Carpet Cleaners Putney Health and Safety Policy

This Health and Safety Policy sets out how Carpet Cleaners Putney manages health, safety, and welfare during all carpet, upholstery, and related cleaning services. Our aim is to protect our employees, customers, visitors, and members of the public from harm arising from our work activities, while delivering high quality and reliable cleaning services in homes and commercial premises.

Our Health and Safety Objectives

Carpet Cleaners Putney is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment by preventing accidents, injuries, and work-related ill health. We seek to identify and control risks associated with professional carpet cleaning, including handling of cleaning agents, operation of machinery and equipment, manual handling of furniture and tools, and working in occupied properties.

We review this policy regularly to ensure it remains appropriate to the scale and nature of our cleaning operations and continues to reflect current best practice.

Management Responsibilities

Management at Carpet Cleaners Putney accepts overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy. This includes:

Ensuring that risk assessments are carried out for typical cleaning tasks and for any non-routine activities. Providing suitable equipment, materials, and personal protective equipment that are safe and fit for purpose. Making sure all equipment is properly maintained, inspected, and used in accordance with manufacturer guidance. Providing clear instructions, information, and training to employees and contractors. Monitoring work practices to confirm they remain safe and compliant with this policy.

Employee Responsibilities

All employees and contractors working on behalf of Carpet Cleaners Putney have a duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. They are expected to:

Follow all safety procedures and instructions provided during training. Use equipment, products, and personal protective equipment correctly and as trained. Report any hazards, unsafe practices, incidents, and near-misses to management without delay. Cooperate with management to enable compliance with legal and policy requirements. Avoid intentional misuse of cleaning chemicals, machinery, or any other work equipment.

Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

We conduct risk assessments for common carpet, rug, upholstery, and hard floor cleaning tasks. These assessments consider hazards such as slips and trips from hoses and wet surfaces, electrical safety when using powered equipment, exposure to cleaning chemicals, moving and lifting of furniture and machinery, and working in occupied premises or shared areas.

From these assessments, we establish safe systems of work which may include the use of warning signs and barriers around wet or treated areas, routing cables and hoses to minimise trip risks, isolating or protecting electrical sockets where required, ventilating areas when using certain products, and using correct manual handling techniques or additional team members for heavy items.

Chemical Safety and COSHH

Cleaning products used by Carpet Cleaners Putney are selected with safety, performance, and environmental impact in mind. We maintain information for all substances used in our work and follow the relevant safety guidance. This includes using appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves and eye protection where needed, ensuring correct dilution and application of solutions, avoiding mixing of incompatible chemicals, and ensuring safe storage, handling, and transportation of all cleaning agents in vehicles and on site.

Where necessary, additional controls are used to limit exposure to vapours, residues, or allergens, especially in sensitive environments such as homes with children, pets, or individuals with respiratory conditions.

Equipment and Electrical Safety

All machinery and equipment, including carpet cleaning machines, vacuum cleaners, pumps, and accessories, are inspected and maintained according to manufacturer instructions. Only trained personnel are permitted to operate powered equipment.

Electrical leads and plugs are checked regularly for damage and removed from service if defects are found. When working in customer premises, employees are instructed to use sockets safely, avoid overloading circuits, and keep equipment and cables away from water sources where reasonably practicable.

Manual Handling and Ergonomics

Our work often involves moving hoses, tools, and occasionally furniture to gain access for cleaning. To minimise the risk of injury, employees are trained in safe lifting and carrying techniques, the use of teamwork for heavy or awkward items, and planning routes in and out of properties to avoid unnecessary strain. Where items are too heavy or fixed, our team will not attempt to move them and will discuss any limitations with the customer.

Customer and Public Safety

Carpet Cleaners Putney recognises its duty to protect customers, their families, employees, and any visitors to the premises in which we work. We aim to minimise disruption and risks by clearly identifying wet or slippery areas, keeping work areas tidy and free from unnecessary obstructions, supervising equipment at all times or securing it when unattended, and ensuring that young children and pets are kept away from work areas, chemicals, and machinery.

Training, Information, and Supervision

All new staff receive induction training covering key health and safety procedures, correct use of cleaning equipment, chemical handling, and emergency arrangements. Ongoing training and refreshers are provided where necessary, especially when new equipment, techniques, or products are introduced.

Supervisors and experienced technicians provide on-site guidance, monitor adherence to safe working practices, and support less experienced team members in applying this policy.

Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures

Any accidents, injuries, near-misses, or cases of ill health that may be related to our work must be reported immediately to management. We investigate incidents to identify causes and implement actions to prevent recurrence.

Employees are briefed on basic emergency procedures, including raising the alarm, providing initial assistance within their level of competence, and contacting emergency services where required. First aid provisions appropriate to the scale of our work are made available.

Review and Continuous Improvement

Carpet Cleaners Putney is committed to continually improving health and safety performance. This policy is reviewed periodically, and after any significant change in our activities, equipment, or legislation. Feedback from staff and customers is taken into account to refine our procedures and promote a culture of safety awareness throughout the company.

By implementing and maintaining this Health and Safety Policy, Carpet Cleaners Putney aims to ensure that all cleaning services are carried out responsibly, safely, and with proper regard for the wellbeing of everyone affected by our work.