onto information sheets or cards for all passengers to ensure privacy. So, when you use a smart phone and click onto the QR code, all of the person’s medical history and conditions will upload. Or, you can ask each team member to wear a medical identification tag of some sort, which can also list the next of kin and how to proceed in any situation. A large variety of medical identification tags can be purchased online.
The important thing to remember, is to keep some type of emergency contact information for your maid and janitorial cleaning service handy for all present staff.
Would you consider having something as an emergency reference for your employees?
Keeping this information handy will help you in the following ways…
1. Enable you to make quick decisions that can prevent further complications or save a life.
2. Shows your staff how much you care about their safety. That you are not just their employer but that you are genuinely concerned about their personal lives as well. Something like this encourages unity and team building.
3. Can prevent avoidable insurance claims for your company.
Perhaps during your hiring process, you can consider either making extra copies of the emergency contact information sheet for your maid and janitorial cleaning service.
Allow each driver access to this folder. Or, maybe having medic QR codes embedded onto small identification cards for all staff members will be a better fit for your company. One other, is to encourage each individual to wear a medic bracelet or keep a wallet card with them at all times. Whichever method you’re more comfortable implementing, I encourage you to do so. It can save a life. Oh, and by the way…. include one for yourself!
“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” Stephen King
Until next time,
Happy Cleaning!
Creator of A Janitor’s Story®. I started my office cleaning side hustle at 20 years old. Years later, with the partnership of my husband and our amazing staff, my business grew to mid-six figures and fulfilled my wildest dreams! Now, 27 years STRONG, I’ve retired, and I help aspiring entrepreneurs to START and GROW their house and office cleaning service businesses to achieve their biggest dreams. I’d like to help you do the same.
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