Cleaner Harrow Health and Safety Policy

Cleaner Harrow is committed to providing cleaning services in a way that safeguards the health, safety, and welfare of our employees, clients, visitors, contractors, and members of the public who may be affected by our work. We aim to meet or exceed all applicable health and safety requirements and to promote a positive safety culture across all cleaning activities.

Policy Aims and Objectives

The objective of this policy is to set out a clear framework for managing health and safety within Cleaner Harrow. We will identify and control risks associated with cleaning work, maintain safe systems of work, provide appropriate information and training, and continually review our arrangements to improve performance.

This policy applies to all employees, including part-time and temporary staff, as well as contractors and subcontractors engaged to provide services on behalf of Cleaner Harrow.

Management Responsibilities

Senior management holds overall responsibility for health and safety within Cleaner Harrow. Management will provide leadership, planning, and resources to ensure this policy is implemented effectively. This includes:

Setting clear health and safety objectives and integrating them into day-to-day operations.

Ensuring that risk assessments are completed, documented, and reviewed regularly for all cleaning activities and locations.

Providing and maintaining safe equipment, cleaning materials, and personal protective equipment.

Ensuring staff receive suitable information, instruction, and training to perform their duties safely.

Monitoring and reviewing health and safety performance and taking action where improvements are needed.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees of Cleaner Harrow have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. Employees are expected to:

Follow all health and safety procedures, instructions, and training provided.

Use equipment, materials, and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects without delay.

Report accidents, incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions so that corrective action can be taken.

Cooperate with management and supervisors to enable Cleaner Harrow to fulfil its health and safety responsibilities.

Refrain from interfering with or misusing anything provided in the interests of health, safety, and welfare.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Cleaner Harrow will identify significant hazards associated with cleaning tasks, such as slips and trips, work at height, manual handling, electrical safety, lone working, and exposure to cleaning substances. For each work activity and site, risk assessments will be undertaken and reviewed regularly or when circumstances change.

Findings from risk assessments will be used to develop safe systems of work, method statements, and site-specific instructions. These will be communicated clearly to staff and, where appropriate, to clients and contractors. Work must not proceed if safe systems are not in place or if conditions make it unsafe to continue.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Cleaning chemicals and other hazardous substances will be managed through suitable control procedures. This includes:

Obtaining and maintaining safety data sheets for all relevant products.

Completing and reviewing control of substances hazardous to health assessments for their use and storage.

Ensuring chemicals are stored securely, clearly labelled, and kept in original containers wherever possible.

Providing appropriate personal protective equipment and ensuring staff are trained in safe handling, dilution, application, and disposal of chemicals.

Substituting hazardous substances with less hazardous alternatives where reasonably practicable.

Training, Information, and Supervision

Cleaner Harrow will provide induction and ongoing training to ensure staff understand how to carry out cleaning tasks safely. Training will cover, as relevant:

General health and safety awareness and emergency procedures.

Safe use of cleaning equipment, including electrical appliances and access equipment.

Manual handling techniques to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury.

Safe use and management of cleaning chemicals and other hazardous substances.

Site-specific risks and controls for the premises where services are provided.

Supervision will be provided appropriate to the competence and experience of each employee. Records of training and competence will be maintained and updated as necessary.

Accident, Incident, and Near Miss Reporting

All accidents, incidents, and near misses must be reported to management as soon as possible. Cleaner Harrow will investigate these events to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

An accident reporting procedure will be maintained, and records will be kept in line with legal and organisational requirements. Lessons learned from investigations will be communicated to relevant staff and incorporated into risk assessments and training where appropriate.

Welfare, First Aid, and Emergency Procedures

Cleaner Harrow recognises the importance of welfare facilities and first aid arrangements. Staff will have access to suitable welfare provisions at the locations where they work, either provided by the client or Cleaner Harrow.

Appropriate first aid equipment will be made available, and designated personnel will be trained to provide first aid support. Emergency procedures, including fire safety, evacuation routes, and assembly points, will be communicated to staff working at client premises. Staff must familiarise themselves with site-specific emergency information before work begins.

Lone Working and Personal Security

Where cleaning activities require lone working, Cleaner Harrow will assess the risks and implement practical measures to protect the health and safety of employees. This may include check-in procedures, communication arrangements, and limits on the type of work that can be carried out alone.

Employees are expected to follow lone working procedures, remain aware of their surroundings, and report any concerns regarding security or personal safety.

Consultation and Continuous Improvement

Cleaner Harrow is committed to consulting with employees on health and safety matters and encouraging feedback on ways to improve working practices. Suggestions for improvements are welcomed and will be considered by management.

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, and whenever there are significant changes in legislation, operations, or identified risks. Updated versions will be communicated to all employees and made available to clients upon request.

By implementing this policy and working together, Cleaner Harrow aims to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone involved in or affected by our cleaning services.