142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Effects of Training on Custodians' Satisfaction and Acceptance of Environmentally Preferable Products

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Sara Wakai, PhD , Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Jennifer Garza, ScD , Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
Jennifer Cavallari, ScD, CIH , Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Nancy J. Simcox, MS , Division of Public Health & Population Sciences, Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Paula Schenck, MPH , Center for Indoor Environments and Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Tim Morse, PhD, CPE , ErgoCenter and Occupational and Environmental Health Center, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT
Loyola Welsh, JD , Connecticut Employees Union Independent, Middletown, CT
Martin Cherniack, MD, MPH , Department Of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT
Background: As workplaces introduce new technologies and tools to meet the demands of a “green” economy, effective training to assist workers with the transition is critical.  Experts assert that access to “green” or environmentally preferable products (EPPs) is not enough to establish an effective health and safety program. Appropriate training on how to use EPPs to maximize their effectiveness and minimize the burden on workers is of critical importance.  This study was designed to characterize training and to investigate the relationship between training and satisfaction with cleaning products and practices.

Methods: 400 custodians completed the Green Cleaning and Health survey which included questions on demographics, workplace characteristics, custodial training and, beliefs, knowledge, experience and satisfaction with green and traditional cleaning products.  Factor analysis was performed to create training and satisfaction scales.  Linear regression models were used to investigate the effect of workplace and demographic variables on level of training received and satisfaction with green and traditional cleaning chemicals.

Results: Participants who reported Spanish as their primary language and worked first or third shift reported statistically significant (p=0.001) higher rates of receiving general custodial training. General custodial training was not associated with custodians’ satisfaction with green cleaners. Results will be compared to a population who received a Green Cleaning Training curriculum created to increase acceptance of green cleaners.   

Conclusions: Our results indicate that there are vulnerable populations that experience low training and satisfaction that must be targeted in order to increase the use and acceptance of green cleaning programs.   

Learning Areas:

Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Identify procedures to investigate the relationship of training on beliefs, knowledge and satisfaction with green cleaning products to increase the proper use and acceptance.

Keyword(s): Occupational Health and Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been involved as a co-investigator in the project to be presented for the past year, and am currently the principal investigator on a similar study investigating health and the use of personal protective equipment among custodians. I am interested in and have been trained in the methods to study the relationship between environmental exposures such as environmentally preferable products and health outcomes.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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