Standardized Cleaning Chemicals

Policy

All persons covered by this policy are prohibited from using Tacoma Community College purchasing cards, or purchase orders, to buy, or otherwise bring, any cleaning product for use on Tacoma Community College campuses.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance and information in two areas:

1. To undergo a process of informed substitution, replacing cleaning products used in any common spaces on Tacoma Community College campuses, with Green Seal cleaning products, which are currently being used by the Custodial Department.
2. To promote OSHA's "Right to Know" guideline, by giving ready access to Safety Data Sheets, both as on-site hard copies, and as a "Quick Link" on the Tacoma Community College ctcLink portal.

The provisions of this policy are not intended to supersede any rights provided for, or provide any rights not otherwise provided for, by law.

To Whom Does This Policy Apply

This policy applies to all employees and volunteers of Tacoma Community College.

References

1. Green Seal Standard for Cleaning Products for Industrial and Institutional Use, GS-37. https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/GREENSEAL/STDS/GS-37.pdf
2. OSHA Hazard Communication Standard "Right to Know" (29 CFR 1910.1200). https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3021.pdf
3. EPA Safer Choice. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice

Definitions

Green Seal: Green Seal is a non-profit environmental standard development and certification organization. Its flagship program is the certification of products, services, restaurants, and hotels. Certification is based on Green Seal standards, which contain performance, health, and sustainability criteria.

The Right-to-Know: Refers to workers' rights to information about chemicals in their workplaces. The federal law that provides these rights is the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). Private-sector employers must provide chemical information to their workers under the OSHA standard.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS): Mandated by OSHA. A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection.

Procedure

The Facilities Department will support the effort to remove non-standard cleaning products and replace them with Green Seal approved cleaning products. The Custodial Department will provide labelled, quart-sized spray-bottles to any department, upon request. Examples of the cleaning products that the custodial department can provide are as follows:

• Glance NA, which is an ammonia free window-cleaning product.
• Stride general-purpose cleaner, which will replace products such as Simple Green or 409.
• Oxivir disinfectant, during flu season.
• Alpha HP-multi surface cleaner, and
• Gojo fragrance-free hand-soap, mounted inside wall-dispensers.

Individual departments may purchase Purell Alcohol Formula wipes as a replacement for products such as a Clorox type sanitizer wipes; Purell hand sanitizer pumps may also be purchased. Green Seal does not have a recommended dish soap, but the EPA's Safer Choice program does have several options.

Products provided to you by the custodial department will be for general cleaning and disinfecting purposes only. Cleaning not considered general in any way needs to be directed immediately to the custodial department. Custodial staff are both trained and equipped with personal protective equipment to handle all specialized cleaning. (e.g. vomit, blood, carpet stains, etc.)

To implement this process, email the Custodial Manager. Thereafter, simply put your empty, or almost empty, spray-bottles in a conspicuous place, and the custodian assigned to your building will refill the bottles.

EXCLUSIONS
Departments: Maintenance, Grounds, Custodial, and the Early Learning Center.
Chemicals: Purell Alcohol Formula wipes and Purell Hand Sanitizer pump bottles. EPA Safer Choice dish soap and hand soap.
Academic: Curriculum-specific chemicals. Examples include Biology, Allied Health and Nursing.