Department: Environmental Services. This position performs work throughout the medical center, including both patient and non-patient areas. The primary work location for this role will be in the Surgical Services Department.
Hours: Fulltime 1.0 FTE, Day Shift, Schedule includes weekend and holiday rotation
Description:
Position Overview: The Environmental Services Technician is responsible for maintaining a clean, sanitary, and safe work environment at Floyd County Medical Center in accordance with infection prevention standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and medical center policies and procedures.
Responsible for maintaining the cleanliness, sanitation, and orderly condition of Medical Center buildings and grounds. Assigned work areas include patient and non-patient areas including but not limited to patient rooms, clinical areas, surgery suites, offices, nurses’ stations, lounges, hallways, bathrooms, kitchen areas, elevators, and lobby areas.
This position may participate in a scheduled departmental rotation that includes Surgical Services, Emergency Department, Birth Center, and other high-acuity or procedural care areas, as assigned.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Performs cleaning of assigned areas which includes, but not limited to, furnishing and fixtures, carpets and rugs, stairways and elevators, entrances, vents and ceilings, windows and window treatments, doors, and doorframes.
- Sanitizes and disinfects assigned work areas following Infection Prevention Standards, including patient rooms and bathrooms, isolation units, all clinical areas, public restrooms, dietary areas, and others as assigned.
- Cleans and disinfects high-acuity patient care and procedural areas, including but not limited to Surgical Services, Emergency Department, and Birth Center, following approved infection prevention protocols and department-specific procedures.
- Supports Surgical Services environmental cleaning operations as trained and competent, following infection prevention protocols, including between-case, end-of-day, and terminal cleaning of operating rooms and associated support areas, as assigned.
- Maintains floors as assigned to include cleaning floors, wet and dry mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming. May include stripping, scrubbing, waxing, burnishing, buffing, steam-cleaning, shampooing, etc. as directed.
- Performs emergency housekeeping when accidents or spills occur, including the cleanup and disinfection of blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), in accordance with OSHA bloodborne pathogens standards, hazardous materials guidelines, infection prevention protocols, and medical center policies and procedures.
- Safely handles, transports, and disposes of regulated medical waste, including sharps containers, contaminated materials, used personal protective equipment (PPE), and items exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials, in compliance with OSHA standards and medical center policy.
- Keeps housekeeping storage rooms and carts clean and orderly.
- Collects and disposes of all trash in an appropriate manner including pickup, boxing, shredding, and maintaining general cleanliness of trash receptacles, both interior and exterior in accordance with medical center policy and procedures.
- Services, cleans, and supplies restrooms.
- Reports any structural, equipment wear, defects, and malfunctions to Environmental Services Manager and/or Facilities Director.
- Monitors building security and safety by performing such tasks as locking doors after operating hours and checking electrical appliance use to ensure that hazards are not created.
- Moves heavy furniture, equipment, and supplies, either manually or by using hand trucks as requested.
- Assists with removal of snow from sidewalks, driveways, and parking areas using snow shovels or snow blowers as needed. Spread snow melting chemicals as needed.
- Sets up, arranges, and removes decorations, tables, chairs, ladders, and scaffolding to prepare facilities for events such as banquets, meetings, and maintenance work as directed.
- Provides helicopter ground safety per policy.
- Provides courier service as needed to transport lab samples to other medical facilities.
- Provides mail drop off at USPS Post Office as requested.
- Assists in inventory and ordering of supplies and equipment.
- Assists in maintenance of safe, clean work environment.
- Assists with the general operation of the Environmental Services Department.
- Assumes other duties and responsibilities that are related and appropriate to the position and area. The above responsibilities are a general description of the level and nature of the work assigned to this classification and are not to be considered as all-inclusive.
Minimum Education and/or Experience Required:
- High School diploma or equivalent required.
- Previous housekeeping or janitorial experience preferred.
Additional Qualifications:
- Must be able to read, speak, and write fluent English.
- Basic math skills: ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
- Integrity and ability to work independently. Initiative to take on tasks without being told.
- Must possess strong attention to detail and meticulous care on the job.
- Adaptive to change, embraces change with optimism.
- Ability to prioritize assignments and manage time efficiently.
- Strong organization skills.
- Ability to operate technologies and equipment associated with this position.
- Must understand and demonstrate donning the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling chemicals used in the daily cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms.
- Must understand and demonstrate the proper handling of sharps.
- Ability to work outside of regularly scheduled hours if needed.
- Mandatory Reporter.
Licensure/Certification Required:
- Current driver’s license. Good driving record, free of at-fault accidents, operating while intoxicated (OWI) convictions, multiple speeding violations, or other serious traffic infractions.
Physical/Cognitive Requirements:
- Sit: Occasionally
- Stand: Constant
- Walk: Constant
- Lift:
- 10 pounds: Frequent
- 25 pounds: Frequent
- 50 pounds*: Occasionally
- 75 pounds*: Occasionally
- Greater than 100 pounds*: Occasionally
- Carry:
- 10 pounds: Frequent
- 25 pounds: Frequent
- 50 pounds*: Occasionally
- 75 pounds*: Occasionally
- Greater than 100 pounds*: Occasionally
- Push/Pull:
- 10 pounds: Frequent
- 25 pounds: Frequent
- 50 pounds*: Occasionally
- 75 pounds*: Occasionally
- Greater than 100 pounds*: Occasionally
- Squat/Kneel/Crouch: Constant
- Climb: Occasionally
- Balance: Occasionally
- Twist: Frequent
- Bend/Stoop: Constant
- Crawl: Frequent
- Grasp/Grip: Constant
- Talk: Frequent
- Hear: Frequent
- See: Constant
- Anything greater than 50 pounds- assist of two or more, or mechanical lift are required.
- Repetitive bending, stooping, and lifting may be required as part of daily duties.
- Requires situational awareness to identify potential hazards, maintain safety of self, patients, and staff, and respond appropriately to dynamic environmental conditions.
Environmental Factors:
- Work is performed in a health care environment with potential exposure to communicable diseases
- May be required to handle or dispose of biohazardous waste, including sharps containers, used PPE, and contaminated linens.
- Typically works in a well-illuminated climate-controlled environment, but occasional outside tasks (e.g. entrance cleaning, snow removal, trash disposal) may be necessary.
- Frequent exposure to cleaning chemicals and disinfectants; must adhere to safety protocols and use of PPE (gloves, masks, goggles, etc.).
- May be required to work in patient care areas, including emergency rooms, operating rooms, and isolation units, with varying levels of infection control requirements.
- May be exposed to unpleasant odors and sights associated with medical environments (e.g., bodily fluids, soiled linens).
- Noise levels vary; may range from quiet to moderate, depending on equipment (vacuums, floor scrubbers) and hospital activity levels.
- Regular exposure to blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) due to cleaning responsibilities in patient care, surgical, emergency, and procedural areas, including handling, transport, and disposal of biohazardous and regulated medical waste using approved safety procedures and PPE.
- Must be able to navigate slippery or wet floors and use caution in areas with fall risks or ongoing patient activity.
Organizational Relationships:
Reports to: Environmental Services Manager
Employees supervised: None
