Cleaner Hounslow Health and Safety Policy

Cleaner Hounslow is committed to providing a safe and healthy 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 the principles and procedures that guide our work across homes, offices and commercial premises in our service area.

We recognise our responsibilities under relevant health and safety legislation and accepted industry standards. We aim to prevent accidents, injuries and ill health arising from our operations and to continually improve our health and safety performance.

Policy Aims

The aims of this policy are to:

Promote a positive health and safety culture throughout Cleaner Hounslow.

Identify, assess and control risks associated with our cleaning services.

Provide clear instructions, safe systems of work, training and supervision.

Ensure work equipment, cleaning chemicals and materials are used and maintained safely.

Protect the health, safety and welfare of our employees, clients and others affected by our work.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Cleaner Hounslow is responsible for implementing and maintaining this policy. This includes:

Providing adequate resources to meet health and safety commitments.

Ensuring that risk assessments are carried out for all key tasks and work environments.

Establishing safe working procedures and ensuring they are communicated and followed.

Providing appropriate personal protective equipment and ensuring it is used correctly.

Monitoring health and safety performance and taking corrective action where necessary.

Reviewing this policy regularly and updating it to reflect changes in legislation, best practice and the nature of our work.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees of Cleaner Hounslow share responsibility for achieving high standards of health and safety. Employees are expected to:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.

Follow all safe systems of work, procedures and instructions provided by the company and by clients on their premises.

Use personal protective equipment as instructed and report any defects or issues.

Report accidents, incidents, near misses, hazards and unsafe conditions without delay.

Participate in health and safety training and refreshers as required.

Refrain from reckless or unauthorised behaviour that could put themselves or others at risk.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Cleaner Hounslow undertakes risk assessments for core cleaning activities and for specific client sites where appropriate. These assessments cover, as relevant:

Use of cleaning chemicals and substances.

Manual handling tasks such as lifting, carrying and moving equipment or waste.

Use of ladders and other access equipment for high-level cleaning.

Slip, trip and fall hazards created during cleaning operations.

Use of electrical cleaning equipment.

Working alone or outside normal business hours.

Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to work methods, equipment, premises or legislation. Control measures are built into our safe systems of work and communicated to staff through instructions and training.

Chemicals and COSHH

Cleaning chemicals and substances are managed in line with recognised Control of Substances Hazardous to Health principles. Cleaner Hounslow will:

Select suitable products that are effective while minimising risk to health and the environment.

Obtain and retain safety data sheets for all hazardous substances used.

Carry out assessments for relevant substances, identifying necessary controls and protective equipment.

Ensure chemicals are stored, handled, diluted, used and disposed of safely and in accordance with manufacturer guidance.

Provide training to staff on the safe use of chemicals and what to do in case of spills or exposure.

Training, Information and Supervision

Cleaner Hounslow provides appropriate health and safety training for all employees, including:

Induction training for new starters, covering company rules, emergency procedures and core safety practices.

Task-specific training on the safe use of equipment, chemicals and cleaning methods.

Manual handling, slips and trips prevention, and working at height where relevant.

Refresher training to maintain skills and awareness.

Supervision is provided commensurate with the level of risk and the competence of the employee. Information about site-specific risks and client procedures is shared before work starts and updated when necessary.

Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment

All work equipment used by Cleaner Hounslow, such as vacuum cleaners, floor machines and other tools, is selected, maintained and inspected to ensure it is safe for use. Employees must use equipment only for its intended purpose and report faults immediately.

Cleaner Hounslow provides personal protective equipment where required by risk assessment. This may include gloves, eye protection, masks or respiratory protection, safety footwear or other items as appropriate. Employees must use PPE correctly, keep it in good condition and report any damage or defects.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, work-related ill health, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported to management as soon as possible. Cleaner Hounslow will investigate incidents to determine causes and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

Employees are informed of emergency procedures for both company premises and client sites, including fire safety, evacuation routes and assembly points. Staff must follow client emergency instructions while working on their premises.

Client Premises and Cooperation

Cleaner Hounslow recognises that our services are delivered at client sites and that cooperation is essential for effective health and safety management. We will:

Respect and follow all reasonable client health and safety policies and site rules.

Coordinate activities with client representatives to avoid creating additional risks.

Communicate any hazards identified during our work that may affect the client, their staff or visitors.

Work with clients to plan tasks that may involve higher risk, such as working at height or out-of-hours work.

Monitoring, Review and Improvement

Cleaner Hounslow monitors compliance with this Health and Safety Policy through supervision, inspections, incident reviews and feedback from staff and clients. We are committed to continuous improvement and will use monitoring findings to enhance our procedures, training and controls.

This policy is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains suitable, effective and aligned with our cleaning operations and legal responsibilities. Updates are communicated to all employees and implemented as part of our normal management processes.

By working together and following this Health and Safety Policy, Cleaner Hounslow seeks to deliver reliable, high-quality cleaning services while protecting the wellbeing of everyone affected by our work.