Snow Removal Injury Prevention

For most people living in climates that bring snow each year, snow removal is an expected chore. But for some people the risk of a heart attack or back injury is a harsh reality. If you happen to not be in good physical condition, have or are at risk for heart disease or have a personal history of stroke then you are at a much higher risk for injury since snow removal can very dangerous if you are poor physical condition.

With the combination of colder temperatures and physical activity increasing the workload on the heart, you should avoid sudden exertion, like lifting a heavy shovel full of snow or even walking through heavy, wet snow or snow drifts, which can strain your heart.

The most common injuries associated with snow removal include sprains and strains, particularly in the back and shoulders, as well as lacerations and finger amputations.  So to help make snow removal safer, follow these tips for safer snow removal.

  • Consult a doctor: If you have a medical condition, don’t exercise on a regular basis or are middle aged or older, meet with your doctor before exercising in cold weather.
  • Dress appropriately: Light, layered, clothing provides both ventilation and insulation. It’s important to keep your head warm and wear mittens or gloves and thick, warm socks. Avoid falls by wearing shoes or boots with slip-resistant soles.
  • Start early: Try to clear snow early and often. Begin removing snow when it begins to cover the ground to avoid dealing with packed, heavy snow.
  • Pace Yourself: Snow removal is an aerobic activity. Take frequent breaks and prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or other signs of a heart attack, stop the activity and seek emergency care by calling 911.
  • Proper equipment: Use a shovel that is comfortable for your height and strength. Do not use a shovel that is too heavy or too long for you. Space your hands on the tool grip to increase your leverage. Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.
  • Proper lifting: Try to push the snow instead of lifting it. If you must lift, do it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent, and back straight. Lift with your legs. Avoid bending at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Never remove deep snow all at once. Do it in pieces.
  • Safe technique: Do not throw the snow over your shoulder or to the side. This requires a twisting motion that stresses your back.
  • Avoid eating a heavy meal prior to or soon after shoveling: Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.
  • Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia: Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head.

Even with all of these tips sometimes your best option for not putting yourself at risk for a health condition or injury, is hiring a professional to remove your snow for you. There are several companies that remove snow and most have very reasonable rates.

For a FREE consultation on our Snow Removal services that are available in your area, call CFM today at: 631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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Keep Clean at the Game

Fans of sports aren’t just fans; for most, the sports they love are a way of life. One of the greatest thrills for any sports fan is being able to go to a live event. The cheering, the energy of the crowd, the excitement, the food and drinks… all of it makes for a fantastic time that can’t be beat.

The only downfall to being at these types of events is that you run the risk of contracting a virus that can make you ill. From sniffling fans to filthy restroom faucets, large crowds in a stadium are a breeding ground for germs.

If you find yourself among hundreds or thousands in a stadium, an arena, or another big entertainment venue as the winter picks up to full force, you need to prepare yourself for more than just getting your hands on a cool ticket.

The most popular sport during the fall and winter months is football and at a football game people are so anonymous and numerous that it’s hard to track the people that may be sick; especially when another person may not be feeling the first effects yet after contracting the illness. So aside from not leaving the house and watching the game on TV, what can you do to protect yourself from crowd-sourced infections?

First, touching common objects in a stadium is touching objects that hundreds/thousands of people have also touched. So be sure to look for or even bring your own hand wipes or hand sanitizer. You may think washing your hands is good enough but when you turn off the faucet your hands are touching the same spot you did before washing your hands; it’s also the same spot everyone else touched before washing their hands as well. Also, after you’ve washed your hands in the bathroom, use a clean paper towel to push open the door to prevent touching the same germs you just washed off.

During the fall and winter it’s influenza season as well, which means the best prevention for that is to get a vaccine. Another thing to remember, not just during cold/flu season but year-round, is to try and not stand next to people who are obviously ill. This is another good reason why it’s a good idea to carry a small container of hand sanitizer at all times and especially at the game.

Another thing to remember: stop touching your face. Picking up germs all day, every day, wouldn’t be such a big deal if you didn’t also touch your face so often; it’s the easiest way germs get inside your body. Studies show that most Americans puts their hands on their face including in their mouth, eyes and nose on an average of every 20 seconds which is a lot more frequently than people realize.

So the trick is to take what are reasonable and practical steps to stay well. Also, if you notice anything that is absolutely unacceptably dirty in or around the stadium, be sure to let a stadium worker know so that it can be cleaned immediately. It is the duty of stadium management to make sure the entire stadium is kept exceptionally clean so that they do their part in keeping the fans healthy – so you can enjoy your time at the game and do what you came to do in the first place… root for your team to WIN!

For more information on stadium maintenance and cleaning, call CFM today for a FREE consultation!

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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The Workplace Invader

Office workers are becoming hip to the fact that their work spaces are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria, but depending on what city you live in and what kind of office you work in, the level of contamination can vary widely. Several studies have been done over the past five years that looked at office environments and here are a few main points of what was found…

The region you live in makes a difference. The studies found that the most germ-infested desks were in New York City. It turns out that bigger cities with larger, closer, multistory office buildings and colder climates kept people at their desks for lunch and breaks, which meant more chances for people to spread germs. However in areas with lower densities and warmer climates, there was more opportunity for workers to leave their offices during the day orchestrating less chance for bacteria at their work stations. Cities like Tucson, San Francisco and Orlando fared much better in this area.

Gender makes a difference. Several studies showed that men are more likely to have personal digital assistants, like BlackBerrys, that are highly contaminated. However women and their makeup kits were just as bad for being breeding grounds of bacteria.

Shared workspaces, like media newsrooms with staffs on different shifts, are also likely to be much more bacteria-laden than other offices.  These studies also surprisingly showed that knobs and light switches were not as dirty as people assume but that one of the dirtiest spots in office buildings was a fairly unrealized place – the elevator’s first floor button.

So, to cut back on bacteria in the work place office workers should focus on three areas to keep clean: their desktops, phones and computers. Besides washing their hands frequently, workers should invest in disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers as well. Shaking the crumbs out of a keyboard or employing a canister of compressed air to get rid of dust may help extend the life of office equipment, but to really clean people need to use products that kill germs. Taking a dry paper towel to your desk is not only ineffective, but it may also make things worse because it moves germs all around instead of disinfecting.

For more information about which cleaning practices are best for your business, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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Beautiful, Glossy, Slippery Floors

Most offices, retail stores and hospitals have tile or terrazzo floors. These types of floors are gorgeous, easy to keep clean and give a sense of durability and strength to any enterprise. Some businesses even have elegant wood floors that are especially beautiful; however these wood floors are usually more expensive and tend to be reserved for upscale offices wanting to make an impression about the quality of their products or services being rendered.

Whatever indoor environment it may be, a shiny, glossy floor appearance is desired by most; people tend to have an aesthetically satisfying impression that comes from walking on a floor that gleams with that sought after mirror finish.  The downside to these especially glossy floors is that there is a very real danger; a slip and fall – which can all too easily result in a client, patient or even a loved one being seriously injured or even worse, a lawsuit. However, with the special floor cleaning techniques that are used by CFM, we can provide our clients that “see your face in it” glossy finish without the risk of floors becoming especially slippery.

CFM keeps safety in mind with every detail of every job we do. We take pride in keeping your floors in that “mirror finish” state while reducing the potential for accidents. The cleaning materials we use at CFM contain the highest grade organic ingredients which produce a non-slip, non-skid surface yet yield the bright look people love.  We are aware of the desire people have for an environment that is safe and appealing to everyone who comes through the doors of a business, while maintaining a look for those floors that is picturesque yet safe. We believe beauty and safety can live together in harmony; especially on floors.

Call CFM today for a FREE consultation about our non-slip, non-skid floor surfacing, and cleaning practices that are best for your business.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted. Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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How to Make Your Wood Flooring Last

Wood flooring is becoming increasingly more popular in businesses like retail stores, hotels and restaurants. Wood traditionally has a reputation for being easier to damage than another flooring type like tile or linoleum but maintaining the interior of your business, even with wood flooring, doesn’t have to be hard.

It starts with some key preventative maintenance strategies.

First, avoid placing rubber matting directly in contact with wooden surfaces. While you can and should place rubber matting outside entrances, a rug with gripping material other than rubber should be used on interior wooden flooring.

Wood floors should be cleaned regularly with a dust mop or vacuum. If vacuuming, a backpack setup should be used with an attachment that won’t scratch flooring.

Avoid using wet solutions as much as possible and clean up any spills immediately. Check with the manufacturer of your flooring for advice on which chemicals and waxes should be used and which should be avoided.

Protector pads under furniture can also extend the life of your wood flooring.

For more information about how to protect your wood flooring, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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Wet/Dry Vacs Clean More Than You Think

With flooding from snow-melt and heavy spring rains, plus hurricane season, it’s important you have access to a wet/dry vac. And seasonal weather isn’t the only reason to keep one handy. Any place with running water should have a wet/dry vac available. Sinks, toilets and all of the plumbing that go with them may present issues that need a heavy-duty piece of equipment to handle the mess.

And when weather or plumbing aren’t causing trouble, there are many uses for wet/dry vacs beyond emergencies.

Wet/dry vacs not only pick up water and heavy debris, they can also be used for window blinds and hard-to-reach corners and heights.

Certain models can be switched to a blower mode, which allows them to blow debris and leaves from sidewalks, parking lots and driveways. Wet/dry vacs can also be used to maintain mats and floors in high-traffic areas like entryways for additional safety.

Wet/dry vacs are also a great choice for restroom cleaning. Mops often just move dirt and debris around the floor while wet/dry vacs use suction to get a deeper clean, especially in between tiles.

Commercial wet/dry vacs are more durable, effective and often quieter. Though they run $500 to $1,000 compared to a $100 household model, the investment often means the difference between frequent replacements and a truly clean business.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of the wet/dry vac itself also go a long way in getting the most out of your investment.

For more information about which wet/dry vac and cleaning practices are best for your business, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

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Sinks Responsible for Hospital Infection

An investigation into the cause of a bacterial outbreak in a Toronto hospital found that new hand washing sinks installed within the intensive care unit and some patient rooms harbored a lingering drug-resistant bacteria that colonized or infected 66 patients. This occurred between the fall of 2006 to the spring of 2011.

Klebsiella oxytoca was the bacterium involved in the outbreak. It is normally harbored within the human gut and usually causes urinary tract infections but can also cause bacteremia, infection in the blood.

While Klebsielle oxytoca is not uncommon, infection control staff found that they had three or four cases all involving a similar strain. Suspecting in-hospital transmission, they decided to track the bacteria to its source.

Generally, bacteria spread from patient to patient. Infection staff often seek to indentify a patient who has been colonized by a bacteria but not made sick by it.

Addressing these cases, however, did not stop the bug in this case from spreading.

When patients within the ICU became infected even though they had not been exposed to a human source, infection control staff realized they were dealing with a non-human source.

They found that, due to the design of the sinks, droplets containing bacteria were often splashed outside the basin.

In addition to locating the source of the bacteria, having staff clean their hands with alcohol instead of soap and water was considered to be more effective.

For more information on how cleaning practices can impact the spread of disease, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you

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Role That Airports Play in the Spread of Disease

A recent study from MIT examines the role that airports play in the spread of disease, as long-range human mobility and travel is a key factor in transmission and human health.

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Study Shows Increase in MRSA Cases

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) cases are on the rise in hospitals, according to a study published in the August issue of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Results show that in 2003, an average of 21 of every 1,000 hospital patients was infected with MRSA. That number grew to 42 of 1,000 in 2008.

According to study researcher, Dr. Michael David, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, this indicates that MRSA infections are common and many were serious enough to require hospitalization, the number of which increasing from 2003 to 2008.

The data for the study was gathered from 160 academic medical centers and 260 of their affiliated hospitals, according to Fox News.

Patients of hospitals can take steps to lower their risk of MRSA infection. Simply washing their hands and reminding visitors and health care workers to do the same when entering their room is one effective step, as MRSA is believed to be carried on the hands of health care workers.

Other studies indicate that MRSA infections are actually on the decline. One, however, was conducted using information on 9 million military personnel versus general population patients. Another study from 2010 included only invasive cases of MRSA, where the infection had spread to the blood.

The new study indicating the increase also included infections of the skin, which compose the majority of MRSA infections, according to David.

It is still unknown whether the new study

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High-Gloss Finishes and their Challenges

For many companies, the shiny, high-gloss floor is a branding trademark. Retail stores, medical facilities and grocery stores often seek a high-gloss shine for that brand-new, clean feeling.

But maintaining that

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