There can never be enough Health and safety tips for all gutter cleaning businesses as one can never be too sure that you have all the necessary requirements in place. With this type of business, you cannot arrive and hope for the best, as there are regulations in place that can cause you huge difficulties if not adhered to and practiced properly.
Your staff are the ones whom you rely on to give excellent service with satisfactory results because this is how you could get repeat work. However, do you know that you can do a lot to ensure that your staff is safe while they work and there are no health hazards, which could affect them adversely while they work on roofs or anywhere where gutters are installed?
Here are some tips to follow:
You need to have a health and safety officer who will constantly develop new strategies to solve those inaccessible working heights and inevitable hazardous working environments. Safety should be a culture within your company because of the nature of the work being done.
You should employee your staff personally so that you have a better idea of the person who will be working at those heights. They should have an induction period and shown exactly how gutters are cleaned. Ongoing training with some sort of certification is of course an absolute must in this regard, for your own peace of mind as well as their safety.
Ensure that site-specific risk assessments are done before each job is commenced. A team leader should be able to do his assessment and report to you and the client before any contract is signed. Cognizance should be taken of any concerns like possible health risks if gutters are situated in areas where toxins are used, or if they are worn and dangerous to clean. Discuss these issues and add them as an addendum to a contract beforehand. This will ensure no altercations between client and supplier.
Another issue, which is sometimes not addressed, is that clients should be informed that they would be held responsible should certain working practices be withheld from your staff. Your staff should also have a detailed work plan, which indicates the method of cleaning for that particular job which they are able to refer to in times of doubt.
Check with the governing body of your industry whether new Working at Height Regulations have been issued – this can be monitored by your Health and Safety Officer from time to time.
Do not be too lenient when it comes to your environmental statements and safety procedures. You need to monitor whether your actions comply with the safety systems of your company on a continuous basis. A constant re-look and adjustment is also necessary in this regard so that you are able to comply with any new legislation. One can never have too many Health and safety tips for all gutter cleaning businesses because of the hazardous nature of the work.
The windy season brings the need for a gutter cleaning service. Get a reputable gutter cleaning company in London, to save your time and money this season.