Maintaining a high level of cleanliness is vital for factories. Not only does it affect the health and safety of the workplace but it affects the quality of the products they’re handling.
Each year an average of 22 workers die in workplace accidents. There was also an average of more than 3,100 reports of major injuries and about 4,100 reports of injuries that kept workers away from work for seven days or more during the last years.
Health & Safety inspections are carried out on a regular basis to determine the cleanliness and safety precautions carried out by the business. Failing to comply with the guidelines set out by the government in The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974. Along with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Puts employee lives at risk and may result in fines and loss of the business.
Furthermore, to prevent this from happening; factories need to meet all of the required health and safety standards. Some of which can be met by implementing the correct cleaning methods.
Over time
Dirt and grime build up on floors and at high levels which can seriously affect the safety and also the productivity of the work place.
An approach of deep and regular cleaning are recommended to meet the inspection standards. Whilst this can be done in house by employees; hiring a commercial industrial cleaning company with experience in factory cleaning improves the overall cleaning results.
Cleaning each individual machine daily is unrealistic and counterproductive. In other words. cleaning the finer details should be done as part of a monthly clean. This depends on the products your business handles and the mess associated with them.
Regular cleaning is recommended daily to take care of all the main health and safety concerns. Keeping on top of floor cleanliness to prevent slips and trips. Cleaning down workstations and removing waste. As well as meeting hygiene requirements for communal areas as a vital part of a daily cleaning routine.
Peace of Mind
A brought professional cleaning company is better for business as they can clean within a schedule. Ensuring it works best for the day to day running of the business. Cleaning done in house isn’t a good use of time and adds an increased health and safety risk. Commercial cleaners will also conduct regular cleaning audits to ensure cleaning standards are always maintained.
As a example, most factories have vaulted ceilings with steel supports and fixtures. High-Level Cleaning is specialist work and therefore includes: windows; warehouse walls; light fittings; office blocks; roofs, or the inside of factory walls. Dust and debris build up and is blown off the high points down to lower areas contaminating the other factory spaces. This is overlooked until pointed out by inspectors or interrupts and affects the manufacturing process. Avoiding high level cleaning is a false economy as it has a increased fire risk and in the case of a fire even led to fire spreading rapidly.
Due to the nature of high-level cleaning and the dangers associated with cleaning in difficult to reach places. It is essential that cleaning staff are certified to work with the types of machinery for accessing these types of areas. For this reason and for peace of mind using a high level cleaning company makes sense. Not just from a safety aspect but also from a monetary one.
A good cleaning company
Using ladders is generally a thing of the past and with Health and Safety rules, insurance and regulations. These are in place to keep areas clean and safe. A good commercial Industrial cleaning company should have fully trained and certified operatives that can operate cherry picking machinery allowing them to access impossible to reach corners.
Not only will a clean and safe environment protect employees from harm, it can also improve the quality and levels of production. No one will work in an environment they feel unsafe or unhygienic.
Compiled by Mark Dickinson
