50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

This is the place to tell us about the stupid things fellow employees can do.
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50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by bpgstudios » Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:45 pm

OK, now I just have to rant here for a bit. This is not directed at any particular CM... But I would like to express my current dissatisfaction with MK Fantasyland custodial. Now don't get me wrong there are many terriffic custodial CMs in our area, so I think the problem lies with the custodial deployment system and understaffing-- feel free to enlighten me, these are just observations. These are not isolated incedents either, as many of my fellow CMs have expressed similar problems.

The other day we called in a protein spill at Dumbo (It was right in front of an elephant and could possible be stepped in entering or exiting the elephant. We put Voban on it though, but still guests would mistakenly step in it. 30 minutes later we call it in again, along with one of our managers, letting them know that it is in our ride path and we are getting many guest complaints about it. Eventually we start to get more guest complaints about it, and have to resort to grabbing a custodial CM off the street to see if he can take care of it for us (It's been 45 minutes now since the first time we called it in). He goes and grabs gloves, and returns. I call my manager to let them know we got someone to clean it and that we are not running since it's in the ridepath. Well, 15 minutes later, he's done and we resume opperation. I call back and let my manager know we're 102. THe guests werent very upset, most seemed to understand that someone got sick (since we speiled to the queue and let them know it would be a few minutes). But the whole experience was very frustrating. I am greatful to the custodial CM that did help us out (since I heard a custodial CM had come looking for the protein spill an hour later) but it got me wondering... is this a normal response time for a protein spill in a heavily trafficed area?

We've had similar experiences with the trash can right after the turnstyles at Dumbo overflowing and waiting 2 hours (after 3 times calling it in) for someone to finally show up. I've also heard about 30 minute downtimes at Philhar just waiting for custodial to show up to a protein spill in the theatre. Again, I am not blaming individual CMs for this, as it might not be their faults...but I'm just not sure that these are the greatest (and in the case of some protein spills, most healthy) response times. Hopefully response times will improve once more of the CPs come in and they have more people to deploy. For those of you busting your butt in custodial for us, thanks for all the crap you do have to put up with and for doing the best you can with what you got!


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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by svickersart » Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:27 am

I know this sort of thing is a daily occurence in theme parks, and one no one is looking forward to. As a guest I have only seen one protein spill in all my trips and that was in the que for Buzz at DL. It happened maybe 20 peole in front of us, right in the walkway, it was noisy but the smell told us what had happened. I believe the attraction CM's were the ones that cleaned this one up, I dont remember seeing anyone from castodial come in and the cleaning supplys were still sitting on the wall when we walked by. Sounds like different proccedures on each coast for dealing with this sort of thing. I dont want to sound like and ass or anything, but is there something such as policy that prevents the attractions CM's from just cleaning up the mess? Outside on the ground like that is easy, a hose or bucket of water and all gone.
Steve



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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by CBeilby » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:14 pm

I can't speak for Florida custodial, but I know, at least when I wore white out on the left coast, this likely wouldn't have happened. If the lead wasn't in the area for some reason, a manager would have been notified, or the host on trash would have been beeped to 10-21 the office... :mad:



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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by Natural Selection Fan » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:32 pm

Full TC's are probably the lowest priority based on response times I've been
getting out here on the left.

I have discovered that if there's a way to go 105 out of it, the response time
is cut in half.

If you can do it without getting yourself in trouble, go 101. I think the longest
I've had to wait with that is about 10 min. And I'd call it into MRC accordingly
to make sure everyone knows about it


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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by mechurchlady » Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:16 pm

svickersart wrote: is there something such as policy that prevents the attractions CM's from just cleaning up the mess? Outside on the ground like that is easy, a hose or bucket of water and all gone.
Steve
There is many problems with a noncostodial CM doing custodial work.

First is the health risks of coming in contact with anything from a human like poop, spit, and vomits. A person cleaning up should have gloves on to avoid contamination. There is the need to use disinfectants so that other guests do not get sick from later contact with the contaminated surface.

The next issue is safety. If the floor is wet or slippery then there needs to be some way to notify people of the danger. They cannot just send the protein spill out of the line and into another area. They have to make it all gone.

Next is that the CM is paid to operate a ride not do janitorial work. It interferes with their duties to spend the time cleaning up. There are people hired specifically to deal with the problem. What if custodial started loading people on Pirates or Bobsleds? It might sound easy but it is not easy to juts get a hose and washed down a protein spill at parks. Especially if you have a costume on that is it gets dirty would require changing clothes. Not a happy boss over the CMs down time.

It it was a quick broom to spilled popcorn then that might be okay but when dealing with human stuff, best to leave it to the pros.


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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by svickersart » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:48 pm

mechurchlady wrote:There is many problems with a noncostodial CM doing custodial work.

First is the health risks of coming in contact with anything from a human like poop, spit, and vomits. A person cleaning up should have gloves on to avoid contamination. There is the need to use disinfectants so that other guests do not get sick from later contact with the contaminated surface.

The next issue is safety. If the floor is wet or slippery then there needs to be some way to notify people of the danger. They cannot just send the protein spill out of the line and into another area. They have to make it all gone.

Next is that the CM is paid to operate a ride not do janitorial work. It interferes with their duties to spend the time cleaning up. There are people hired specifically to deal with the problem. What if custodial started loading people on Pirates or Bobsleds? It might sound easy but it is not easy to juts get a hose and washed down a protein spill at parks. Especially if you have a costume on that is it gets dirty would require changing clothes. Not a happy boss over the CMs down time.

It it was a quick broom to spilled popcorn then that might be okay but when dealing with human stuff, best to leave it to the pros.
Believe me, I know what you mean about dealing with bio-hazards, we get all of the above plus blood and other tissues and I have had quite a few go arounds with law enforcment agencies about who is responcable for this stuff. You cant just throw bloody anything in the trash. I thought maybe there were the supplies needed in the attractions to clean up small spills, I could have sworn it was the attraction operators that cleaned up the mess I saw on Buzz.


on point 2, I was thinking Dumbo might have some drains in place where this sort of thing could be washed away easily, but I havent ridden it for years so there may not be any way for a quick hose down.

I understand attraction operators are hired to run attractions, but why cause a back-up or shut down if its something easily delt with. I understand they didnt close down for this, with my experience on Buzz the line stopped for maybe two minutes. I know pretty much everyone is union, I'm just wondering if there are union rules, or Disney policy that dictate who does this sort of thing. I know some unions wont allow you to do things outside what your hired to do.

I'm not trying to be an ass about this, I'm just curious about procedure, it helps me to understand why things are done. I work for a small company and even though I am the towing manager I wear many hats and have done things over the years that dont normally fall within my job description (including clean up protein spills) myself and all of my drivers have training on dealing with bio-hazards and toxic waste and we are often called uupon to do things that fall outside of just towing cars. I know when its busy people can get very cranky and they dont understand procedure, I have read people initiate code V daily on many rides and just want to know how this is handled.
Thanks
Steve



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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by bpgstudios » Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:18 pm

On the second call in at dumbo, told them we were 101 for the spill (Even though we technically weren't, our manager's advice). We innitially let them know that if it got too bad we would go 101. At philhar I know we were 101 for a good 40 minutes total (including the 10 to clean and air out) while the spill was being cleaned. Thats about 4 shows at 500 seats.

I know some of the process to cleaning up a protein spill. It is attractions job to put the initial Voban on it. Then from what i've been told and have wittnessed, custodial puts more voban on, lets it soak more, then sweeps or scoops it up. Then a disinfecting solution is put over the spill to kill any germs and residue that is still there. All this needs to be done with gloves on. Problem is, we don;t have the gloves, method of disposal (I'm assuming that protein spills go into biohazard) or disinfecting solution, nor the proper training on how to safely perform these tasks. The procedure is vastly different if the spill is on carpet or other such material, since the voban would just get mashed in and make it impossible to remove.

And yes, most of us can handle spilled popcorn or the occasional ice cream bar, but I've been told not to touch a protein spill past the initial Voban sprinkling. Plus, if we used one of our brooms or dustpan, that means one less for the area since it would probably have to be thrown out (since we rarely get new ones. Our brooms are an embarrassment and our dustpans are mostly broken) We only have 1 pan and broom, 1 long picker locked up, and one regular picker for the whole attraction.

BTW at dumbo, the drains are in the pit, and are usually clogged mid-day from maps and other trash thrown in there by careless guests. To my knowledge there is no readily available hose for custodial or attractions to use to clean the attraction, though we do have a dumbo-ear sized squeegee for use after it rains.


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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by svickersart » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:40 am

To be honest with you your better off not knowing how to deal with it. Vomit is a bio-hazard and from many years of experience in dealing with some very nasty stuff, if you dont have to clean it up you dont want to. I recieved no training on dealing with these sort of things, I was the one that did all the research and provided the training to eveyone else. I didnt want to get AIDS from being in contact with bio-hazards so I learned what to do and not to do. Thanks for the info on this, I dont want to sound like an SG, I just work for a small company where were are expected to be able to deal with about anything.
Steve



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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by Cranbiz » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:32 pm

In the bus, all the driver is allowed to do is apply Voban and then call it in to the coordinator. They will instruct us to either bring it to the hub for custodial to clean or take it to FIW for them to clean. The bus is 10-7 (101 for you attractions CM's) until it is delt with.


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Re: 50 Minutes for a Protein Spill? How 'bout 2 hours for trash cans?

Post by svickersart » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:52 pm

Well, in the towing business this is how we do it. Usually your culprit is drunk to begin with so when they get done blowing chunks in your tow truck you screem obsenities at them and tell them to clean up the mess, if they wont you do it yourself.

I had a guy one night that kept looking like he was going to puke, I asked him before we left if he needed to and he said no but he kept looking like he might. I finaly told him to roll the window down and if he was going to puke stick his head out as far as he could and if he did it in my truck I was going to pull over right away and leave him right wherever we were at that time. He didnt puke in my truck lucky for him, I was not in a good mood that night and dealing with some drunk wasnt what I wanted to be doing. And for those of you that are wondering, his car broke down and he polished off 11 of a twelver while he was waiting for me. He kept pulling number 12 out of his jacket and trying to open it in between looking like he was going to puke.

Steve



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