Housekeeping Aid - Environmental Services Technician

About the role

This position is located within the Environmental Management Services of the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System. This position performs both janitorial and custodial services (e.g., textile distribution and inventory activity, sanitizing and disinfecting, waste removal, cleaning of blinds, washing windows, polishing floors, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Executes a full range of housekeeping activities in patient and non-patient care areas.
• Performs floor maintenance, wall washing. Cleans doors, doorframes, baseboard corners and edges, and stairwells.
• Periodically utilizes pressure washers and heavy industrial powered and battery operated equipment.
• Adjusts, cleans, and performs minor maintenance on this equipment and changes attachments for their proper use in achieving the best results.
• Empties trash and wastebaskets, replaces liners. Transports general refuse, regulated medical waste and recycling to central collection areas.
• Cleans rest rooms, bathrooms, and shower rooms, ensuring that they are cleaned and meet acceptable standards (cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes lavatories, showers, bathtubs, urinals, and toilet bowls; cleans mirrors, sinks, and water fountains; washes and polishes light and toilet fixtures).
• Replenishes supplies of paper towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizers, and soap in all areas where dispensers are located. Moves and arranges furniture, patient wardrobes, beds, etc. in the assigned area to accomplish cleaning tasks.
• Provides bed-making services in patient care areas and OD rooms; cleans mattresses, springs, and bed frames; and cleans bedside stands, over bed lights, blood pressure cuffs, bed tables, etc. in patient rooms; Removes bags of soiled textiles from patient rooms and transports to the designated soiled room in each ward area; Loads and unloads clean textiles from bulk carts.
• Restocks clean textile closets, cabinets, shelves, carts, and participates in inventory management activities.
• Defrosts and cleans patient care refrigerators and ice machines in nourishment kitchen areas; cleans stainless steel on storage instrument cabinets and counters, elevators in lobbies, wards, diet-kitchens and nurse utility rooms; and cleans ashtrays, smoke stands, sand urns in designated smoke areas and water fountains.
• Provides interim cleaning of windows and window ledges from the inside, cleans glass door and other glass surfaces; and replaces curtains and cleans blinds.
• Cleans and/or replaces needle boxes.
• Periodically cleans specific non-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in inpatient and clinical areas of the medical center.
• May work with and provide guidance to a Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) worker.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• The position demands continuous walking, standing, stooping, kneeling, pulling, and pushing. The work requires the occasional use of heavy powered cleaning equipment (e.g., wall washers, industrial type buffers) weighing over 50 pounds. The duties necessitate considerable dexterity, hand, foot, and eye coordination, and concentration as well as visual acuity to see dirt, dust, and debris.
• Work is normally performed indoors with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Some work may be performed outdoors where there may be exposed to varying degrees of heat and cold as well as inclement weather. PPE may be required in some circumstance as exposure to possible contagious diseases, blood, and bloody secretion are inherent to this position. Care is required to avoid serious injuries (i.e. broken bones) when working on ladders, or when using 30-100 pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials.