Custodial Work

Custodial work is keeping the buildings in order. Maintenance and the cleanliness of the entire building is the work profile. Custodial workers can also be considered as supervisors or the care takers of the buildings. Custodial work falls under the category of cleaners, maids and housekeepers. Custodial workers are generally very responsible and hard working in nature. For the maintenance of the building, the custodian needs to take care of plenty of things. The duty of custodial workers also includes the safety and security of the building. The duties that a custodial worker does are mentioned below:

• Cleaning, sweeping, mopping the floors of the building by using phenyls and other disinfectants
• Vacuuming the floors, materials, and furniture in the building
• Cleaning glass windows and other glass materials by using clean soapy water and then sponging it after the surface is dry
• One should know to use all kinds of equipments required for cleaning and washing purposes
• Keeping a watch and ensuring the safety inside the building by checking the locks
• In case of emergency, they should know whom to contact and should keep all the emergency phone numbers handy
• When an equipment or the building needs some kind of repairing work or renovation, they should inform the higher authority about the repair, which needs to be done

Other responsibilities of a custodial worker include:

• To keep a check on the electrical connections and other systems like heating devices and pipelines in the building
• Mowing and trimming of lawns and grass using trimmers, hand tools, and other equipments
• Clearing snow from driveways, sidewalks and parking by using snow blowers, snow plows, snows shovels, etc.
• Cleaning water tanks, chimneys, connecting pipes and other storage areas in regular intervals with the help of toolsM

Those were some of the important jobs, which a custodial worker must know by default. As you can make, the custodial worker should have the capabilities to handle all kinds of equipments that are used for maintenance purposes. As the work involves lot of physical strength, the custodial workers should also be physically fit. Many a times they have to move heavy weight items and trunks from one place to another, so a little flexibility can help them with this kind of work.

As custodial workers have to take care of all the things related to the building where they are working, they should be trustworthy and honest; otherwise, it would become difficult for the employers to hire a worker. Communication with head supervisors, managers and co-workers is another aspect, which is important for maintaining the building. They should be highly professional and should never let the emotions come in between the work.

There is no specific qualification that is required for custodial workers. A normal high school degree or a high school diploma should be enough for getting the employment. However, technical aptitude would definitely help in their career as their work involves dealing with machineries and power tools. General awareness about the hazardous materials can also prove to be helpful for the workers. Apart from the high school degree, a general approach for solving problems, decision-making skills and presence of mind is appreciated by the employers. The salary is not fixed in this field. It may vary from place to place and it might as well depend upon the number of years of work experience and the employers for whom they have worked before.

This job is more realistic, where you would have to deal with the problems, which generally arises unexpectedly. The worker should be able to take the right call at the need of hour and more importantly, they have to be sure about it. It does not belong to any particular kind of study subject from your school. In the society, those who work as custodial workers are also considered as social workers.