Common injuries in this line of work
Cleaners work on wet floors they just mopped, carry buckets up stairs, empty heavy trash bags into dumpsters and move furniture to vacuum. Kneeling to scrub, reaching to wipe high spots and pushing carts all shift wear on the knees, shoulders and back over months and years.
Cleaning chemicals can splash in the eyes or burn the skin, especially when products are mixed or poured from large containers. Trash can hide broken glass and used needles. Some cleaners work in hospitals, schools, offices, hotels and private homes, each with its own hazards.
Many cleaning workers have night shifts, work alone in empty buildings or go from site to site in a work van. Some are employed by a cleaning company that contracts with the building. That means your supervisor may not be on site when you get hurt, so knowing how to report is important.
Common situations
- Slipped on a wet floor at work
- Knee injury from kneeling at work
- Injured moving furniture or heavy beds at a hotel
- Knees worn out from years of physical work
- Back pain from cleaning work
- Injured in a work van
- Chemical splash in my eyes
- Chemical burn on my skin at work
- Needlestick injury
- Cut by broken glass at work
- Exposure to mold at work
- Skin rash from chemicals at work
- Breathing problems from dust or fumes at work
- Inhaled toxic fumes at work
- Injured as a temp or staffing-agency worker
Reporting it and the claim process
If you work for a cleaning company, report to that company, not only to the building staff. Ask who handles workers' comp. If you work in a private home, ask the person or agency who pays you how injuries are handled.
Deadlines to report and file vary by state, so check with your state's workers' compensation agency as soon as possible. For slow-building knee or back pain, write down when you first noticed it and what tasks make it worse.
Keep your injury report, work schedule, the list of buildings you clean and notes from each call. If you work at several sites, write down where you were when it happened.
Getting medical care
A needlestick or chemical exposure needs prompt medical care, so do not wait until your shift ends. For back, knee or shoulder pain, tell the clinician what your daily tasks look like.
Some states and employers have rules about which provider you see first. Ask your employer or the claims adjuster which clinic to use. A licensed clinician decides what care is appropriate after an evaluation.
Ask how work-injury prescriptions are handled. Many can be filled at a local pharmacy, and some can be delivered to your home, which can help if you work nights and sleep during the day.
Prescribed medication? Learn about prescription home delivery and medications often used after work injuries.
When people often talk to an attorney
- You work for a cleaning contractor and there is confusion about who covers the claim.
- Your claim for knee or back pain from years of cleaning is denied.
- You had a needlestick or chemical exposure and the claim is delayed.
- You were told not to report, or lost hours after reporting.
- Something at the building, like a broken step, was another company's responsibility.
- You are offered a settlement and want to understand it.
Recovery and going back to work
Follow the care plan and keep your appointments. If certain tasks, like kneeling or lifting trash, still cause pain, tell your clinician.
Ask whether lighter work is available, such as dusting, restocking supplies or working a smaller area. Get any offer in writing and share it with your doctor.
Stay in touch with your employer and the adjuster. Write down the date of each call and what was said.
Questions to ask
- Is my employer the cleaning company or the building?
- Who handles workers' comp, and what is my claim number?
- What clinic should I go to after a needlestick?
- Can I get the product information for the chemical that hurt me?
- Is lighter cleaning work available while I recover?
- Can my prescriptions be delivered to my home?
- Where can I check my state's reporting deadlines?
If you're hurt on the job
Emergency? Call 911- 1Call 911 for chemicals in the eyes, trouble breathing after mixing products, a head injury from a fall, heavy bleeding or anyone who passed out.
- 2For a chemical splash, rinse skin or eyes with clean water right away. Keep the product label to show the clinician.
- 3For a needlestick, wash the area with soap and water and get medical care the same day.
- 4Call or text your supervisor if they are not on site, then report the injury in writing. Keep a copy.
- 5Write down the building, the room, the product or object involved and the time.
- 6Take photos of the wet floor, the broken glass or the chemical label if it is safe.
General information only — not medical or legal advice.
Injuries common in cleaning & janitorial
Other industries
Frequently asked questions
What should cleaning and janitorial workers do after a slip on a wet floor?
Get medical care, especially if you hit your head, and report the fall in writing. Note where you fell and whether a wet floor sign was out. Take a photo if it is safe.
What do I do if I got stuck by a needle while emptying trash?
Wash the area with soap and water and get medical care the same day. Tell your supervisor and report it in writing. Ask the clinician about follow-up visits.
Is knee pain from years of cleaning a work injury?
It may be, depending on your state and the facts. Pain that builds over time from work tasks is often treated as a work injury. Report it and tell your doctor what you do every day.
What if I mixed cleaning products and had trouble breathing?
Get to fresh air and call 911 if breathing is hard. Bring the product labels if you can. Report it to your supervisor in writing.
I clean houses for an agency — am I covered?
It depends on how you are hired and your state's rules. Ask the agency how work injuries are handled. You can also check with your state's workers' compensation agency.
Can I get light duty as a janitor?
Some employers offer lighter tasks during recovery. Ask for the offer in writing and share it with your doctor so they can say whether it fits.
Prescriptions.plus is an educational portal. We are not a pharmacy, law firm, medical provider, insurer or claims administrator, and nothing here is medical or legal advice. Educational purposes only. Workers' compensation rules and deadlines vary by state — check with your state's workers' compensation agency. Medical emergency? Call 911. Hurt outside of work? Personal-injury legal help: attorneys.plus (coming soon).