Health and Safety is a vital key in running a Cleaning Company successfully. The Cleaning Industry is a high-risk area for work related ill health and injury, and regulations are put in place for exactly that reason. As an employer you are responsible for ensuring the Health and Safety of everyone who may be affected by your work. The benefits of implementing Health and safety procedures and guidelines at work are not confined to simply meeting the requirements of the relevant Legislations. Having such procedures in place in each of your contracts will not only mean that you can be safe in the knowledge that you are protecting the health and safety of your employees and others who may be affected by your operations, but will also mean that your reputation as a professional and trustworthy company is protected.

For Cleaning Companies in the early stages of business this can be a daunting task. By reading the following advice you can start to think about ways in which you can manage your cleaning contracts and staff in an effective way.

When visiting a new site on quoting for a contract ask yourself – Is the site a safe place to work? Do you have any concerns about access, ventilation, and storage? Premises that are cluttered with obstacles will not only affect the ease to which your staff can carry out their tasks, but can pose fire risks, trip hazards and other potential dangers to your staff. Remember – they are your responsibility. You have a duty of care to them and cannot put them at risk.

Are your employees fully trained, competent and confident in carrying out their work in the safest possible way? All of your employees should be familiar with your company's Health and Safety Policy, emergency procedures, Method Statements, COSHH assessments and safe working practices such as storage of chemicals, materials and equipment, and the means of disposal for certain chemicals. Remember – this is not just a matter of providing documentation, all staff must fully understand all aspects of Health and Safety in their work. This is a particular problem for employees who may have English as a second language, or anyone who, for whatever reason has difficultly understanding written English. If you know or suspect that this may be the case for any of your employees, then consider the provision of Health and Safety documentation in picture format for them, as well as lengthier and heavily supervised training sessions. Always make special considerations for those who may be vulnerable through inexperience, age, disability, and in their ability to understand written and/or spoken English. It is your responsibility to ensure that all your employees fully understand all aspects of Health and Safety. This will be continued in part 2.