In the workplaces of New South Wales, Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements are critically important. They are not an option, an add-on to your daily practice: they should be inextricable from everything that you do.
At Matthews Cleaning Company, we are committed to delivering safe, compliant and transparent cleaning practices to our clients. Proper WHS procedures will protect your staff and clients, as well as your business reputation in the community. Read on for a guide to avoiding compliance risks in your workplace.
Understanding SafeWork NSW Cleaning Obligations (WHS)
Employers are legally responsible for health and safety in the workplace under the NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011. In relation to cleaners, employers have a responsibility as PCBU (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking.
You must provide a work environment that does not pose a risk to either health or safety. This includes responsibility for identification and management of risk, training employees appropriately and supervising where necessary, and ensuring that equipment and substances are always used safely.
Part of providing a workplace that meets WHS obligations is ensuring that areas are kept clean, tidy and hygienic at all times. Workers must be able to access clean and safe work facilities that are maintained and well-kept to avoid hazards. Toilets, drinking water, washing facilities, break areas and first aid equipment are essential to be kept in a hygienic condition.
In the case of a workplace that stores hazardous substances, provision must be made for their safe keeping, minimising exposure risk to workers. Common areas should be well-maintained to reduce the risk of transmissible illnesses.
Keeping workplaces clean for compliance reduces incidents and claims against the employer. At Matthews Cleaning Company, we have our own well-established compliance systems, which simplify our obligations to clients and simplify client obligations to their employees.
The Importance of Chemical Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in Commercial Cleaning
In commercial cleaning companies, you cannot avoid SDS for your chemicals. Whether you are a small-scale business with few chemicals in small quantities or a large-scale business with industrial amounts of cleaning chemicals, these forms ensure your compliance with WHS regulations and keep your people safe day-to-day.
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) give key information about a product, ensuring it is handled safely and used appropriately. SDS also give important guidance on how to handle the chemical in emergency circumstances, which can be essential for safety.
There is a legal obligation on businesses to hold and understand SDS on their chemicals. If these documents are not held or are left to become out of date, your employees could be at significant risk of harm due to following incorrect information. This could involve choosing the wrong PPE or even handling the chemicals incorrectly. There are legal and financial consequences to not having current SDS for every chemical in store, including notices, fines or even imprisonment for severe infractions of regulations.
At Matthews Cleaning Company, we ensure that all of our team members have access to our up-to-date SDS to make sure that all are kept safe in every working situation.
Training and Induction Requirements for Commercial Cleaners
All commercial cleaners should experience regular mandatory training in WHS topics due to their constant exposure to potential workplace hazards: correct use of PPE, equipment operation, manual handling of tools, etc. New employees should have a comprehensive induction as part of their onboarding process: this should include a walkthrough of your site to ensure familiarity, emergency procedure run-throughs and an introduction to risks specific to individual clients.
It may seem like a drag to continually train employees who have been fully onboarded, but this is a critical part of maintaining a safe and compliant workplace. Legislation around WHS changes, new chemicals are introduced, and machinery is updated, all of which could lead to gaps in knowledge that could end up in an unsafe workplace situation.
As an employer, you must be aware of the requirements for documentation, both for your cleaners and for your clients engaging contractors.
There is a lot to be aware of when running a commercial cleaning business, and it can feel overwhelming. At Matthews Cleaning Company, our structured training pathways guarantee consistency of safe practice for our employees.
How Poor WHS Compliance Leads to Fines & Liability
Despite its importance, WHS breaches are not uncommon. These are often related to poor adherence to procedures, poorly maintained equipment, inadequate knowledge of employees or a lack of training. Common breaches include:
- Slips, trips and falls due to wet floors without signs, poor lighting or cluttered walkways obstructing safe passage through a workplace.
- Chemical hazards due to mishandling, inappropriate use of cleaning products or unsafe mixing of chemicals create potentially toxic fumes.
- Poor workplace practices, such as unsafe manual handling of heavy objects and inappropriate pressure on employees, encourage corner-cutting on safety procedures.
- Inadequate use of PPE due to the employer’s failure to provide, insufficient training on when PPE is appropriate or failing to learn from prior incidents.
- Maintenance issues, such as faulty equipment causing injury or improper handling of electrical equipment.
- Hygiene or sanitation issues, such as poor cleaning of shared facilities like bathrooms or kitchen areas and failing to prevent product contamination.
The consequences of WHS breaches can be far-reaching and can have a major impact on your business. SafeWork NSW is the workplace regulator of health and safety in this region and can apply penalties to your business in the wake of WHS breaches that endanger employees or clients or have the potential to do so.
They can enforce fines, company shutdowns (causing financial implications while issues are resolved), and support employees or clients with personal injury claims. Another consequence of not maintaining a safe working environment could be that your insurance premiums climb. In this economic climate, this is not a scenario you want to play out.
Consider too, the possible reputational damage to your business if there is a significant health and safety incident. To maintain the safety and image of your company, partner with Matthews Cleaning Company to ensure that WHS risks are mitigated and you have peace of mind about keeping your employees and clients safe.
Conclusion
Workplace health and safety compliance protects the people within your business as well as those who rely on it for services provided. It reduces the risk to your business and enhances the trust that employees and clients place in you.
At Matthews Cleaning Company, we are committed to safe and transparent practice in our commercial cleaning and can support your workplace in ensuring that you meet compliance for a clean and hygienic space. Get in touch with our team here.