Development in Professional Cleaning Work Brings Challenges to Ergonomics

Professional cleaning is carried out worldwide in different environments and cleaning workers form an important proportion of the total working population. Cleaning is a fast-developing and fast-growing labour-intensive branch. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physical stress factors in cleaning work and their relationship with musculoskeletal disorders. The material was collected in three regional studies carried out in northern Finland during a ten-year period. Special attention was paid to the changes in professional cleaning. The results showed that cleaning is moderately heavy work containing continuous moving and repetitive movement of the upper extremities mainly when mopping. The cleaners themselves estimated that these two stress factors caused the greatest physical stress in their work. In the ten-year period the statistical test showed no significant reduction in the amount of repetitive movements. Instead, the working postures had improved. Bent, twisted and awkward working postures, and working with hands over shoulder level, had decreased significantly (p<0.001). The cleaners also reported that there had been significant reduction in manual lifting and carrying during the years (p<0.05). No statistical difference was found in the stress caused by heavy physical work. The results also revealed that musculoskeletal disorders are common among professional cleaners. Particularly, pain in the neck and shoulder area clearly increased with age. Cleaning is done mostly with the hands and the body, and cleaners are able to plan their own work to some extent. This enables them to influence the physical workload and musculoskeletal disorders. Cleaning techniques, tools, and machines have recently undergone major improvements, which has resulted in training needs for cleaners. Good results were achieved in adopting ergonomic ways of working after a training intervention. The conclusion is that professional cleaners would greatly benefit from relevant training in ergonomics and working techniques.