Anyway, while I was waiting for my team to show up, I noticed a protective mask-wearing custodian burnishing the floors of the adjacent hallway. I wasn’t caught off guard by the custodian, but I definitely did a double take when I saw him wearing a face mask! Was he wearing the mask because he couldn’t stand the floor fumes, the dust particles, or both?

I felt like yelling, “SWITCH YOUR FLOOR FINISH or USE A SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORER so that you don’t need to wear face mask!” And while I commend this custodian for doing his job, I condemn the custodian’s building manager for not protecting his employee!

As I thought of all the processes that could be implemented to make the custodian’s work-life healthier (changing both the chemicals and procedures to ensure the custodian’s safety), I saw my teammates coming toward me. And while I was still pumped to crush the opposing dodge ball team, I did question how “healthy” it is to play on a floor that needs a face mask to clean it…