OSHA published workplace guidance for COVID-19 that applies directly to field service operations — window cleaning crews, pressure washing teams, and exterior cleaning contractors working in and around occupied buildings. The full document lives on osha.gov. These are guidelines, not enforceable standards, but they set the baseline clients and general contractors will expect you to follow.

Here is what matters for cleaning contractors running crews in the field.

Infectious Disease Preparedness for Field Crews

Hazard elimination beats reliance on individual behavior every time. The goal is to build protocols into your operation so compliance is the default, not the exception.

Sick Leave and Workforce Policies

• Actively encourage sick employees — or those caring for sick family members — to stay home. A crew member showing up sick costs more in downtime and liability than a missed day.
• Make sick leave policies flexible and consistent with public health guidance. Make sure every employee knows the policy before they need it.
• Do not require a healthcare provider's note for employees with acute respiratory illness. OSHA's reasoning: it strains the healthcare system and delays recovery.
• Address worker concerns about pay, leave, safety, and health proactively. Uncertainty kills morale faster than the illness itself — have a written plan before questions arise.
• Coordinate with your insurance provider and local health agencies to give workers and customers clear information about available medical care.

Operational Adjustments

• Install high-efficiency air filters in any enclosed workspace — shop, office, or service vehicle with recirculating air.
• Increase ventilation rates. For van-based operations, that can be as simple as running with windows cracked and HVAC on fresh-air mode.
• Replace face-to-face meetings with virtual communications. Route sheets, job briefings, and scheduling can all move digital.
• Develop an emergency communications plan that includes a way for workers to raise concerns — a group chat, a posted hotline, something accessible from the field.
• Provide up-to-date training on COVID-19 risk factors and protective behaviors: cough etiquette, proper donning and doffing of PPE, and decontamination of shared equipment.

Safe Work Practices for Cleaning Contractors

Most of this is straightforward hygiene discipline — the kind of thing that should already be embedded in your daily routine when working with chemicals and on client property.

• Stock every truck and job site with tissues, no-touch trash receptacles, hand soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizer (minimum 60% alcohol), surface disinfectants, and disposable towels for wiping down work surfaces.
• Require regular handwashing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Always wash hands when visibly soiled and immediately after removing any PPE — nitrile gloves, respirators, or eye protection.
• Post handwashing signs in restrooms at your shop or staging area.
• Have employees regularly clean and disinfect their workspaces: van interiors, shared tool handles, buckets, ladder rails, squeegee handles, pressure washer gun grips, keyboards, phones, and door handles. Anything touched by multiple people gets wiped down between users.

What This Means for Your Operation

For exterior cleaning contractors, the practical takeaway is documentation and consistency. Write your infectious disease plan down. Brief your crew on it. Keep sanitizer and disinfectant on every truck — not just in the shop. Clients, property managers, and GCs increasingly ask for written safety protocols before awarding work. Having yours ready is a competitive advantage, not just a compliance checkbox.

If you need to stock up on protective equipment — nitrile gloves, safety glasses, or PPE supplies — J.Racenstein carries what field crews actually use.

Products Mentioned

Safety Glasses Clear SKU: 74-7420