One of the biggest benefits of working with an industrial cleaning service is that it can help you to remain in compliance with your industry regulations. That being said, you need to ensure that safety in industrial cleaning is kept in mind at all times to avoid issues during the process or create more risks for your company. Check our industrial cleaning page for more information about the services we offer for businesses, and keep reading to discover our top tips for industrial cleaning safety.
Personal Protective Equipment
When working with an industrial cleaning service, the first thing you need to check is that they are providing appropriate PPE for their staff. This could refer to protecting the team of cleaners when working at height, but also just for all the chemicals that they use on a daily basis. It’s a huge concern if you see that the company isn’t taking care of their staff properly, as you don’t want an accident or incident to occur on your site. If you are asking the staff to clean any tricky or high-up parts of your building, make sure you brief them beforehand about the concerns and risks of this work. This will make them aware of any trip hazards or things to look out for while they are working.
Working with Chemicals
Almost everyone who is offering industrial cleaning services will work with chemicals during this process. Industrial cleaning health and safety takes into account the fact that a cleaner or employee could damage their eyes or skin when they aren’t using the proper PPE for chemicals. You don’t want one of your team to touch a surface only to end up with a rash or itching throughout the day. There are also concerns for those with asthma or breathing conditions, which could be exasperated by the chemicals in the air.
Chemicals need to be used responsibly at all times. If they have been placed on surfaces in your workplace, then they must be cleaned off properly before your employees start using this area again. Don’t allow chemicals to come into direct contact with the skin at any time, or you may find that you end up with more issues than you had before the cleaning started. Offer your team gloves, goggles, and aprons where needed, and make sure any room you are using chemicals in is well ventilated during this process. Cleaners need to also wash their hands throughout their working time so that the chance of damage to their skin or eyes decreases.
Slippery Surfaces When Working
When cleaning floors, naturally you’ll have to contend with slippery surfaces a lot of the time. You can provide your cleaning team with PPE when working on slippery surfaces, such as hard floors or pavements. Non-slip shoes are critical for this task, as they’ll reduce the chance of someone falling flat on their face or hurting themselves. The last thing you need is an injury or incident which could cost your company greatly as a result of you neglecting to offer your team the support they need for cleaning.
Another of the top safety tips in industry cleaning is to ensure you put signage up and notify your staff when cleaning is taking place. Wet floor signs can be enough to alert someone that there is a slippery surface in front of them and ensure they don’t slip and fall when they are working. If you are outsourcing your cleaning to an industrial cleaning service, make sure you ask them if they will provide these signs. The more questions you can ask an industrial cleaning company before working together, the more likely you’ll be on the same page about safety and compliance.
While you might just want to book a cleaner to start work today, you need to take the time to learn about what they will and won’t provide with their service. This is one of the biggest issues we see when people outsource this job, as they often don’t share their expectations beforehand. If you have any questions, our team will be happy to answer them before we start working with you. This will reduce the chance of an injury or issue and ensure that we can work with you to achieve your business goals while keeping everyone safe this year.
Are you ready to invest in industrial cleaning for your business? Our team is here to help you at any time and ensure you remain in compliance with the health and safety regulations for your business. No matter how big or small you think your cleaning job is, we’ll be here to help. Get in touch with us today to learn more about the services we offer and to discuss any questions you have about this topic.