CHSWC releases California Janitor Workload Study, July 2025
OAKLAND - California's Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) is pleased to release the “California Janitor Workload Study” report by the University of California (UC) San Francisco and UC Berkeley.
The report, requested by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, presents an overview of the physical workload, psychosocial stress, and work climate factors contributing to a high prevalence of adverse health outcomes among a sample of California janitors collected between October 2021 and January 2023.
Among the findings are that the prevalence of adverse health outcomes was high, janitors reported high physical workloads across numerous tasks, differences in the prevalence of adverse health outcomes by sex and age were slight, and union status and job tenure were associated with differences in the prevalence of adverse health outcomes.
In addition, most janitor tasks evaluated using direct measurements and validated risk assessment tools indicated high ergonomic hazards and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) risk. High job strain increased the prevalence of adverse health outcomes, particularly the prevalence of anxiety or depression, and industry-based time allocations often differed substantially from the actual time required to clean a space.
The report includes recommendations for California legislators, including consideration of a formal California regulatory standard, as well as facilitation of a collaborative approach to target intervention efforts that mitigate ergonomic hazards.
The full California Janitor Workload Study report, including an appendix section that responds to comments from the public and CHSWC commissioners, is posted online.
CHSWC, created by the workers' compensation reform legislation of 1993, is charged with examining the health and safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation. CHSWC was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers' compensation system and of the state's activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational diseases and to examine those programs in other states.
Information about CHSWC is available on the CHSWC website. Information may also be obtained by writing to the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation by email to chswc@dir.ca.gov.