Duties of a janitor at a high school

Arrival at school 6.30 a.m. - Being a janitor is not a walk in the park especially when you don't have an assistant and you are the janitor at a school with a lot of lively kids who litter floors and drop things. Before you can even put on the coffee pot in the cold winter mornings you have to be outside cleaning the ice off the sidewalk and parking areas to make sure students don't slip and hurt themselves; you have to be aware of safety issues also.


After coffee 10.00 a.m. - You wade through your list of things to do and decide whether it is a warm enough day to do the windows after a blistering winter, or tackle the restrooms to clean the toilets and mop the floors. A janitor has a plunger in his hands at least once or twice a day to clear out the blockage and wash the toilet floor which is wet most of the time. Mopping, sweeping, vacuuming floors is part of the morning routine. A janitor must know his job as he works with power equipment and chemical cleaners.


Lunch time recess at noon - Even though the janitor too should have his lunch and have a short break, he is always interrupted by having to attend to some emergency such as a blocked toilet or something that has to be immediately taken care of and can wipe out his lunch break. He has to have knowledge of cleaning solutions, what they contain and also have experience with insecticides and other poisons as there must always be awareness of the safety of young children who are inquisitive.


After lunch at school - A janitor's job is never done as there is always maintenance and repairs which have to be taken care of. He has to sweep, vacuum and mop the floors. He has to make sure signs are put out that the floors are wet. He has to answer questions from students. He has to take out the rubbish which is plenty and attend to the boiler. At all times he must be careful that students don't come to harm being where they should not be. His job is to keep the building clean and spotless.


Coffee break 3.00 p.m - As if all this is not enough, there is also the matter of cleaning the offices and shampooing rugs when the weather is good. Office furniture has to be vacuumed and dusted every day to keep the office fresh and comfortable. There are always desks and tables to be moved. The outside premises of the building always have to be free of rubbish and debris and when the weather permits it the janitor has to mow the lawn and tend to the shrubbery. He has to help move scaffolding and keep things like ladders out of the way in the event there are kids around. A janitor is the first person on the scene and one of the last to leave. Last, a janitor should have a strong constitution and a strong back for the job.

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