Ensuring your
office environment
is a clean and safe
place to work.
to ensure their workers have a safe environment to work in. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, extra measures with PPE should be put in place (gloves, masks etc.). Employees also have a duty to themselves as well, in ensuring compliance so they can’t put all blame on their employer.”
*The rules and regulations issued by the UK government are changing frequently, so you can always get in contact with us to find out if anything new applies.
So, how well are you prepared
for your employees to return
to work?
Whether you’re one of our clients or not, we want to help you and your employees stay safe as more people return to work and customer meetings move back to being face to face.
This guide will give you some of the key points you need to be considering about maintaining a safe working place, as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive and in relation to cleaning.
To make a quick point, we asked an employment law specialist for a simple statement to help you understand your obligations and the obligations of your employees: “Under the Health and Safety At Work Act, employers have a duty
Employers have
a duty to ensure
their workers have
a safe environment
to work in.
The Health & Safety at Work Act
Are you ready for returning
to work?
There are 6 key areas that we cover in this guide, but as we’ve already said, if you’re unsure about anything, just give us a call and we’d be happy to help.
Getting ready to welcome your employees and customers back Keeping safe in your day to day operations
What your professional cleaning team should be doing
Most appropriate cleaning products
Planning for winter
Downloadable “Keeping Clean” office reminder posters
We’ve also included an overview of how we, Sparkle Cleaning, work to keep our clients, their employees and their customers safe.
Although it’s not mandatory, you might want to initially complete a deep clean of your office space to make sure you start from a good position of cleanliness.
This would include all equipment such as laptops, keyboards and printer buttons as well as door handles, light switches, kitchen areas and stairwells or lifts.
Make sure you focus on any communal areas, too. Kitchens, washrooms and lounge areas obviously get a concentration of use, so as well as cleaning through these areas, think about how their use needs to change moving forward. Print out our office space and desktop “Keeping clean” sheets, so everyone knows what they need to do to keep themselves, colleagues and customers safe.
Make sure that whoever undertakes the initial and subsequent cleans is using cleaning products that are BS EN 1276 & BS EN 13704 rated. This is the standard for medical grade sanitiser.
Initial deep clean
Clean office equipment, door handles and communal areas Print out our “Keeping clean” sheets
What’s in the
guide?
1.
ready to
Getting
welcome your
employees &
customers
back
“Initially,
complete a
deep clean
of your
office”
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. • • •When it comes to the cleaning aspect of your safe workplace process, there is a role for you and your employees to play, as well as cleaning professionals such as the Sparkle Cleaning team.
Provide hand sanitiser bottles at regular points along each desk, because when they are in easy reach of your employees, they’re far more likely to use them. Also give every employee their own sanitiser wipes to keep their workspace and IT equipment clean.
It’s much easier for your professional
workspaces are kept tidy, so we recommend that you put in place a tidy workspace policy.
In communal areas, such as kitchens, put up plenty of reminders that everyone is responsible for cleaning the items they use, or putting them in the dishwasher. Paper towels should always be used instead of material and access to soap and hot water is essential.
Personal waste, such as tissues, should be placed in a specific waste bag, which should then be placed in an additional bag for disposal at the
Hand sanitiser in easy reach on each workspace and at the front door
Put a tidy workspace policy in place
Reminders and notices about cleaning up in communal areas Disposable paper towels in communal areas
Personal waste (tissues etc) placed in separate waste bag Wipe clean your keyboard, mouse
• • • • • •
2.
What you
need to be
doing to keep
safe in your
day to day
operations
“Access to soap and hot
water is essential.”
“We use
medical
grade
sanitiser
cleaning
products”
• • • • • You may have previously only hadyour cleaning team in once or twice a week, but we highly recommend that you make this at least three times a week, after hours (gives cleaners ability to get into every area without disturbing your employees).
We use medical grade sanitiser cleaning products, which are rated to a BS EN 1276 & BS EN 13704 standard. This ensures that all surfaces, including keyboards and mice, are wiped clean to the highest standard at least 3 times per week by our team, as well as by your employees on a daily basis.
Our team wears full PPE whenever they’re on-site and they have a bespoke checklist for the specific office to make sure that they cover all areas.
Disposable cloths should be used to prevent cross-contamination and once the office is clean, all touch points, lights switches etc, should be cleaned as the cleaner leaves the office, with the medical grade cleaner.
Professional clean 3 times per week
Clean using medical grade BS EN 1276 & BS EN 13704 sanitiser Full PPE for cleaning team Disposable cloths to prevent cross-contamination
Wipe clean all touch points on way out
3.
What your professional
“Full PPE
should be
worn by any
external
cleaners”
• • • • •Full PPE should be worn by any external cleaners, to ensure that your office space stays free from outside dirt and contaminants.
Cleaning products that are medical grade BS EN 1276 & BS EN 13704 rated
Cleaning products with 70% alcohol is recommended
Access to antibacterial soap and running hot water in communal areas and washrooms
Use disposable cloths
Cleaners should wear full PPE while on-site
4.
Most appropriate cleaning
products
As we’ve mentioned throughout the guide, your professional cleaning team should be using medical grade cleaning products that are rated BS EN 1276 & BS EN 13704.
You should also be taking the same approach to the sanitiser and wipes you provide to your employees, for them to clean their workspaces and office equipment. Soap and hot running water should also be available in communal areas and washrooms.
Disposable cloths should be used to remove the risk of cross-contamination. Make sure they’re placed in the appropriate bin once used, or taken off site to be disposed of.
“We’ve also
written a
blog about
other things
you can do”
5.
Planning for winter
We’ve also written a blog about other things you can do when the weather starts to get bad, to keep your workplace clean and free from dirt. You can read it here:
https://sparklecleanup.
com/2019/11/06/keeping-dirt-and-mud-out-your-office-this-winter/
If you’re unsure about what to do, please get in contact and we’d be very happy to give you advice. We all know that the winter months
bring an increase in coughs, colds and flu symptoms, so by following the guidelines we’ve outlined in the previous pages, you will be in a very good position to protect your employees and customers from those typical bugs and Covid-19. Make sure you follow the advice we’ve given, along with using the medical grade cleaning products and ideal approach of your professional cleaning team.
We’ve put together a simple reminder that you can print out and place on every employees desk and in communal areas, to remind people about what they need to be doing to
keep your office clean and safe. Download your printable here:
https://sparklecleanup.com/sparkle-client-resources/
