Health and safety for industrial cleaners
Protecting the health and safety of your employees is a legal responsibility for any employer, no matter what your staff’s roles and responsibilities, or your business sector. However, ensuring health and safety at work in the industrial cleaning industry is particularly vital, and this is due to the various hazards an industrial cleaner may face on a daily basis. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and industrial workwear is a must, and should be a priority for your health and safety processes.
Putting the right safety measures in place can help ensure the necessary protection and level of health and safety for industrial cleaners. Here are some of the steps you should take to ensure health and safety of your workers and members of the general public in the industrial cleaning industry…
Why is health and safety for industrial cleaners important?
This is because Industrial cleaners are required to clean various interior and exterior parts of a building, from the floors to the windows, and everything in between. As a result, some of the most obvious potential hazards industrial cleaners need to be aware of are using harsh chemical cleaning products, and working at height or on a slippery surface (such as a freshly mopped floor). However, your other employees and any members of the general public that visit your building can also be put at risk if you don’t take appropriate measures to implement the correct health and safety procedures on site.
The Health and Safety at Work Act
There are clear guidelines for employers to protect their employees at work. PPE supplies are part of your obligation to your employees and customers under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Protective clothing, high vis work clothing, PPE signs and protective equipment, such as PPE goggles may all be required to ensure the personal safety of your employees. These items can be included as part of your staff uniform with custom workwear embroidery.
The guidance for domestic cleaners isn’t as detailed as it is for those cleaning in workplaces and healthcare settings. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been guidance released to help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses in general, which includes COVID. The government guidelines for domestic cleaners applies if they employed by a company and therefore work for the company as an employee. For those who are self-employed cleaners, they are not covered under employment laws because they work for themselves, and therefore will be responsible for supplying their own PPE.
Personal protective equipment for working at height
Industrial cleaners are often required to work at height when cleaning windows and exterior areas of a building, and one of the biggest risks they face doing this is slipping and falling. This can cause serious injuries, permanent disability, and even death if the fall is from a height of 2 or more metres. Staff need to be guarded from falls and the risk of being hit by moving and falling objects with protective clothing, and health and safety equipment.
Although the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that employees should avoid working at height whenever possible, this isn’t always feasible for industrial cleaners who are required to complete tasks such as cleaning windows and other exterior areas of a building. In these cases, there are a number of precautions you should take to protect your employees with protective clothing and personal safety procedures, such as not overloading ladders or using them for extended periods. They should also be anchored with a restraint system, and be supplied with the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), including helmets and high visibility workwear.
Health and safety equipment for working with chemicals
Industrial cleaners often have their hands wet for an extended period of time (which can lead to dermatitis), and they’re also required to handle chemical cleaning products. If these come into contact with your skin and eyes, they can cause irritation and skin allergies, with symptoms including rashes, itching, and a burning sensation. Corrosive ingredients in chemical cleaners also have the potential to cause serious burns, and breathing in certain chemicals can also irritate your nose and throat, and increase your risk of developing asthma.
To protect the health and safety of employees that work with chemical cleaning products, you should prevent it coming into contact with their skin by storing the chemicals securely, and providing workers with appropriate health and safety clothing, such as gloves, aprons, and PPE goggles. Rooms should also be well ventilated during cleaning, and you should encourage your cleaners to wash their hands regularly.
PPE for working with slippery surfaces
Without personal protective equipment, cleaning hard floors and pavements has the potential to cause injury, not just to the worker completing the task, but to other employees and any members of the general public that visit your premises. Slips, trips, and falls can cost your business money if you don’t take appropriate health and safety steps to prevent them, and they make up around 40% of all reported major injuries in the workplace. Unfortunately, these can be easily caused by wet surfaces from cleaning, as well as loose wires and cleaning equipment.
One of the easiest ways to prevent slips, trips and falls during cleaning is to clearly display PPE signs, such as ‘Wet Floor’ and ensure that this isn’t removed until the area has dried, and the slip risk has been eliminated. Your cleaners should also be provided with appropriate protective work clothing, like slip-resistant footwear and, if possible, cleaning should be carried out at times when your premises are the least busy.
Top tips for safe cleaning
Employers have a duty of care to protect their cleaners, through supplying PPE and ensuring workplaces are managed safely. The use of signs and protective equipment can prevent a range of accidents and save lives too.
But cleaners themselves have a responsibility to take care of themselves while cleaning. Some health and safety essentials include:
Make sure you’ve had thorough training from your employer, especially when working with dangerous substances or in healthcare settings.
There are processes and procedures to follow, such as using the appropriate waste disposal methods to dispose of waste safely. Familiarise yourself with these and ask questions if you have any concerns or doubts.
Always wear PPE. Certain jobs or tasks may require different types of PPE. Gloves and protective clothing are among some of the most common types of PPE for cleaners, but there may be other items that your employer decides are essential.
Inspect your PPE before beginning a job to make sure it is free from damage. Holes in gloves for example could be a health and safety risk and should be managed accordingly.
Maintain a clear and hazard-free work area. You don’t want to run the risk of slips and trips, which could put people into contact with hazardous material.
Always follow the directions for the cleaning products you have been given. Every product should be labelled properly, and if you’re unsure of the contents or a container or it has become damaged, look for an alternative and cease using the unknown product.
Follow your workplace health and safety procedures in the event of an accident.
PPE for cleaners with phs Besafe
At phs Besafe, we understand the needs of different workplaces to help ensure a safe workplace. Providing PPE for industrial cleaners helps ensure workers stay safe, so you can meet your obligations as an employer. Safe cleaning starts with the right health and safety procedures, with PPE being top of the list.
Our workwear safety equipment includes a range of products designed for different work environments. We also provide an exceptional laundry service which ensures your garments are collected, cleaned, and delivered so you can feel confident your employees have what they need to do their jobs safely.