Health and safety advice and guidance for the cleaning industry

This page provides links to information available relevant to the cleaning industry

Manual handling

• Are you making the best use of lifting and handling aids [500KB]
• Getting to grips with manual handling: a short guide [436KB]
• Manual handling assessment charts (MAC tool) [204KB]

Slips

• Slips and trips; the importance of floor cleaning [60KB]
• Preventing slips and trips at work [133KB]

Work equipment

• Using work equipment safely [465KB]
• Do you use a steam/water pressure cleaner? You could be in for a shock! [940KB]

Dermatitis

• Preventing dermatitis at work: advice for employers and employees [110KB]

Hand arm vibration

• Hand-arm vibration advice for employees [462KB]

Working with chemicals

• COSHH a brief guide to the regulations [155KB]
• Safe use of cleaning chemicals in the hospitality industry [23KB]
• Cleaning and disinfection using low pressure washers SR01 [41KB]
• Diluting chemical concentrates SR02 [38KB]
• Manual cleaning and disinfecting surfaces SR04 [35KB]
• Storing chemical products (small scale) SR24 [31KB]

Working at height

• Toolbox talk - Guidance developed by the Cleaning Industry Liaison Forum [PPS 232KB]
  Part of the work of the Cleaning Industry Liaison Forum is developing and of sharing good practice. The Forum members have developed a toolbox talk that covers the most common working at height issues in general cleaning.
  • Toolbox talk - Speakers' notes [PDF 305KB]
• Top Tips for ladder and stepladder equipment [300KB]
• The Work at Height Regulations 2005: a brief guide [76KB]
• Safety in window cleaning using portable ladders [36KB]
• Safety in window cleaning using rope access techniques [33KB]
• Safety in window cleaning using suspended and powered access equipment [29KB]
• Safe use of ladders and stepladders: an employers’ guide [444KB]

Risk assessment and health and safety law

• 5 Steps to risk assessment [68KB]
• An introduction to health and safety [715KB]

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

• A short guide to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 [101KB]
• Selecting protective gloves for work with chemicals [98KB]

Other HSE priced publications available from HSE Books

• Caring for cleaners: guidance and case studies on how to prevent musculoskeletal disorders - HSG 234 (ISBN 0 7176 2682 2)
• Manual handling: guidance on the regulations –  L23 (ISBN 0 7176 2823 X)
• Upper limb disorders in the workplace – HSG60 (ISBN 0 7176 1978 8)
• Manual handling: Solutions you can handle – HSG115 (ISBN 0 7176 0693 7)
• Pain in your workplace? Ergonomic problems and solutions – HSG121 (ISBN 0 7176 0668 6)
• Slips and trips; guidance for employers on identifying hazards and controlling risks – HSG155 (ISBN 0 7176 1145 0)