Health and Safety Policy

Statement of intent

FitzPro Cleaning Limited is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its workers and anyone who may be affected by its cleaning activities, including clients, visitors, contractors and members of the public.

We will plan and carry out work so that risks are eliminated where reasonably practicable and otherwise controlled. A clean result must be achieved through suitable methods, equipment and working conditions. We will provide the resources, information, instruction, training and supervision needed for the work we accept.

We will consult our workers, listen to concerns and encourage reporting of hazards, near misses and incidents. No one should feel pressured to continue a task when the agreed controls are missing or circumstances make the work unsafe. Workers must stop, make the area safe where they can do so without risk, and contact the responsible person for advice.

Our responsibilities include assessing risks, managing hazardous substances, maintaining equipment, making suitable welfare and emergency arrangements, protecting people around the work and reviewing how effectively our controls operate. We will cooperate with clients about their premises and site rules without transferring away our own responsibilities.

This policy applies to our office, hospitality and agreed end of tenancy cleaning activities. Specialist work will only be accepted after its risks, competence, equipment and other necessary arrangements have been assessed.

Responsibility and review

The director retains overall responsibility for this policy. Operational responsibilities, competent advice and escalation contacts must be assigned before cleaning work starts and communicated to the people carrying out that work. Personal staff contact details are held in controlled operational records.

Review at least annually and sooner following an incident, a significant change to work, new equipment or substances, or relevant changes in requirements. The director remains accountable where duties are delegated. The policy and changes will be communicated to everyone affected.

Responsibilities

The director will approve this policy, allocate time and resources, obtain competent advice, review significant risks and incidents, and ensure that insurance and other business arrangements relevant to the work are checked.

The person coordinating operations will assess each new job, agree access and emergency information with the client, select suitable methods and products, allocate competent people, provide task briefings and keep the required records. They will check that work remains within the agreed scope and escalate any change that introduces additional risk.

Supervisors or the nominated person for a visit will check conditions before work begins, make sure controls and supplies are available, monitor the work and record concerns or unfinished tasks. On a one-person job, the assigned cleaner must still have a named contact and escalation arrangement.

Workers will follow instructions and assessments, use equipment and protective items correctly, take reasonable care of themselves and others, report defects and incidents promptly, and avoid tasks they are not trained or authorised to undertake. They will tell the responsible person about circumstances affecting safe work so suitable adjustments can be considered confidentially.

Approved subcontractors must demonstrate appropriate competence and arrangements for their scope, receive site information and cooperate with FitzPro and the client. Their use does not remove the need to coordinate risks.

Assessing the job

Before starting a new site, we will identify the tasks, people exposed and reasonably foreseeable hazards, including interaction with occupants, visitors and other contractors. We will document the relevant findings and controls, assign responsibilities and brief the people doing the work. Where a task needs a written safe method, this will accompany the assessment.

Before each visit, the cleaner will check for changes such as damaged floors, unexpected occupants, spillages, blocked access, defective equipment or unknown substances. Significant changes require work to pause and the assessment to be reviewed. Assessments will also be reviewed after incidents and when evidence suggests controls are ineffective.

We will agree service times, restricted areas, access and key arrangements, welfare, fire procedures and first-aid contacts with the client. We will consider individual needs, including new and expectant mothers, young workers, disabilities and language or literacy needs.

Competence and worker involvement

Induction and task instruction will cover the actual products, equipment, site hazards and emergency arrangements. Training will be recorded, understanding checked and refresher instruction provided when needed. New or unfamiliar tasks require appropriate supervision. Workers will be consulted about equipment, scheduling and changes that affect their safety.

We will plan realistic workloads and travel arrangements, provide a way to raise concerns about pressure or poor treatment, and consider work-related stress and fatigue. Respectful treatment is part of our working approach.

Chemical safety and skin protection

We will assess substances and tasks under COSHH before use, using current supplier safety information. A safety data sheet supports an assessment; it does not replace one. We will avoid hazardous products where practicable and select safer alternatives where suitable.

Products will be used at the instructed dilution and contact time, kept labelled and stored securely. Cleaning chemicals must not be mixed, including bleach with acids or ammonia-based products. We will not use food or drink containers for chemicals. Suitable ventilation, spill arrangements and disposal instructions will be included in the assessment.

We will minimise unnecessary wet work and skin contact, choose suitable gloves and other protection for the substance and task, and provide instruction in their use. Workers should report skin irritation, breathing problems or other suspected work-related symptoms promptly. Health surveillance will be arranged where the risk assessment and applicable requirements indicate it is needed.

Floors and public protection

We will plan floor cleaning to control access to damp or slippery areas, using section cleaning, suitable barriers or other effective arrangements. Warning signs will support these controls; a sign alone does not prevent someone entering a hazardous area. Pedestrian routes and escape routes must remain safe.

We will manage trailing cables, equipment and waste, address spillages promptly using an appropriate method, report damaged surfaces and confirm that an area is safe before reopening it. The method and product must suit the floor and the contamination.

Equipment and electricity

Equipment will be suitable for its task, used in line with instructions and checked before use. Damaged plugs, leads, guards or other defects must be reported; unsafe equipment must be taken out of use and not repaired by an unauthorised person.

Maintenance, formal inspection and electrical testing will be based on the equipment, use and risk, with records retained. This policy does not assume that all equipment legally needs the same annual PAT interval. Charging, storage and work near water will be planned to avoid electrical and fire risks.

Manual handling and work at height

We will avoid hazardous lifting where practicable and assess unavoidable handling, pushing and pulling. Equipment, trolley use, load size and task rotation will be considered alongside the individual's capability and workspace. Workers must not move heavy furniture or appliances beyond the agreed safe method.

Work at height will be avoided where practicable, for example by using suitable extension tools from a safe position. Any unavoidable height work must be planned and use suitable access equipment and competent people. Chairs, tables and improvised platforms must not be used. High-level or specialist access work is not automatically included in routine cleaning.

Protective equipment and hygiene

Where risks remain after other controls, suitable PPE will be provided without charge to workers entitled to it, fitted and maintained appropriately, and supported by instruction. Gloves, eye protection, footwear or other items will be selected for the assessed task, not simply for appearance. Replacement and storage arrangements will be provided.

Cleaning tools and cloths will be segregated as appropriate to avoid transferring contamination between washrooms, food-related spaces and general areas. We will agree the site's hygiene requirements, provide handwashing arrangements and use products suitable for the surface and purpose. Specialist disinfection claims will only be made where the method and evidence support them.

Lone working and secure access

Working alone, early starts and visits outside opening hours will be assessed before allocation. We will agree check-in arrangements, a named contact, a missed-contact response and how to obtain help. Work unsuitable for one person will not be assigned as lone work.

We will assess risks of confrontation, intoxicated occupants, isolated premises and unexpected persons. A cleaner must withdraw from a threatening situation and seek help. Keys and access instructions will be controlled, not labelled or stored in a way that unnecessarily exposes a client's premises.

Unexpected hazards and excluded work

Needles, bodily fluids, suspected asbestos, uncontrolled mould, unknown powders, pests or other unusual contamination must be reported and the affected work paused. Workers must not reach blindly into waste, compress bags by hand or pick up sharps without an authorised assessed method and suitable equipment.

Specialist hazardous cleaning, asbestos work, clinical waste handling, extraction-duct cleaning, confined-space work and other higher-risk tasks are outside the routine scope unless separately assessed, resourced and agreed. Waste will only be moved or removed under the agreed lawful arrangements; ordinary cleaning does not authorise uncontrolled waste disposal.

Emergencies and incidents

Before work starts, we will confirm escape routes, alarm arrangements, assembly points, first-aid provision and site emergency contacts. First-aid needs will be assessed for our own workers, including lone and travelling staff. Escape routes and fire equipment must not be obstructed. No one should attempt firefighting beyond their competence or put themselves at risk.

Accidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences and suspected work-related ill health must be reported promptly to the H&S lead. We will arrange assistance, record relevant facts, investigate proportionately and review controls. The responsible person will assess whether statutory reporting, including RIDDOR, is required and make reports within applicable timescales. Not every incident is reportable under RIDDOR.

Monitoring and records

We will check site practice against the agreed controls and follow up deficiencies. Records will include relevant assessments and method statements, COSHH information, induction and training, equipment checks, consultation, incidents and corrective action. Access to personal or health information in these records will be restricted.

The director will review performance and ensure overdue safety actions are addressed. A public website statement will summarise this commitment; site-specific assessments and personal details will remain controlled operational documents.