So I have a UTI at the moment. This is a Urinary Tract Infection. It has been caused by my catheter, which goes through the base of my belly. (Much better than up the other way) Trying to get a Doctors appointment is impossible these days. I struggled at work and I managed to get a couple of jobs done, including a stock inventory of my cleaning supplies and cleaning the toilets. However, by 12m the pain was really bad and I really felt unwell, so I had to cave in and tell Lucy that I am not well enough to continue and had to go home sick.
I went up to Urgent Care at the Hospital to get seen and had my urine dipped. No surprise, it is full of bugs, so guess what? I am back on Antibiotics. 🙁
Hopefully tomorrow, I might feel a bit better and in less pain. I hope so, because I love my job and hate being off sick. Keep your fingers crossed. 🙂
I am a bit of a celeb with the local Managers at the BHF. As mentioned in my previous post, Bethan was going to send a picture of what I have been doing to the Area Manager. Our Area Manager has taken it one step further and sent it to all the Shop Managers in the area, who are really impressed with what I have been doing. 🙂 My organising projects have made me a bit of a local celeb in the world of BHF, because I work hard to make sure everyone remains safe and that our store looks it’s best.
It is no fault of anyone, but when I came to the local shop, it was in a state. (Especially the toilet, that had walls covered in cobwebs) and the lino on the shop floor was very neglected. If you have come into our shop, you will see that I am often down on the shop floor and I am constantly sweeping, spray mopping and dusting.
It’s nice to know I am appreciated 🙂
I also finally got my QR Code, which now means I can login to the EPOS System on the Shop Floor. (I don’t have to get anyone to login for me now and I can actually serve customers, under my own login!)
So I have been continuing my project to sort out the cleaning equipment. In my last post, I did say that I was going to tackle the corner where the cardboard was. The cardboard box was full of signage we are not using at the moment, so I got Ahmed to help me and put it on top of the lockers. I then swept the area and put my Tub Vac there. There were a few other bits and bobs which needed a new home, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.
Once I had swept out the area, I was able to put my tub vac in it’s place. I also emptied a couple more of the caddied and bought those up, so now I have a place for my spare mop heads. Of course this means now that my mop heads can be kept clean and are not just lying about. Bethan is so impressed, that she is sending a picture of what I have done to the Area Manager: Kath, who will be really impressed when she comes in November.
I also, as mentioned in my last post…. Got rid of the broken pole for the Tub Vac. It is now feeling very sorry for itself, feeling cold and lonely in the bin shed. I also found a old Socket Mop, which has a removable head. I grabbed that and I removed the head. I have put the head in a carrier bag and the mop head will get washed tonight and returned tomorrow.
Code Purple, Collapsing Displays, BIFFA Blues and Windyblows Playing Up
I ended up doing my nut TWICE.
BIFFA are in my Bad Books!
The 1st time was with BIFFA, who decided to plonk our empty bins in front of the Fire Exit, meaning that we could not open it. I had to walk round the outside and go and move them. (While up in the stock room and deffo where customers could not hear me!) I had a few choice words for the Bin Men. There is a clear sign, which says FIRE EXIT – KEEP CLEAR. Yet BIFFA still decided to obstruct our Fire Exit. We would have great fun evacuating, If we had of had a fire at the front of our shop, because of the blocked fire exit.
(Actually, I would of yanked the arm of one of the mannequins and used that to break the window, if I had to and I am sure my Kath would ask MSL to charge BIFFA for the window. Thankfully we could sort it quite quickly, but it still shouldn’t of happens in the 1st place.
Code Purple… Code Purple…
Code Purple is our radio call sign, where cleaning is required. So if someone spilt a drink on the floor, (which happened the other day) You would radio: “Aaron to Shop Floor – Code Purple”. I would then know I am needed for cleaning duties on the shop floor.
Then someone left the toilet a mess, even though there is a sign that clearly states that the toilet should be left clean. I was not happy. I know who did it, but I can’t really say much about it, which is frustrating.
When Window Displays collapse.
Then Maria called over the radio, as a window display had collapsed and ended up with myself and Lucy attending, using a mallet to fix i! This was because the arms of the shelf had been bent, so it required a good wallop with a mallet to bed the lugs into shape. Thankfully no customers were hurt, when the display collapsed.
The Computer Says Noooooo! (Cough!)
When I got home, Windows decided to play up all through my show, so I was unable to use the cart player. Also the Internet was painfully slow. The machine was egging for a reboot, but I was not having it! I managed though, as I was able to just ad-lib and rebooted after the show. The Computer seems to be better now, as I have also installed Advanced System Care, which helps to keep my system on a even keel!
Diva Moment… “It’s All A Load Of Hocus Pocus!”
Diva Moment – Me in Heels!
So I am dressing up for Halloween at work. I am going as Whinny from the Film Hocus Pocus. She is the head witch in the film. I have ordered a costume, which comes with a green dress and wig. Thanks to the magic of Charity Shops… I managed to find a pair of shoes that go with my costume. These pair of bright red heels, will go with my costume and make me look the part.
I shall be serving customers as Whinny and will really get into character. “Would thou like a carrier bag?” I might even burst into song and start singing I’ll put a spell on you!
Whinny Sanderson Portrayed by Bette Midler
This is who I will be on Halloween. Whinny is played very convincingly by Bette Midler and is the older and the most evil of the 3 Sanderson Sister. Bette’s portrail of Whinny, was brilliant and that is why I chose to be her, this Halloween. – In the words of Kara – “Diva!”
I might just have to jump on my mop and fly around the shop too! (I can’t fly on the Henry can I!?)
If you have no idea what I am on about, go onto Disney Plus and watch Hocus Pocus. It is a really funny Halloween film. Especially the Kiln Scene. “Hello, I want my book…. Bonjour…. Je veux mon livre!” 😂😂
It has been another busy day down the shop. Myself, Ella and Pat, were the only ones in. So, it was a battle to keep the ship afloat! It didn’t help that all the clothes were in the wrong order, so we spent ages sorting the clothing out. I managed to get the stock room hoovered, spray mopped the shop floor and the hourly toilet checks! Hooray!!!!! (With so many volunteers in and out, our poor toilets get a right bashing, thus the hourly checks.)
I’ve been having yet another sort out!
New new and improved cleaning supplies caddies
One of the jobs that really needed doing, was the reorganising of the cleaning equipment I have caddies under the counter in the kitchen, which wasn’t really the best place for it. Most of the equipment is kept in the Wash Room, so I thought that this would be the best place to keep everything. (The cleaning chemicals have their own dedicated cupboard BTW, which is very neat and tidy)
To enable this, I needed to move stuff out the caddies downstairs. These were full of all sorts and need properly sorting out. However, this is a job for another day…. I emptied what was in the caddies and put the contents into stack and store boxes, which got put into the “Junk Room”. Don’t even get me started on the junk room… That is a right “dumping ground”, for all sorts of stuff and you can’t hardly get in there. There is just about room, to get inside the door! This is another project and something I need to tackle. However, I have no idea what we are going to do with all the stuff piled in there. I think I will have to speak to Bethan on Tuesday and try and work out with her, what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. I think some of the stuff came from the old BHF Furniture and Electrical Store, which was just a few doors up and had to close, after the Nail Bar next door burnt down (on Boxing Day 2022) and caused severe damage to the BHF Store.
It may require us to get a man and a van to shift it, when we have a mega sort out. However, that’s going to be expensive, so I don’t know how we are going to sort it. It could be classed as a fire hazard, so I will highlight it to Bethan and see what she suggests. I am sure if we put our heads together, we can find a way to get it sorted. If we can sort it, the other caddies and the downstairs tub vac, could be put in there.
Back to the sort out…
I was able to get sorted, once I had freed a couple of caddies. These came up to the washroom. The Toilet Rolls, Blue Paper Towels and the Hoover Bags, used to live in it’s own plastic box by the sink. However, with the sink right by it, the loo rolls used to get rather soggy. Now the blue rolls, cloths, toilet rolls and hoover bags, all have their own caddy, which keeps everything so much more orderly. It means we can quickly access something, if we need it, without having to take everything out the box. Plus, the loo rolls and the blue paper rolls, cannot get wet any more. 🙂
Lucy will be impressed with what I have done, when she comes in tomorrow morning.
As a continuation of this project: I want to get some clips put on the wall, which will hold the mop and vel mops against the wall. I also want to get in the corner, where the cardboard is. This has various bits used in the shop and can be moved to on top of the lockers, with the other signage. I will have to lift of everything that’s on top first, to be able to do this, but it’s doable. I will be able put my tub vac there, once the corner is cleared. I also need to seal the fate on our broken hoover pole and send it to one of the massive BIFFA Bins. If there’s space, I may also put the ladder at the side of the lockers too. However, the Tub Vac needs to also fit in there, so that may not be possible. A Plan B for this,is to lean the ladder against the wall outside the toilet. This is where the mop and bucket used to live. (But it now lives behind where the tub vac currently is)
Once this was done, I was able to scrub the floor, where the old caddies were and put the bins back under the kitchen counter. It looks much better and the floor is much cleaner too. While I was at it, I attempted to remove a stain from the carpet in the walkway, using the steamer. Whether it worked or not is another question – I will find out tomorrow.
The final job, was to drag the wheelie bins out. This meant donning a High Viz Jacket and dragging the bins from our shed, into the yard at the back. BIFFA come tomorrow to empty the bins, so I will wheel them back in in the morning.
The end of the day was fun. I left and forgot my phone and then Ella and I almost spent the night in the shop, as her key jammed in the lock and it wouldn’t turn! Only kidding about the all night thing… I could of gone out the fire exit at the back, should we not of been able to get the key out. I will give the lock a spray with WD40 tomorrow!
Fire Alarm and Emergency Lighting Tests must be done on a weekly basis, to make sure that systems are working correctly and that equipment operates. In this guide, we will look at testing both systems and what steps need to be carried out.
This is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT, (under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) in all Commercial Premises, Hospitals, Care Homes, Schools, Places of Worship, Offices and buildings open to the public. Also in Blocks of Flats, where there is a wired fire alarm system, Government Buildings and even Pubs and Clubs to name a few, are covered by this legislation.
Your company should have a dedicated form or a Fire Alarm Log Book, where these tests are recorded, It is important to record all tests each time
These tests should be carried out by a competent person, who has been trained to do so. I am a competent trained person, so I assist my manager with these tests.
Emergency Lighting Tests
The Emergency Lights, are designed to come on automatically, when the power fails. This fail safe equipment, is also designed to activate, when the circuit breaker trips, making sure that there is adequate lighting at all times, for whatever the reason why the normal lighting fails. They work, by using an Automatic Transfer Switch, which switches the power over to the batteries, when the mains power fails. They should always gave a green LED lit, to indicate they are charging properly. Call in an Electrician, if the green light turns red, or if the green light is not illuminated. -This normally indicates that the batteries are not charging.
Emergency Lighting Test Key
To test the Emergency Lighting, you will need a fish plate key. You need to insert the fishplate key into the test plate on the wall and push the key downward. This should cause the emergency lighting to activate. You will then need to walk about the area you are in and make sure the emergency lighting properly activates. Report any emergency lights that do not illuminate.
Remember to put the switch back in the off position after testing, otherwise the emergency lights will stay on and this will drain the batteries!
Fire Alarm Testing
If your Fire Alarm System is monitored, it is important to let the Monitoring Centre know you are doing an alarm test. The Fire Service may be called, you fail to let the Monitoring Centre know you are testing the system!
Usually, this is a automated system, which will put the system onto “test” for a short period of time and will not send an alert to the motioning centre. After a short period, the system will go back into monitor mode automatically.
Fire Alarm Call Point
Now we need to test the Fire Alarm itself. Testing from the Panel is not a permitted way of testing. You should activate the nearest call point. On the older units, you need to insert a key into the bottom, which drops the glass. On newer units, activate as normal, by pressing the black button. Make sure that the alarm sounds throughout the building. To reset, push the bottom of the alarm upward, which will reset the call point. Now you will need to go to the Fire Alarm Panel and reset that. (Ours requires the key and then pressing silence then reset.)
If for what ever reason, you need to sound the alarm again, (You might see smoke, fire or something smouldering) operate the nearest fire alarm call point, by breaking the glass.
You should perform the fire alarm test at the same time every week, by activating a different call point, each time you test the alarm. I helped Bethan do the test today and we tested the call point on the shop floor, which I activated.
Depending on how your system is setup, this should activate the Fire Bells, the Electronic Sirens, Voice Modules, (which will announce something like: “The Fire Alarm is sounding… Please leave the building via the nearest exit”.) or the flashing Alarm Beacons. In our shop, the electronic sounders also have flashing beacons integrated into them, which flash when the sirens so off.
Remember to record the test and which call point was activated. Report any issues with the fire alarm immediately.
You should also make sure your Fire Alarm System is serviced Bi-Yearly, by a BAFE Accredited Fire Alarm Company.
Automatic Fire Doors
You should make sure that your automatic fire doors close, when the alarm goes off. These doors, use a magnet which keeps the door open. When the fire alarm sounds, the magnet de-energises, which causes the door to automatically swing shut, thus preventing a fire from spreading. You should make sure that any automatic doors shut, when you do your fire alarm test.
These doors, should never be propped or be held open by any other means. (Such as the use of a door wedge, propped open with a fire extinguisher, or held open with string. This can stop the auto-closer from working, which could cause a fire to spread. This is separate from the auto-closer you might see on some doors. These will automatically close the door, each time. However, they cannot be permanently held open. Automatic auto-closer can be kept open at all times, as the magnet holds the fire doors open.
Report any auto-closer , which fail to operate, when the alarm activates.
I just wanted to write a post on why I love my job at the British Heart Foundation. I may only be a volunteer, but without us “volis”, nothing would get done. That is why thousands of people up and down the country, give up their time to volunteer at the charity.
I enjoy volunteering at the shop, because it gives me something positive to do. I also get to work with a brilliant team, especially Bethan, my “work wife” – Maria, Pat and the many others that are the literal ‘beating heart’ of the shop. We have plenty of laughs, we, we work hard and we help to raise money for vital research into heart related illnesses. No day is ever the same and our shop is vibrant and welcoming.
Vinnie and Renee – Charity Shop Workers in the BBC Sketch Show: The League of Gentlemen
We also have plenty of fun, especially when Maria and I get on our Walkie Talkies) We often call each other over the radio and can be rather silly at times, but serious when we need to be. there is a real sense of community, where you are never alone. As Volis, we support each other, no matter what live chucks at us. We have a Whatsapp Group too for many of our shops, so you will always be in touch with your local shop team. (No Tubbs and Edward do not work at our shop, neither do Vinnie and Renee!)
This is a reference to The League of Gentlemen. (Which is one of my favourite sketch shows) “Nooooo need to be rude dear!” (I can do a brilliant impression of Renee btw!)
If you want to come and join a brilliant team, (which cares about each other and have a lot of fun while we are at it) Come and join the BHF. Our Shop Teams are made up of volunteers from all walks of life, different ages and skills. You will be made most welcome, get plenty of brews along the way, get training in your role and get a cheeky 25% off when you buy something from one of our shops. (Even if you are on holiday and visit another store!)
There is so much you can do at your local shop. You can sort donations that come in, do what I do and help keep the shop clean and tidy, work on the shop floor – serving customers, (yet another thing I do) You can put stock out and dress windows, sort out books and brica-brac and so much more.
If your interested in volunteering at your local shop, go online to https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/volunteer or pop in and speak to one of our lovely Managers. Most towns have a BHF Shop, either Clothing and Brica-Brac, electrical and furniture and much more. You can find your local BHF Shop, by clicking here.
Time for bed, I am back in our store tomorrow, working with Bethan, Maria and Pat. It’s going to be another fun but knackering day, I am sure. However, I like days when I come home tired, because those are the days, I know I have made the most difference. 🙂
Before I go to bed, I must mention that I have been watching Shameless. I love Shameless and it’s thanks to my neighbour Steph, that I got back into watching it. Below is the intro to the show, if you have never seen it before.
So it has been a very exhausting day, with dealing with a plumbing emergency at the shop, serving customers, cleaning, my Drivetime show and then going to Aldi, to do my shopping. I had to quickly post this though, a picture of me sat behind the till at the shop.
Today, I had the unfortunate job of cleaning up body fluids. I won’t say what sort of body fluids it was, (or name and shame the individual) but lets just say it was RANK and that person should of known better! 🤢 It needed full PPE to clean that mess up. It lead to a a new radio keyword for cleaning emergencies. If you are in the shop and hear “Code Brown”, you know something needs cleaning.
Put it this way, a strongly worded notice has gone up!
Anyway, lets talk about cleaning up body fluids.
Body Fluids can mean several different things: Urine, Blood, Semen, Saliva and Feces. (Poo) Of course, this is not an extensive list, but you get the idea These body fluids, pose a real risk to our health and should be cleaned up, using the correct procedure.
Think Health and Safety: Always wear the appropriate PPE, when dealing with body fluids. (Apron, gloves, protective eyewear)
The Basics
The basic principles of blood and body fluid/substance spills management are:
standard precautions apply, including use of personal protective equipment (PPE), as applicable
spills should be cleared up before the area is cleaned (adding cleaning liquids to spills increases the size of the spill and should be avoided)
generation of aerosols from spilled material should be avoided.
Using these basic principles, the management of spills should be flexible enough to cope with different types of spills, taking into account the following factors:
the nature (type) of the spill (for example, sputum, vomit, faeces, urine, blood or laboratory culture)
the pathogens most likely to be involved in these different types of spills.
the size of the spill – for example, spot (few drops), small (10cm) 10>
the type of surface – for example, carpet or impervious flooring
the location involved – that is, whether the spill occurs in a contained area (such as a toilet) or in a larger area, which is open to the public. (For instance, a classroom, or a shop_
whether there is any likelihood of bare skin contact with the soiled (contaminated) surface.
Standard cleaning equipment, including a mop, cleaning bucket and cleaning agents, should be readily available for spills management. It should also be stored in an area known to all. This is particularly important in clinical areas.
To help manage spills in areas where cleaning materials may not be readily available, a disposable ‘spills kit’ could be used. (See Below)
Equipment
You will need the appropriate equipment, for dealing with body spills
appropriate leak-proof bags and containers for disposal of waste material
a designated, sturdy scraper and pan for spills (similar to a ‘pooper scooper’)
about five sachets of a granular formulation containing 10,000 ppm available chlorine or equivalent (each sachet should contain sufficient granules to cover a 10-cm diameter spill)
disposable rubber gloves suitable for cleaning (vinyl gloves are not recommended for handling blood)
eye protection (disposable or reusable)
a plastic apron
Procedure for cleaning up Body Fluids
Small Spills
Spots or drops of blood or other small spills (up to 10 cm) can easily be managed by wiping the area immediately with paper towels, and then cleaning with warm water and detergent, followed by rinsing and drying the area. Dry the area, as wet areas attract contaminants.
A strong anti-germicide disinfectant, should always be used.
Larger Spills
Where appropriate, close off the area. (Where large spills (more than 10 cm, or where a spillage have occurred in a ‘wet’ area, such as a bathroom or toilet area) I normally use my closed for cleaning floor sign for this. The spill should be carefully washed off into the sewerage system using copious amounts of water and the area flushed with warm water and detergent.
Where the spill is on the floor: Use a spills kit, to contain the spill. A scraper and pan should be used to remove the absorbed material. Use blue paper towels to scoop up the the granules, which should be put into a yellow clinical waste bag. The area of the spill should then be cleaned with a mop, and bucket of warm water and detergent. The bucket and mop should be thoroughly cleaned after use and stored dry.
Large blood spills should be contained and generation of aerosols should be avoided.
The Use of Bleach
It is generally unnecessary to use sodium hypochlorite (Bleach) for managing spills, but it may be used in specific circumstances. It is recognised, however, that some people may feel more reassured that the risk of infection is reduced if sodium hypochlorite is used. There is no evidence of benefit from an infection control perspective. Hypochlorites are corrosive to metals and must be rinsed off after 10 minutes and the area dried.
However, in many places, a blanket is in place, prohibiting the use of sodium hypochlorite, so it may not be possible to use bleach, depending on the policies n your workplace. We at BHF, are not allowed to use bleach, so a strong anti-germicide disinfectant, is what I will use.
Spills Kits
While spill kits are designed for certain spills, all spill kits usually consist of the same three elements: PPE, sorbents, and clean-up items.
Spills Kits include the following:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Whether the kit is designed for oils pills or a battery acid spill, there is always some type of PPE included in a spill kit. The most common types of PPE used for spills are eye and face protection, gloves, booties/shoe covers, and chemical spills usually require the use of a disposable lab coat, respiratory protection, and a corrosive resistant apron.
Absorbents: These are items like mops, cloths, sponges, loose powder, etc. that are created out of material capable of absorbing and containing a spill. Absorbents in put in kits based upon the type of material they are designed to soak up. For example, all-purpose absorbents are placed in universal spill kits, but a battery acid spill kit is much more likely to contain and absorbent with a chemical neutralizer.
Clean-up materials: Spill kits should have a dust pan or scoop to soak up the spill. Kits will also almost always include plastic bags for used PPE items to be put in for disposal. The kit itself should come in a container large enough for the potential spill. In addition to having appropriate supplies to clean the pill, the kit should include disposal materials and instructions for the worker. By properly disposing of spills and the clean-up of spills, it reduces/eliminates the potential for an environmental or public risk hazard.
It’s been another busy day at the shop. Today, has been mixed duties, between cleaning and working on the shop floor. Between 2 – 3 was the busiest period on the shop floor and I had a queue of customers, wanting serving. However, the lovely Pat was on hand to give me some help.
Between that, I have tried to unblock the hoover. However, it’s a non starter, as the head does not come off the pole and taking it apart doesn’t help. Plus the tub vac is missing it’s poles and hose is missing, so I am going to see if we can get a replacement. I could really do with a upright for the stock room and stairs. The kitchen and toilets got there usual clean and I managed to get round to sorting the back lobby out and with the help of Ella, took out all the cardboard and emptied the bins.
I didn’t get round to doing the stairs, but that’s a job for tomorrow 🙂
Today’s task, was to sort out the Washroom. It was a right mess and needed urgently attending to. it was a job that I knew needed to be done and would take up most of my day. The 1st job, was to empty the room of anything that was not fixed down. This meant carrying thing out and cluttering the break area. However, there was no where else to put it all.
Here’s our empty washroom. It needed a good clean, so that was the 1st job on the agenda. The good old Vel Mop came out and I used this to sweep the floor clean.
As you can see, the lino was looking rather tired and dirty and that was my next job on the agenda. If you have seen my post on cleaning Safety Lino, you will know that is a real pain in the neck to get clean.
Thankfully, this is where neat disinfectant poured on to the floor and a deck brush comes in handy. The deck brush. gets deep down dirt (which is stuck in the abrasive surface of the floor) out. I also used my deck brush, to scrub the skirting boards clean, at the same time. (Making sure to rinse my deck brush in the bucket, at regular intervals)
Here is the floor, after it had been scrubbed with the deck brush. It looks so much brighter and alot more clean! I really had to scrub it hard, to get it to look this good! (Good old elbow grease was needed here!)
Once scrubbed, I washed the floor with clean water. Because of the cleaning process, it took ages for the floor to dry and left footprints, every time that someone went to the loo, so I was continuously having to re-mop, which slowed the drying process down.
Thankfully, I was able to put the heater on, which helped to dry the floor. The floor was dry the time I had finished covered on the shop floor.
Putting everything back was the last job. Both of my Tub Hoovers, (We have a pair of Henry Vacuum Cleaners) plus the mop, vel mop, buckets and the box that I keep all the toilet rolls, paper towels and spare hoover bags, needed putting back neatly.
As you can see, the space is much tidier now and you no longer fall over things to get to the sink.
I hope the washroom remains tidy, after spending most of the day sorting it out. My boss was really impressed with what I have done and the effort I have put in.
Finally, I have to post this – Lucy (Our Deputy Manager) took this picture of me in my Tabard, rubber gloves and radio in hand. I am also wearing my new glasses, which look really nice on me.
My neighbour Steph also had come into the shop today with her fella, so it was nice to see her. I served her at the till, while I was on lunchtime cover.
I am back in tomorrow and have a list as long as my arm of jobs to do. It never stops at the BHF, but that’s how I like it.
We are a great team and I love everyone I work with. (Especially Maria, Lucy and Bethan!)
