Free cleaning company workplace safety assessment

Start with these task groups. Use one worksheet per task, and add any task this list misses.

• Product preparation and use

  Exact product identity, dilution instructions, contact and incompatible products.

• Mopping and wet work

  Slips, work around other people and repeated movements.

• Floor machines and powered tools

  Moving parts, electricity, equipment condition and servicing.

• Waste and restroom cleaning

  Sharps, contaminated material, lifting and appropriate handling methods.

• Moving carts and supplies

  Pushing and pulling, awkward loads, stairs and repeated loading.

• High or difficult-access cleaning

  Access methods, reaching, falling objects and task-specific requirements.

• Lone work and client interaction

  Communication, security, violence concerns and emergency response.

• New sites or nonroutine jobs

  Unfamiliar products, restricted areas, process equipment and shared responsibilities.

5. 5

   Chemical hazards

   Bleach, acidic toilet cleaners, disinfectants and floor strippers: dilution, spray-bottle labels, ventilation, skin and eye contact, and products that must never be mixed.

6. 6

   Lifting and repeated strain

   Full mop buckets, trash bags and supply cases, plus pushing loaded carts, wringing mops and repeatedly reaching across desks or into low restroom fixtures.

7. 7

   Noise and vibration

   Backpack vacuums, burnishers, pressure washers and client machinery that mask calls for help, plus vibration through floor-machine handles during extended use.

8. 8

   Heat, cold and physical agents

   Steam cleaners, hot pipes around equipment being wiped, outdoor pressure washing in summer heat and cleaning cold rooms or unheated loading areas.

9. 9

   Biological hazards

   Needles or broken glass hidden in restroom trash, blood spills, sewage backups and contaminated cloths: exposure routes and task-specific handling arrangements.

10. 10

    Fire and emergencies

    Flammable cleaning solvents, battery-charging areas, combustible waste on carts and supply storage that narrows exit routes during after-hours cleaning.

11. 11

    Confined or restricted spaces

    Requests to clean tanks, pits, duct interiors or utility vaults: evaluate the space and separate entry requirements before assigning routine janitorial staff.

12. 12

    Violence and lone work

    Working alone in empty buildings, entering occupied restrooms, handling confrontations with visitors and taking trash to isolated dumpsters after dark.

13. 13

    Work organization and contractors

    Night shifts, tight room schedules, unfamiliar client areas, language needs and coordination with maintenance contractors before cleaning near operating or isolated equipment.

14. 14

    PPE and exposure-control gaps

    Gloves selected for the actual cleaning chemical, splash goggles for dilution, slip-resistant footwear and any respiratory protection requiring a separate exposure review and program.

15. 15

    Additional job-specific hazards

    Anything cleaners or supervisors raise that this list misses, such as pest contamination, a new client process or an unusual request to clean sensitive equipment.

Consider eliminating or substituting the hazard first, then suitable engineering controls, administrative arrangements and PPE. The right combination depends on the job and the requirements that apply to it; PPE alone does not resolve every risk.

1. Elimination — remove the hazard or the task that creates it.
2. Substitution — use a less hazardous material, product, method or piece of equipment.
3. Engineering controls — separate people from the hazard with guards, barriers, ventilation or layout changes.
4. Administrative controls — change how the work is done through procedures, scheduling, instruction, signs and supervision.
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — protect each worker with equipment chosen, fitted and maintained for the task.

Ideas to discuss for this workplace:

• Identify hazards in the client's work area and whether the task can be changed to avoid uncontrolled equipment or exposure.
• Review product identity, manufacturer information, access, equipment and coordination between employers before agreeing on the work method.
• Confirm communication and emergency arrangements for the shift. Check the actual site before treating it like a previous office-cleaning job.

For each action, record the hazard, the people exposed, existing controls, the additional action, its priority and the basis for it, the responsible role, a target date, verification evidence and any remaining questions. Do not close a finding just because a document was created.

Describe your client sites, shifts, products, machines, waste tasks and access methods. Bring the manufacturer's safety data sheets and instructions, worker reports and any new or unusual client requests. Include communication and emergency arrangements for people working alone.