4.3. Physical working conditions
Physical hazards encountered in cleaning work encompass among others falls from ladders and
elevated platforms, wet or slippery floors, falling objects, sharp objects, moving or rotating machinery
parts, no only from the work equipment used but also from the environment where the cleaning work is
performed. The hazards linked to the work equipment, such as buffers, mops or vacuums, are strongly
related to the particular tool used and also to whether it is adapted to the characteristics and specific needs of the worker in terms of anthropometry, physical strength, etc., or else musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) could be the consequence. Other physical risk factors are linked to the design of
premises being cleaned, the weight and design of furniture that cleaners have to handle, etc.