BENCHMARKS: Hospital environmental services productivity standards in square feet cleaned per hour

How to plan for staffing of an environmental services department in a hospital is discussed in this brief article.  I particularly like some ratios that are provided.  The author notes that these are not necessarily optimal or recommended productivity measures; rather, they are ESTIMATED AVERAGES.  However, it is interesting to have some data as a starting point.

PRODUCTIVITY STANDARD IN SQUARE FEET / HOUR (average)

•     425  Surgical suite (end of day)
•     480 Restrooms
•   1,000 Patient rooms
•   1,800 Nurses stations
•   2,500 Lobbies and offices
•   3,000 Conference rooms
• 15,000 Corridors
• 17,860 Ride-on scrubbing or burnishing

TRASH COLLECTION GUIDELINE

•   2.5 minutes per patient room that needs trash pulled
• 15 minutes per trash holding room

FLOOR CARE EMPLOYEES / GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING EMPLOYEES RULE OF THUMB

• 1 floor care position / 10.5 general housekeeping staff

CART SETUP AND TEARDOWN (at start and end of shift)

• 15 minutes each

Source: Jensen, R. (2015, Jan.). ES staffing methodologies. HFM. Health Facilities Management;28(1), 41-43.  http://www.hfmmagazine.com/magazine/2015/January2015.dhtml   Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org