Brentford Cleaners Health and Safety Policy

Brentford Cleaners is committed to providing cleaning services in a way that protects the health, safety, and welfare of our employees, clients, visitors, and members of the public. This Health and Safety policy sets out our objectives, responsibilities, and key procedures that guide our operations on every cleaning assignment.

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

We recognise that cleaning activities can involve specific hazards, including the use of chemicals, manual handling, and working in a variety of domestic and commercial environments. Our policy is to identify and control these risks as far as is reasonably practicable, and to continuously improve our health and safety performance through monitoring, review, and staff engagement.

Brentford Cleaners will ensure that adequate resources are provided to implement this policy effectively and that health and safety is integrated into our daily planning, supervision, and delivery of services.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Brentford Cleaners is responsible for leading by example and promoting a positive health and safety culture across the company. This includes:

Setting clear health and safety objectives and ensuring they are communicated to all staff. Ensuring that risk assessments are carried out, maintained, and updated for all key tasks, locations, and equipment. Providing appropriate training, information, and supervision so employees can work safely and competently. Ensuring that safe systems of work and method statements are developed, implemented, and reviewed as required. Investigating accidents, incidents, and near misses to identify root causes and prevent recurrence. Ensuring that all legal and regulatory requirements relating to health and safety are met or exceeded in the delivery of our cleaning services.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees of Brentford Cleaners share responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment. Employees must:

Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. Follow all company procedures, safe systems of work, and training instructions provided. Use equipment, chemicals, and personal protective equipment correctly and report any defects immediately. Cooperate with management in fulfilling health and safety requirements, including attending training and participating in risk assessments where requested. Report hazards, unsafe practices, accidents, incidents, and near misses without delay so that corrective action can be taken.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

Brentford Cleaners conducts risk assessments for all significant cleaning tasks and environments in which we operate. This includes domestic properties, offices, communal areas, and other client premises. Risk assessments identify potential hazards, evaluate who may be harmed and how, and specify the control measures required to reduce risks to an acceptable level.

From these assessments, we develop safe systems of work that set out how cleaning activities must be carried out. These systems cover issues such as access and egress, use of ladders and step stools, working around other trades or building users, safe storage of cleaning materials, and the protection of client property.

Chemical Safety and COSHH

The safe use, storage, and disposal of cleaning chemicals is a core element of our Health and Safety policy. Brentford Cleaners selects cleaning products that are appropriate for the task and, wherever possible, aims to use products with lower health and environmental impact while still delivering effective results.

We maintain relevant safety information for the chemicals we use. Staff are trained in correct dilution, application, and disposal methods, as well as in the importance of avoiding mixing incompatible products. Chemicals are only stored in labelled containers and are kept secure when not in use, especially in shared or domestic premises.

Personal Protective Equipment

Brentford Cleaners provides suitable personal protective equipment where required by risk assessment. This may include items such as gloves, masks, aprons, eye protection, or non-slip footwear. Employees are required to use the protective equipment provided, maintain it in good condition, and report any defects or loss promptly so it can be replaced.

Manual Handling and Equipment Use

Manual handling tasks, such as moving cleaning equipment, waste bags, or furniture, can present risks if not managed correctly. We provide instruction in safe lifting techniques and encourage staff to avoid unnecessary manual handling, use mechanical aids where available, and seek assistance when items are heavy or awkward.

All equipment used by Brentford Cleaners, including vacuum cleaners, carpet machines, and other tools, must be kept in safe working order. Equipment is regularly checked, and any faulty items are taken out of service until they can be repaired or replaced. Staff are trained not to attempt repairs beyond their competence and to immediately report any damage or defect.

Working in Client Premises

When working in client properties, our employees are expected to respect the environment and follow any site-specific rules that may apply. This includes managing trip hazards from cables and equipment, maintaining good housekeeping during cleaning, and ensuring all areas are left safe, clean, and secure on completion of work.

Brentford Cleaners will liaise with clients where necessary to coordinate health and safety arrangements, including access times, fire safety information, and any specific risks associated with the property.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

Employees must report all accidents, injuries, ill health related to work, and near misses as soon as they occur. This helps us to learn from events, take corrective action, and monitor trends. Appropriate records are maintained and reviewed periodically.

Staff are briefed on emergency procedures relevant to the locations in which they work, including fire safety, evacuation routes, and how to summon assistance. First aid arrangements are in place and employees are made aware of how to access first aid where it is provided on site.

Training, Communication, and Review

Brentford Cleaners provides induction and ongoing health and safety training appropriate to employees roles and the tasks they carry out. This training is refreshed as needed, particularly when there are changes in work methods, equipment, or legal requirements.

Health and safety information is communicated through briefings, written instructions, and supervision. We encourage feedback from employees and clients on any aspect of safety so we can continuously improve our practices.

This Health and Safety policy is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in our operations, best practice, or applicable requirements. The latest version is made available to all employees and to clients upon request.