Roehampton Cleaners Health and Safety Policy

Roehampton Cleaners is committed to providing a healthy and safe working environment for all employees, contractors, clients, visitors and members of the public who may be affected by our cleaning activities. This Health and Safety Policy sets out our approach to managing risks associated with commercial and residential cleaning, including the use of cleaning chemicals, machinery, equipment and vehicles.

Policy Statement and Objectives

Our objective is to prevent accidents, work-related ill health and incidents of property damage by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective control measures. Health and safety considerations are integrated into all planning, decision-making and day-to-day operations. We will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised standards applicable to cleaning and facilities services.

This policy applies to all Roehampton Cleaners staff, regardless of role or employment status, and to all locations where we provide cleaning services, including offices, residential buildings, retail premises and communal areas.

Management Responsibilities

Senior management is responsible for developing, implementing and reviewing this Health and Safety Policy. Management will ensure that sufficient resources, information, training and supervision are provided so that work can be carried out safely and without risks to health.

Managers and supervisors must lead by example, promote a positive safety culture, enforce safe working procedures and ensure that staff follow company guidelines at all times. They are responsible for carrying out and regularly reviewing risk assessments, method statements and site-specific safety arrangements.

Employee Responsibilities

Every employee has a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Staff must cooperate fully with Roehampton Cleaners in implementing this policy, follow all safety instructions and training, use equipment correctly and report hazards, near misses and accidents promptly.

Employees must not undertake any work for which they have not been trained or authorised, and must never interfere with or misuse any safety equipment or controls provided for their protection.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Roehampton Cleaners will carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all cleaning activities, taking into account the specific environment, client requirements and any vulnerable persons who may be present. The findings of risk assessments will be used to develop safe systems of work and documented cleaning procedures.

Where tasks present significant risks, written method statements and step by step instructions will be provided. Staff will be briefed on these procedures before work begins and whenever changes to tasks, equipment or locations occur.

Use of Cleaning Chemicals and COSHH

All cleaning chemicals used by Roehampton Cleaners will be assessed for health risks in accordance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health principles. Safety data information will be obtained and used to determine safe handling, storage, dilution, application and disposal procedures.

Employees will receive training in the safe use of cleaning products, including the importance of correct labelling, never mixing incompatible chemicals and ensuring good ventilation when using sprays or strong solutions. Only approved products supplied by the company may be used while at work.

Equipment, Tools and Machinery

All equipment used for cleaning, such as vacuum cleaners, floor machines, mops, access equipment and any powered tools, will be selected, maintained and inspected to ensure they are safe and suitable for the tasks required.

Staff must carry out pre use checks, report any defects immediately and remove damaged or faulty items from service. Only trained personnel may use specialised machinery such as rotary floor machines, carpet extractors or mechanical sweepers.

Personal Protective Equipment

Where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means, Roehampton Cleaners will provide appropriate personal protective equipment, such as gloves, eye protection, masks, aprons and safety footwear. Employees must wear and use this equipment as instructed, look after it properly and report any loss or damage.

Replacement of worn or defective personal protective equipment will be arranged without delay to ensure ongoing protection for staff.

Manual Handling and Work at Height

Many cleaning tasks involve lifting, carrying or moving equipment and materials. Roehampton Cleaners will minimise manual handling risks through task planning, use of trolleys and lightweight tools, and by providing training in safe lifting techniques.

Any work at height, such as cleaning high surfaces or windows that cannot be reached from ground level, will only be undertaken using safe and appropriate access equipment. Improvised methods such as standing on furniture or unstable objects are strictly prohibited.

Health, Welfare and Training

Roehampton Cleaners recognises the importance of safeguarding both the physical and mental health of staff. Reasonable steps will be taken to prevent fatigue, ensure adequate breaks and support employees who raise health or wellbeing concerns related to their work.

All staff will receive induction training covering health and safety responsibilities, emergency procedures, hazard awareness and safe working practices. Additional training will be provided where tasks, chemical use or equipment demands more specialised knowledge.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to a supervisor as soon as possible. Roehampton Cleaners will record and investigate incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Emergency procedures for fire, evacuation, first aid and dealing with chemical spillages will be communicated to staff and, where necessary, coordinated with the arrangements in client premises. Employees must familiarise themselves with escape routes, assembly points and local safety rules at each site.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

Roehampton Cleaners will monitor health and safety performance through inspections, audits, incident analysis and feedback from staff and clients. This Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed at regular intervals, and whenever significant changes occur in our operations, to ensure it remains effective and up to date.

By working together and maintaining a strong safety culture, Roehampton Cleaners aims to deliver high quality cleaning services while protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone who may be affected by our work.