Your workplace cleaning policy

Posted by Glenn Cleaning, September 01, 2018

If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. And the best way to ensure that your premises are cleaned safely and thoroughly is to institute a Cleaning Policy, then abide by it – to the letter.

The Cleaning Policy has formed the foundation of our work for twenty years. We’ve found that it serves our clients very well, legally, ethically and financially.

If you’re looking for a cleaning company, by all means consider talking to us.  If not, then we hope you find our advice of use.

What is a Cleaning Policy?

The policy is agreed between ourselves and our client before the commencement of the contract.  It lays out in detail what a given cleaning regime is intended to achieve – which aspects of your establishment need attention and how often, and how our operations will meet the stringent stipulations of Health & Safety law.

It deals with issues which are sometimes overlooked in the busy, day-to-day management of a building. It draws attention to new discoveries in hygiene that can have important implications for the working environment. For instance, it has recently been established that kitchen sponges rapidly accumulate harmful coliform bacteria and should be discarded regularly.

Here are a few helpful tips drawn from a typical Glenn Cleaning Policy

1. Common Staff Areas

Staff rooms are often used for preparing and eating food, so should be kept scrupulously clean – especially work surfaces, microwaves and fridges, sinks and waste bins.

In informing your staff about your Cleaning Policy (crucial if it’s to have a positive effect) you should impress upon them that they have a personal responsibility to look after common areas. Employees shouldn’t simply expect you or your contractor to clean up after them. You could encourage them to:

• • dispose of out-of-date food in the fridge
  • ensure that food is only eaten in designated places
  • clean kitchen utensils after use

2. Hygiene

You might think it’s unnecessary to reinforce employees’ awareness of personal hygiene, but unfortunately, this is often not the case. Posters on notice-boards and in washrooms can help to reduce avoidable infections and promote a culture of cleanliness and consideration for others.

3. The workspace

The average desktop harbours 20,961 germs per square inch – and that’s on top of the 3,295 on the keyboard, the 1,676 on the mouse and the staggering 25,127 on the telephone. And yet many employees choose to eat at their work stations!

Eating lunch ‘al-desko’ carries a real risk of infection – not to mention the cumulative harm caused by remaining sedentary for long periods.

In any case, your Cleaning Policy should urge employees to maintain their working space in a clean and tidy state. 

4. Keeping current

The Cleaning Policy is not an ‘off the shelf’ document. It reflects the precise and unique needs of each client. Nor is it a fixed or static document, but should be regularly reviewed in the light of changing technology and Health & Safety regulations.

5. Putting in place a coherent Cleaning Policy

At Glenn, as you will have gathered, we attach great importance to this document. We work with our clients to ensure that effective policies and practices are in place and that all legislative requirements are met.

If you would value our further advice, or would like more information about our comprehensive range of services, please call 01234 404242.