Workplace safety is far-reaching and office cleaning, hospital cleaning, and commercial kitchen cleaning all fall under its umbrella. Employers hold the burden of responsibility and must keep their employees safe.
All employers should conduct a workplace risk assessment to determine health and safety threats. The risk assessment should cover everything from tidiness to hygiene. The risks themselves might be trip and fall hazards due to a messy workspace, corridors, or stairs. Risks also include things that might make employees ill or sick, such as surfaces contaminated with bacteria or viruses.
If these risks are not counteracted, the consequences might be high absenteeism, compensation claims, or a loss of business. After all, a messy workplace visited by potential clients is going to help win a contract. So, for you, your team, and your business partners, office cleaning is vital.
Your Responsibility To Provide A Safe Workplace
The Health and Safety Executive lays out your responsibilities and obligations towards workplace cleaning. Many of these responsibilities are covered by law under the Workplace Regulations 1992 and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Many businesses will have reviewed and revised their workplace safety risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional safety measures, more frequent cleaning, and disinfecting are now a core part of any office cleaning and safety plan. These are particularly important where different people share equipment, desks, or facilities.
The Cleaning That Should Be Carried Out
Your basic office cleaning responsibilities include:
- Floors, stairs, internal walls, and ceilings must be clean
- Premises, furniture, and fittings must be clean
- Bins should be emptied on a regular schedule and rubbish removed
- Toilets, showers, and hand basins should be cleaned, and soap, toilet paper, and paper towels must be replenished
- Bins or containers must be provided for waste materials
- Spillages must be cleaned up promptly
- Kitchen worktops, tables, and appliances should be wiped down regularly
Your washrooms might also need to be stocked with other replenishable items, as identified in your workplace safety risk assessment. These items might include barrier cream, skin cleansers, or skin conditioning creams.
In response to the Coronavirus, your office cleaning should now include regular cleaning of :
- Frequently touched surfaces such as handrails, light switches, door handles, and taps
- Computer keyboards, touchscreens, phones, and monitors
- Kettles, microwaves, cupboards, fridges, and cookers
- Desks, workstations, platforms, office equipment, and machinery
You don’t need to do the office cleaning yourself or ask your employees. However, it is a good idea to introduce a cleanliness policy to ensure everyone is aware of good hygiene practices, especially with the pandemic. Instead, commercial cleaning by an experienced contractor should be arranged. The cleaning schedule can include periodic cleaning throughout the day and a deep clean of all frequently touched surfaces, at least once per day.
Ratcliffe Cleaning provides commercial space and office cleaning services with a highly trained team of cleaners supplied with all necessary equipment, cleaning supplies, and PPE.
Please contact our team today if you would like to get a price for ad-hoc or regular office cleaning.
