Health and safety responsibilities for commercial cleaners

Cleaning businesses often operate across multiple client sites, outside normal working hours, and with lone workers — a combination that creates real exposure to harm. Common risks include chemical exposure from cleaning products, slips and trips on wet surfaces, musculoskeletal injuries from repetitive tasks, and the hazards that come with working in unfamiliar or poorly maintained premises.

Risk assessments

You must carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all work activities. For cleaners, this means task-specific assessments covering chemicals, manual handling, lone working, and each client site.

COSHH compliance

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations apply directly to cleaning chemicals. You need a safety data sheet and COSHH assessment for every product in use and evidence that less hazardous alternatives have been considered.

PPE provision

Where risks cannot be eliminated, you must provide appropriate personal protective equipment — gloves, eye protection, aprons — free of charge. PPE must be maintained, replaced when worn, and staff must be trained to use it correctly.

Training & induction

Every member of staff must receive health and safety training before they start work — and this must be refreshed when roles or risks change. Verbal instruction isn't enough; training needs to be documented.

Lone worker policy

Many cleaners work alone, often in the evening or early morning. You need a documented lone working policy covering check-in procedures, emergency contact arrangements, and how you'll respond if a worker doesn't report in.

Accident reporting

You must maintain an accident book and report certain injuries, near-misses, and dangerous occurrences to the HSE under RIDDOR. Make sure there is a clear reporting process and staff know how to use it.

Working on client premises adds a layer of complexity. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, both you and your client have duties. You are responsible for your employees and the tasks they carry out. Your client, as the premises owner, has responsibilities for the safety of the building and any hazards present.

Before starting work at a new site, carry out a site-specific risk assessment. Build a habit of requesting your client's site safety information — including any relevant COSHH data, emergency procedures, and access restrictions — as part of your onboarding process. Putting this into your contracts protects you

both.

Commercial clients — particularly in sectors like healthcare, education, and facilities management — are increasingly asking cleaning contractors to demonstrate their health and safety standards at tender stage. Therefore having well-documented policies, risk assessments, and training records isn't just about compliance, it will help at the tendering process as well.

Getting this right protects your staff, your business, and your reputation.

If you'd like support putting the right framework in place — or would like a free gap analysis, please get in touch.