Housekeeping Aid

Summary

This position is under the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Environmental Management Service (EMS). The Housekeeping Aid reports to the Housekeeping Aid Supervisor and is essential to the patient care experience at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As a Housekeeping Aid, you will perform a full range of light and heavy cleaning duties and routine housekeeping duties.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Typically, the incumbent works independently with general supervision, or works with a team and is responsible for the full-range of cleaning duties in an assigned area throughout the medical facility.
• This position performs typically both janitorial and custodial services (e.g., textile distribution and inventory activity, sanitizing and disinfecting, waste removal, cleaning of blinds, replacing curtains, washing windows and walls, dusting and polishing furniture and fixtures, discharge cleaning, sweeping, scrubbing and extracting, polishing floors and applying floor finishes) in all areas of the medical center excluding critical care areas.
• Work is regularly performed by hand and with light-powered cleaning equipment (e.g., buffers, spray- washers, and vacuum cleaners).
• The Housekeeping Aid executes a full range of housekeeping activities in patient and non-patient care areas.
• The incumbent may be assigned to any tour and may be required to work in various designated areas during any one tour of duty.
• These duties include, but are not limited to the following:
• Performs floor maintenance, wall washing. Cleans doors, doorframes, baseboard corners and edges, and stairwells.
• Tasks are accomplished by sweeping, dust mopping, damp and wet mopping, scrubbing, stripping, refinishing, buffing, vacuuming and extracting carpets and runners, spot cleaning areas, and high and low dusting.
• 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;
• 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 nurses' utility rooms;
• 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;
• Replaces curtains and cleans blinds;
• Cleans needle boxes. On occasion, may be required to replace needle boxes; and
• Periodically cleans specific non-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in inpatient and clinical areas of the medical center.
• Additionally, the incumbent may work with Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) worker for training purposes, and perform other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Varying, includes nights, weekends and holidays.
Position Description Title/PD#: Housekeeping Aid/PD02779A

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to do continuous walking, standing, stooping, kneeling, pulling, and pushing: Occasionally uses heavy powered cleaning equipment (e.g., wall washers, industrial type equipment) weighing over 50 pounds. The duties require considerable dexterity, hand, foot, and eye coordination, and concentration. Visual acuity must be sufficient for the incumbent to see dirt, dust and debris.

Work is normally performed indoors with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Some work may be performed outdoors where incumbent is exposed to varying degrees of heat and cold as well as inclement weather. Some 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

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