Health and Safety Policy for Harringay Cleaners

Harringay Cleaners is committed to providing professional cleaning services in a manner that safeguards the health, safety and welfare of our employees, clients, contractors and members of the public. This Health and Safety Policy explains our approach to managing risks associated with cleaning activities across all properties and premises we attend.

Policy Aims and Objectives

The primary aim of this policy is to prevent accidents, injuries and work-related ill health arising from our cleaning operations. Our objectives are to identify and control hazards, provide appropriate training and supervision, use safe systems of work and maintain a culture where health and safety is a core priority in every task.

We recognise our legal and moral responsibilities and seek to exceed minimum standards where reasonably practicable. Health and safety considerations are integrated into planning, resourcing and delivering all cleaning services.

Management Responsibilities

Company management has overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this policy. Management will ensure that health and safety risks are assessed, that suitable control measures are in place and that they are reviewed regularly. The company will provide appropriate information, instruction, training and equipment so that employees can carry out their work safely.

Managers and supervisors must lead by example, promote safe behaviour, investigate incidents and near misses, and take prompt action where improvements are needed. They are responsible for ensuring that staff follow agreed procedures and understand their individual responsibilities.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Employees must follow all instructions, safe systems of work and training provided by Harringay Cleaners and must not misuse or interfere with anything provided for health and safety purposes.

Staff must report hazards, defects, accidents, near misses and any concerns about working conditions to their supervisor without delay. Employees are expected to use personal protective equipment correctly, handle chemicals safely and cooperate fully with risk assessments and health and safety initiatives.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Harringay Cleaners carries out risk assessments for all significant hazards arising from cleaning tasks, including but not limited to manual handling, slips and trips, use of cleaning chemicals, electrical equipment, working at height and lone working. These assessments inform safe systems of work that are communicated to staff and reviewed regularly.

Before beginning work at a new site or when there are changes to existing premises or tasks, a site-specific assessment will be carried out where necessary. Control measures may include method statements, restricted access, segregation of work areas, timing of tasks to avoid public contact and the use of appropriate equipment and protective clothing.

Chemical Safety and Control of Substances

Cleaning agents and other substances used by Harringay Cleaners are selected and used in accordance with manufacturer instructions and relevant safety data. Risk assessments are undertaken for substances that pose a hazard to health, and appropriate control measures are implemented to minimise exposure.

Employees are trained in safe storage, handling, dilution and disposal of cleaning products. Containers are clearly labelled, and chemicals are never decanted into unmarked bottles. Adequate ventilation is ensured wherever chemicals are used, and substances are never mixed unless the product information explicitly confirms it is safe to do so.

Personal Protective Equipment

Where risks cannot be eliminated by other means, Harringay Cleaners will provide suitable personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, eye protection, footwear or protective clothing. Employees are required to wear the PPE provided for relevant tasks and to maintain it in good condition.

Any damaged or defective PPE must be reported immediately so that it can be replaced. Training is given on the correct selection, fitting, use and storage of PPE to ensure it provides the intended level of protection.

Equipment, Tools and Maintenance

All cleaning equipment, including vacuum cleaners, floor machines, extension poles and electrical tools, is selected with safety in mind and is maintained in a safe working condition. Regular inspections, servicing and testing are carried out in line with manufacturer recommendations and legal requirements.

Employees must use equipment only for its intended purpose and in accordance with training and instructions. Faulty equipment must be taken out of use immediately and reported so that repairs or replacements can be arranged.

Working Environment and Housekeeping

Safe, tidy and well-organised work areas are essential to prevent slips, trips, falls and other accidents. Staff are expected to adopt good housekeeping standards, including prompt cleaning of spills, safe routing of cables, appropriate placement of warning signs and careful storage of equipment and materials.

Where work is carried out in shared or public spaces, Harringay Cleaners will take additional steps to minimise risks to building occupants and visitors, such as scheduling certain tasks outside busy periods and using barriers or signage to alert people to cleaning in progress.

Training, Information and Supervision

Harringay Cleaners provides health and safety induction training to all new employees, along with task-specific training relevant to their duties. Ongoing refresher training is arranged as needed, particularly when new equipment, products or methods are introduced.

Supervision levels are set according to the competence and experience of staff and the risk profile of the work. Written procedures and guidance are provided to reinforce verbal instruction and ensure consistency across all sites.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

All accidents, injuries, near misses and dangerous occurrences must be reported promptly so they can be recorded, investigated and used to improve safety controls. Harringay Cleaners maintains appropriate records and, where required, will report certain incidents to the relevant authorities.

Employees are informed about emergency procedures for fire, evacuation, first aid and other potential incidents at each site they attend. Staff must cooperate with client procedures and must know how to raise the alarm, where to assemble and who to contact in an emergency.

Client Cooperation and Shared Responsibilities

Harringay Cleaners recognises that health and safety is a shared responsibility with our clients. We expect clients to provide information about site-specific risks, access arrangements, emergency procedures and any restrictions affecting our work. In turn, we share relevant information about our activities and the measures we have in place.

By working together and communicating openly, we aim to maintain safe environments in all residential, commercial and specialist cleaning settings across our service areas.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

This Health and Safety Policy is monitored on an ongoing basis through inspections, audits, incident reviews and staff feedback. Where shortcomings are identified, corrective actions will be implemented without delay.

The policy is formally reviewed at regular intervals, or sooner if there are significant changes in legislation, our operations, premises or organisational structure. Harringay Cleaners is committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance and encourages all employees and clients to contribute ideas for safer ways of working.