Greenwich Cleaners Health and Safety Policy

Greenwich Cleaners is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, clients, visitors and anyone who may be affected by our cleaning activities. This Health and Safety policy sets out our aims, responsibilities and arrangements for managing health and safety in our operations across residential, commercial and specialist cleaning services.

Policy Statement

Our objective is to prevent accidents, work-related ill health and incidents by identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing effective control measures. We will comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and recognised industry standards that apply to cleaning services. We will review this policy regularly to ensure it remains current, suitable and effective.

Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone within Greenwich Cleaners. Management will provide leadership, resources and support, and all employees are required to work safely, follow instructions and report concerns without delay.

Management Responsibilities

Senior management at Greenwich Cleaners accepts overall responsibility for health and safety. This includes ensuring that:

Suitable and sufficient risk assessments are completed for all regular and one-off cleaning tasks, including work at height, use of chemicals, manual handling and operation of machinery. Safe systems of work and method statements are developed, communicated and followed. Employees receive appropriate induction, instruction, training and supervision to perform their duties safely and competently. Only suitable and well-maintained equipment, tools and cleaning machinery are provided for use. Personal protective equipment is supplied where required and used correctly. Health and safety performance is monitored through inspections, incident reporting and periodic reviews.

Management will regularly review the effectiveness of this policy, taking account of new legislation, client requirements, technological developments and feedback from employees and clients.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees of Greenwich Cleaners have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work. Employees must:

Follow all safety instructions, training and procedures provided by the company. Use equipment, cleaning products and materials only for their intended purpose and in accordance with training and instructions. Wear and correctly use any personal protective equipment that is provided. Report hazards, near misses, accidents and unsafe conditions immediately to a supervisor or manager. Avoid horseplay, misuse of equipment or any behaviour that could increase risk. Cooperate with workplace inspections, investigations and any health and safety improvement measures.

Failure to comply with health and safety requirements may result in disciplinary action, as safety is fundamental to our cleaning operations and to our reputation as a responsible employer and service provider.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Greenwich Cleaners conducts risk assessments for routine and non-routine cleaning activities in homes, offices and other premises. These assessments identify significant hazards such as slips and trips, electrical equipment, moving and handling of heavy items, exposure to cleaning chemicals and working in occupied environments.

From these assessments, we develop safe working procedures and method statements that specify how tasks must be carried out, including preparation, equipment setup, use of warning signs, safe access routes, storage of materials and waste disposal. Employees are trained in these procedures and are not permitted to deviate from them without authorisation and further assessment.

Use of Chemicals and Hazardous Substances

Many cleaning products contain substances that can present risks if not handled correctly. Greenwich Cleaners manages these risks by:

Selecting cleaning products that are suitable, effective and, where possible, lower risk. Maintaining up-to-date information on the hazards associated with each product and ensuring it is accessible to employees. Providing training on safe handling, dilution, application, storage and disposal of chemicals. Requiring the use of appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection or masks where identified by risk assessment. Ensuring containers are clearly labelled and that products are never mixed unless specifically instructed by the manufacturer and supported by risk assessment.

Spillages, leaks or accidental exposure must be reported immediately so that appropriate first aid and clean-up actions can be taken.

Equipment, Machinery and Personal Protective Equipment

Greenwich Cleaners ensures that all cleaning equipment and machinery such as vacuum cleaners, floor machines and steam cleaners are suitable for their intended use, properly maintained and inspected at appropriate intervals. Faulty or damaged equipment must not be used and must be reported promptly for repair or replacement.

Where risk assessments show that personal protective equipment is necessary, it will be provided at no cost to employees. This may include gloves, safety footwear, high-visibility clothing, masks or eye protection. Employees must use this equipment as instructed, keep it in good condition and report any defects or losses without delay.

Manual Handling and Work at Height

Cleaning work can involve lifting, carrying and moving equipment, waste or furniture. Greenwich Cleaners aims to avoid or reduce manual handling where possible by using trolleys, wheeled containers and lighter equipment. When manual handling cannot be avoided, employees receive training in safe techniques to minimise risk of injury.

Work at height, such as using steps or ladders for high-level dusting or window cleaning, is carefully controlled. Only suitable access equipment is used, and employees must follow training on safe setup, use and storage. Improvised access methods are strictly prohibited.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, incidents, near misses and cases of work-related ill health must be reported in line with company procedures. Greenwich Cleaners investigates incidents to identify root causes and implement corrective actions, with the aim of preventing recurrence.

Employees are briefed on emergency arrangements relevant to the sites where they work, including fire evacuation procedures, first aid arrangements and incident reporting routes. They must cooperate fully with site-specific rules and instructions issued by clients or building managers.

Consultation, Training and Continuous Improvement

Greenwich Cleaners recognises that effective health and safety management depends on open communication and ongoing improvement. We provide regular training and refresher sessions on core topics such as safe cleaning methods, manual handling, chemical safety and use of personal protective equipment.

Employees are encouraged to raise suggestions and concerns related to health and safety. Feedback is welcomed and used to improve procedures, training materials and equipment selection. Regular reviews of this policy and our risk control measures ensure they remain appropriate for the changing nature of our cleaning services and client environments.

This Health and Safety policy is endorsed by the management of Greenwich Cleaners and applies to all staff and activities carried out in the course of our cleaning services.