Colour, colour what colour…

Experienced hands can also make mistakes once in a while. Especially, when multiple tasks have to be handled at the same time. The error could be as simple as using a wrong chemical or different coloured mop! Clean India Journal spoke to V Sadasivam, a housekeeping staff with Faber Sindoori Management Services Pvt Ltd, who shared some of the lighter moments while on duty at Apollo Hospital, Chennai.

In my five years with Faber Sindoori, I committed a grave mistake about six months back while working on the evening shift in the ward. As usual, after our regular briefing, I headed straight to the supervisor’s room and picked up the yellow coloured mop, which is meant for cleaning the washroom area. No sooner had I completed the cleaning job than I was rushed to get some photocopying work done. After I got back to work, I continued cleaning the floor without replacing the yellow mop with a blue one which is meant for cleaning the flooring.

“A relative of a patient noticed the foul smell but I didn’t realise the error. I continued to mop the floor saying that the strong smell could be from the cleaning agent.

“The next day when I reported to work, the supervisor of the floor informed about the complaint from one of the wards. It was during our conversation that I realised the major goof-up I’d done last evening. I apologised to my supervisor and also to the patient’s relative.

“On another occasion, after the morning briefing, I went for the regular round of changing soiled linen from every room. In one of the rooms, the patient had gone out for an ultra-sound test and his clothes were lying on the bed. I didn’t notice this and picked up the clothes along with the soiled linen and sent them to laundry. The patient complained to the housekeeping manager about the missing clothes. The manager checked with the floor supervisor who immediately called me on site. With further investigation at the laundry area, the clothes were identified. Luckily for me, the patient did not lose his cool.

Normally, one is not given a second chance. But, I was fortunate. I have learnt to be very careful on my job now.

Just experience is not enough. Each day is challenging for the cleaning staff.