Merton Cleaners Health and Safety Policy

Merton Cleaners is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, clients and visitors. This policy sets out our approach to managing health and safety risks arising from our cleaning services in offices, residential properties and commercial premises.

Health and safety is an integral part of how we operate. We aim to prevent injury and ill health, comply with relevant health and safety legislation and continually improve our standards through planning, training and regular review.

Management Responsibilities

The management of Merton Cleaners has overall responsibility for ensuring that effective health and safety arrangements are in place and maintained. This includes providing appropriate resources, information, instruction and supervision so that employees can carry out their duties safely.

Managers will lead by example, promote a positive health and safety culture and ensure that safe systems of work are developed, implemented and reviewed. They are responsible for carrying out risk assessments, taking action to control identified risks and monitoring compliance with this policy.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees of Merton Cleaners share responsibility for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions. Employees must follow the training and instructions provided, use equipment and materials safely and cooperate fully with all health and safety procedures.

Employees are required to report accidents, incidents, near misses, hazards and any health and safety concerns to their supervisor or manager as soon as practicable. They must not misuse or interfere with anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare.

Risk Assessment and Safe Working Practices

Merton Cleaners will identify and assess risks associated with cleaning activities, including the use of cleaning chemicals, manual handling tasks, operation of equipment, lone working and work in client premises. Risk assessments will be documented where appropriate and reviewed regularly or when circumstances change.

Safe working practices will be developed on the basis of these assessments. Employees will be informed of the relevant procedures for the tasks they perform, including how to prepare work areas, how to use tools and materials safely and how to deal with hazards they may encounter at client sites.

Use of Cleaning Chemicals and Substances

The company recognises that cleaning agents and substances must be managed carefully to prevent harm. Only approved products may be used and they must always be handled in line with the manufacturer instructions and our internal procedures.

Where necessary, information on the safe use, storage and disposal of cleaning substances will be provided. Employees must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment when handling chemicals and ensure that containers are clearly labelled, closed after use and stored securely away from unauthorised persons, food and ignition sources.

Equipment, Tools and Materials

Merton Cleaners will provide suitable and maintained equipment for cleaning tasks, such as vacuum cleaners, mops, buckets, floor machines and specialist tools. All equipment must be inspected regularly and any defects reported immediately so that repairs or replacements can be arranged.

Employees must only use equipment for its intended purpose and in accordance with the training provided. Cables and equipment should be positioned to avoid trip hazards and, where practicable, warning signs should be used to alert others to work in progress, particularly during floor cleaning and wet mopping.

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, eye protection, safety shoes or aprons, will be supplied where risk assessments identify a need. Employees are required to use the equipment provided, keep it in good condition and report any loss or damage promptly so that it can be replaced.

Personal protective equipment is considered a last line of defence and does not remove the need for sensible work planning, good housekeeping and safe use of products and tools.

Work at Client Premises

Merton Cleaners recognises that many cleaning tasks are carried out in premises that we do not control. We will cooperate with clients to understand and manage site-specific risks and follow any reasonable health and safety rules they have in place.

Employees must familiarise themselves with emergency procedures, such as fire exits and assembly points, when working at a client site. They must keep work areas tidy, avoid blocking corridors, exits and access routes and take care to protect clients, visitors and the public from slips, trips and other hazards arising from our work.

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures

Merton Cleaners is committed to learning from accidents, incidents and near misses to prevent recurrence. All such events must be reported promptly to management and recorded. Where necessary, investigations will be carried out to identify underlying causes and implement corrective actions.

Employees must follow emergency procedures, including evacuation instructions, fire safety rules and first aid arrangements. When using wet cleaning methods, wet floor signs must be placed clearly and removed only when the area is completely dry and safe.

Health, Welfare and Training

The company will take reasonable steps to safeguard the health and welfare of employees, including measures to address fatigue, lone working and occupational health risks associated with cleaning duties. Employees are encouraged to raise any concerns about their health that may be affected by their work activities.

Appropriate health and safety training will be provided on induction and refreshed periodically. This may include safe manual handling, correct use of chemicals and equipment, use of personal protective equipment and awareness of site-specific rules. Additional training will be given whenever new processes or products are introduced.

Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

Merton Cleaners will monitor compliance with this policy through supervision, site visits, inspections and review of incident reports. Feedback from employees and clients will be considered in order to improve our health and safety performance.

This health and safety policy will be reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to reflect changes in legislation, best practice or the nature of our cleaning services. All employees will be informed of any significant changes to ensure that the policy remains understood and effectively implemented across the business.