National Custodial Recognition Day Celebrated
In observation of National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day, a celebration was held on the Haigis Mall on Wednesday, Oct. 13, featuring food and prizes.
National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day encourages appreciation to the campus custodial staff.
In support of the custodial staff, Facilities and Campus Services offer some words of recognition:
“They work while we sleep. Sometimes we walk by them in the halls not always “seeing” them or their work as important. The spaces the custodians clean are not the same as someone’s home, where only a small family and possibly a pet or two live. These spaces at the College often have several thousand people using them daily.
Unlike many individuals who could work remotely through the COVID pandemic, the UMass campus custodians remained on the front line – in residence halls, academic buildings, and dining halls, working diligently with upgraded cleaning protocols. The custodial staff were trained and followed the cleaning and disinfecting protocols in accordance with CDC and Environmental Health and Safety guidelines for keeping the UMass community safe. Additional cleanings of high touch areas, rest rooms, and public spaces was implemented along with the increase usage of electro-static sprayers to cover large spaces (restrooms, auditoria, classrooms).
They shovel snow, respond to floods/water leaks, hang informational signs within buildings, set tables and chairs for campus events, and support student pilot projects (PERIOD Project) in addition to their regular assigned cleaning routes. They scrub, mop, dust, sweep, wipe and shampoo carpets, sinks, toilets, windows and floors within the 200+ buildings (13+ million sq/ft) on campus.
It’s a tough job on a good day. Cleaning classrooms, public restrooms, campus facilities and residence halls day in and day out is a herculean task in an average year. When a pandemic is added into the mix, the work becomes even more crucial to the health and well-being of the UMass community.”
