A strategy for health and safety in the cleaning industry 2007/08

Risks

CILF recognises the following key identified risks to cleaning workers and members of the public as a result of cleaning operations:

• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Slips and trips
• Falls from height
• Dermatitis

Action

To improve the industry performance in key risk areas, CILF members will take the following actions:

• Develop an industry standard induction process and ensure its delivery to all staff prior to work starting;
• Undertake robust research on the identified key risk areas to determine the accident and near-miss rates and root causes of such incidents
• The above data to become the base data against which targets for reduction will be agreed and set by CILF.
• CILF members to hold health and safety workshops giving training on good practice regarding the key identified risks and raise awareness of any other relevant issues
• CILF members to ensure that all health and safety training is recorded.
• CILF to assist HSE in populating the cleaning section of the HSE website with good practice information.
• CILF to publish an annual report of health and safety performance in the cleaning industry.

Reporting

The CILF annual report should be produced jointly by industry and the HSE and should consist of four elements:

1. A quantitative description of targets and progress made against those targets
2. A qualitative description of actions undertaken by CILF members on health and safety
3. A reasoned judgment on the quality of progress
4. A forward plan and targets for the coming year