Cleaning Company Health and Safety Checklist UK

Health and safety failures in the cleaning industry are rarely dramatic — they're usually the slow accumulation of small gaps: an out-of-date risk assessment, a missing COSHH record, PPE that wasn't provided. This checklist covers the areas UK cleaning companies most often overlook, and the documentation you need to back each one up.

Legal obligations to get right first

• A written health and safety policy, if you employ five or more people
• Employers' liability insurance, which is a legal requirement, not optional
• Risk assessments for every site and task type
• COSHH assessments for every hazardous substance in use
• A designated competent person responsible for health and safety

Daily and on-site practices

Beyond the paperwork, health and safety is proven or disproven by what actually happens on site. Wet floor signage should be used every time, electrical equipment should be visually checked before use, and staff should know the correct COSHH storage and dilution procedures for the products they're using that day — not just in theory, but in practice.

PPE and training

Gloves, eye protection and, where relevant, respiratory protection should be provided and actually used, not just kept in a cupboard. Staff should receive induction training covering COSHH, manual handling and site-specific hazards before their first shift, with records kept — see our guide on managing staff training records for a practical system.

Chemical safety

Hazardous substances should never be mixed unless specifically instructed by the manufacturer, should be stored in original, labelled containers, and should have Safety Data Sheets accessible on site. This ties directly into your COSHH assessment — if a control measure is written down but not actually happening on site, it isn't compliant.

Working at height and manual handling

Reaching high windows or light fittings should use proper equipment, not improvised stacking of furniture. Heavy equipment such as buffers and industrial vacuums should be moved using correct manual handling technique, with trolleys or trained assistance where loads are excessive.

Reviewing your risk assessments

A health and safety checklist is only as good as the risk assessment behind it. If you haven't reviewed your cleaning risk assessments in the last 12 months, or since your last significant site or equipment change, that's the first gap to close.

Frequently Asked Questions