Health and safety

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT

It is the policy of CCS to provide working conditions that are safe and healthy for all employees and at all times carry out their operations so that, as far as practicable, the health, safety and condition of any persons or property concerned will not be adversely affected. This includes injury to the workforce, any third party and the environment.

The requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and all duties and obligations imposed by the Act, and all other Acts and Regulations affecting the activities of CCS are to be complied with.

The Safety Policy is the direct concern of all employees within the company and senior management is responsible for its implementation. This is recognised as an integral part of good management. Compliance with legal requirements is seen as a minimum standard and we shall seek continual cost-effective improvement in the standards achieved.

All managers and supervisors will ensure that the safety procedures are observed and promote an awareness of safety in all employees as an integral part of good management. This will be achieved by the provision of adequate resources, information, training and the involvement of individuals in the management of health and safety.

To aid the implementation of this, as part of an employees induction their supervisor who is also their Safety Officer will ensure that each employee is given information and basic training necessary to adequately carry out their tasks.

Safety managers are there to give guidance and advice on all aspects of health, safety and welfare, to arrange for the training of employees as necessary and to report to the directors and recommend changes where necessary.

Performance shall be measured against objectives set by the directors, communicated across the workforce and reviewed on a regular basis along with the proposals for the continuous improvement of the standards achieved.

CCS shall review these policy and management systems periodically and take action to maintain its compliance 

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL SUPERVISORS AND EMPLOYEES

All persons employed by CCS are responsible for the following

• Take precautions for the health and safety of themselves and other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions whilst at work.
• Co-operate with and assist both CCS and the site company in so far as is necessary to enable both company and site company procedures to be implemented.
• When concerned that any site activity is proceeding in an unsafe manner, stop the procedure immediately and report the findings to a your supervisor.
• Confirming attendance with their on site supervisor at the start of each shift

Safety Officers

On sites with an appointed supervisor, the supervisor and their appointed cover on days off, is also the recognised CCS Safety officer for that site.  Both directors and all area supervisors are also safety officers.  In addition to overseeing their own health and safety, they are responsible for the welfare of subordinate CCS staff.  They will fulfil this requirement by taking the following steps.

• Making sure that all employees are familiar with this manual.
• Fulfilling any training duties that are mentioned either in this manual or other CCS documentation.
• Being aware of any particular health and safety “hot spots” that may exist on site.
• Walking the site at the start of each shift o ensure that there are no new hazards.
• Taking charge of any serious incident that arises with CCS staff while they are on site.
• Ensuring that all CCS staff are accounted for in the event of an evacuation.

Chemical Substances

Colour Coding

To comply with health and safety with regard to keeping equipment separate for different areas the following CCS will use the following colour codes for equipment and materials on all of the sites where it is their responsibility to control Health and Safety.

• Red – Toilet areas
• Blue – Sinks and showers
• Green or any other colour – Everything else

Fire

During your induction you will be made aware the location of fire exits, extinguishers, fire alarm call points and relevant evacuation procedures.  But the following common sense rules apply to all sites.

• If you cause or discover a fire, raise the alarm immediately to all close by, by shouting “Fire”, while making your way to the nearest alarm call point and activating it.
• Do not put yourself at risk; do not attempt to extinguish it unless you are confident that you are physically able to do so.
• If you decide that you can attempt to extinguish the fire ensure that you use the correct fire extinguisher.
• If the fire is on an electrical item and the power can be isolated then do so.
• If the fire is unmanageable then leave by the nearest exit immediately and encourage all those you see to do the same.
• Close all fire exits behind you.
• If you work alone or without an on site supervisor call the emergency services and wait at a safe distance until they arrive.
• Assemble at the designated point where the supervisor should check that all staff are present.
• If you know where the fire is make sure you inform a supervisor.

First Aid

• CCS do not train any of their staff to be designated “first aiders”, many sites however do have on site personnel trained in this field and their assistance should be requested in the event an incident that requires it.
• CCS makes use of each site's First Aid Box.
• Follow the instructions on the container in case of accident.
• In more serious incidents alert the supervisor or if there is one available, a trained firstaider.
• The supervisor or in more serious cases, if there is one available, a trained first aider should take charge of any situation that may require first aid.
• If the accident is of a more serious nature, the person taking charge should nominate someone to call the emergency services and remain on the phone until the services arrive to take over.
• If the accident involves electrocution, do not touch the person until the power has been isolated.
• Do not attempt to move the person unless they are in further immediate danger or you are told to do so by the emergency services, and only do so if it is safe for you to do so.
• Position members of staff on the outskirts of the incident to inform others that an accident has taken place and they are not to pass into the immediate area.
• Only clear the immediate area of any accident debris that is either causing an immediate hazard, or that is making access to the injured party difficult, but in both cases only if it is safe to do so.
• While waiting for the services or as soon as possible thereafter sketch a rough picture of the incident area in case there needs to be a further investigation, it is also permitted to take a photograph instead as evidence but not using a digital camera.  Once this step has been taken the rest of the incident site can be cleared, if it is safe to do so.
• Fill in the site's accident book if they have one and also report the accident to CCS as soon as possible.
• Serious accidents must be reported to RIDDOR.  The “incident at work” poster details the injuries that have to be reported in this way, we at Head Office will make the report, but this poster will help you decide if it needs to be mentioned to us.

Machinery and electrical items

• Training will be given by a supervisor in the safe operation of each item of machinery.
• Only use the electrical item for the use that it was intended.
• Visual inspection by the operator should be made before use, particular notice being given to the electrical cable and plug.
• Report faults immediately to your supervisor and refrain from use until fixed, do not attempt to fix the item yourself.
• If the item begins smoking or burning while you are using it do not touch the item but switch of the power at the mains socket.
• If an extension lead is used, ensure that it is at least the same amperage (thickness) as the lead on the equipment.
• If work using an electrical item is to be carried out in area where there is water, ensure that a power breaker (RCD) is used.
• Do not attempt to lift heavy machinery by yourself, obtain help.
• If you are trailing cables in an area that is likely to be a trip hazard, ensure that you position a hazard sign nearby.
• Ensure that once you have finished using the item you store it correctly to avoid causing danger to others attending the site after you leave.

All Other Equipment

• Training will be given by a supervisor in the safe operation of each item of equipment.
• Only use the item for the use that it was intended.
• Visual inspection by the operator should be made before use.
• Report faults immediately to your supervisor and refrain from use until fixed, do not attempt to fix the item yourself.
• Do not attempt to lift heavy equipment by yourself, obtain help.
• Ensure that once you have finished using the item you store it correctly to avoid causing danger to others attending the site after you leave.

Floors

• Precautions should be taken when working on wet floors.

• Where possible wear flat, rubber sole type footwear.

• Wring the mop out thoroughly on the only or last pass to ensure that as much excess water is removed as possible.  Do not leave “puddles” of water that take a long time to dry.

• Use the “caution” Signs provided to warn others whilst cleaning is taking place and until the floor is completely dry.

Heights

• Under normal circumstances CCS employees will not be expected to work at anything higher than “hand height”.
• If staff are required to work at stepladder height, proper training will be given to that employee.  Under no circumstances will CCS employees be asked to work at a height greater than stepladder height.
• Under no circumstances should an employee work above hand height without adequate training.

Stairs

Particular care should be taken when working on or using stairs, operatives should be careful to apply the following common sense guidelines.

• Wear suitable clothing and footwear.
• Observe the area you are about to clean, are there any potential trip or slip hazards.
• Can they be removed?  If not immediately, report the problem to the supervisor who will assess if it safe to continue.
• If vacuuming, work away from the direction of the trailing cable and if possible leave the vacuum cleaner on the floor and work up the stairs.
• If you have to work backward down the stairs, for example in the case of mopping, ensure that you place each foot firmly on the next consecutive step before mopping the next consecutive step.
• Do not carry items up and down stairs unnecessarily, if there is a lift use it.
• Do not attempt to carry too much up or down stairs, always ensure that you can see where you are going.

Lone Workers

It is the nature of the cleaning industry that on many occasions our staff will be cleaning on site out of hours, this is a necessity of the business.  Lone workers need to take the following precautions to ensure their own health and safety.

• Make sure that someone at home knows that you are going to work and what time you are expecting to be home.
• Inform them if your arrangements change.
• Tell them how to get hold of you if you do not return home.
• CCS employees who work alone and do not have anyone at home can avail themselves of our “ring in” system.  This is a phone number that is supplied on request to a lone worker to ring either in an emergency, or as a check in when they get home.
• CCS recommend that all lone workers invest in a mobile phone and ensure that they carry it with them at all times.
• Think about the time you will be arriving and leaving work, are you vulnerable to attack at these times, if so take precautions.

Look outside before you arrive and leave, is there anyone “loitering”.

Do not leave the building while you are preoccupied e.g.: using a mobile phone.

Carry a personal alarm and if suitable, a torch.

Do not take unnecessary items to work with you, if you don’t need a bag don’t take one.

When you leave the building make your way straight to your car, if you have one, or to the busiest route home.

• Lone workers should take extra care to follow all preventative health and safety guidelines in order to minimise the potential risks to their welfare.

Sanitary and Clinical Waste Bins

Many of the sites that CCS staff work on have either Sanitary waste bins or Medical waste bins.  Unless otherwise directed CCS staff are not responsible for emptying these.  If they require external cleaning, ensure that you wear gloves and use a suitable antibacterial cleaner.

Risk Assessment

CCS management undertake to perform risk assessment on the sites that it works for.  The purpose of this is to

• Identify the hazards
• Decide who might be harmed and how
• Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done
• Record our findings
• Review our assessment and revise if necessary

We produce a general risk assessment of the common risks that are presented on most of the sites that we work on.  Additional sets of risk assessments that are specific to each site are recorded and apply concurrently with the general risk assessment.  Many of the identified general risks and possibly some of the additional risks will have as their solutions or precautionary measures, a direct referral back to this manual.