The paper that shows how the work will be done safely
A business may ask a cleaning company for a risk assessment and method statement before work begins. A cleaning risk assessment records what could cause harm on the site and how the risks will be controlled. The method statement explains how the job will be carried out.
The documents are often called RAMS. Their purpose is practical: show the planned work, relevant hazards and controls in a form the client and cleaning team can review.
This guide is for the manager or owner in Greater Manchester who is choosing a cleaning contractor or reviewing one. It explains what the law asks for, what a good document covers, how to read one and what to ask for.
What the law asks of a contractor
UK employers must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to employees and to other people affected by their work. Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 sets out that duty. It also requires employers with five or more employees to record the significant findings and any groups of employees identified as especially at risk.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work offers a general step-by-step guide to risk assessment. It says national law still applies and no single method suits every workplace. For a cleaning contract, the practical test is whether the assessment reflects the real tasks, site and people affected.
A straightforward assessment can follow these five steps:
- Identify hazards and the people who may be exposed to them.
- Evaluate and prioritise the risks.
- Choose measures to eliminate or control the risks.
- Put the agreed preventive measures in place.
- Monitor and review whether the assessment remains current.
A cleaning company is an employer, so its responsibilities remain its own. The UK duty also covers people outside the company who may be affected by the work. For a client, that means the contractor’s assessment should consider your staff and visitors as well as its own cleaners.
Cleaning is named in the guidance
EU-OSHA warns that assessments can miss non-routine tasks, including cleaning that takes place outside normal working hours. That matters because cleaning can create task-specific hazards, as well as remove dirt.
Start with how people work, the substances and equipment involved, the work practices used and the state of the premises. For each hazard, identify who could be harmed, how it could happen and what controls match the task.
Risk assessment and method statement are different things
People use the terms together, so it helps to separate them.
The risk assessment is about what could go wrong. It lists the hazards, who might be harmed, how serious and how likely the harm is, and what controls are in place.
The method statement is about how the work will be done. It describes the steps in order, the equipment and products used, who does what, the working hours, how the area is protected and what happens in an emergency.
A good method statement reads like instructions that a new cleaner could follow. A good risk assessment reads like a short, honest list of the ways the job can hurt someone, matched with what is done about each.
What a cleaning risk assessment should cover
Different cleaning jobs bring different risks. A site-specific document is more useful than a list that could apply to any building.
- Slips and wet floors, including how signs are used and when floors are cleaned.
- Chemicals, including which products are used, how they are stored and what protective equipment is worn.
- Manual handling, such as moving furniture, bins and equipment.
- Working at height, including ladders for high level cleaning.
- Electrical equipment, cables and battery charging.
- Working alone or out of hours, including how a cleaner can call for help.
- Sharps, bodily fluids and other biological hazards in washrooms and bins.
- Fire, including escape routes and how doors are kept.
- Particular hazards on your site, such as a shop floor, a kitchen or a warehouse with moving vehicles.
Each of these has a short answer on a well run job. If you want to see how a specific hazard is handled, ask the contractor to talk you through that line of the document.
Vulnerable people and visitors
The assessment should identify groups of workers who face particular risks and explain what protection is needed. The relevant groups depend on the job and site. A new cleaner may need instruction before using a machine; a worker who does not readily understand the site language may need clear instructions; a pregnant worker may need the task reviewed. Visitors, pupils, patients or customers may also use the areas being cleaned.
The assessment should note the controls that apply, or explain why a particular risk does not arise. The same check applies to people present in the building while work is taking place.
Generic or site specific
A contractor may start with a standard document. It can explain a common method, but it does not show that the assessment accounts for your site.
Look for details that only apply to you. The name and address of the premises should appear. The areas to be cleaned should be listed. There should be a note of anything unusual, such as a lift, a stairwell, a server room or a floor that is easily damaged. If you could swap the client name for another and nothing else changes, the document has not been written for you.
How to read one in five minutes
You do not need training to check a RAMS. Ask five simple questions.
- Is it about our site, with our name and address?
- Is it dated, and does it say who wrote it and who approved it?
- Does it cover the tasks the team will actually carry out?
- Are the controls specific, or are they generic phrases?
- Does it match what you see when the team arrives?
A tidy document is a useful starting point. The more important check is whether the team works in line with the controls it describes. Compare the written plan with what happens at the site and ask about any gap before the work continues.
Who has to write it down
Under Regulation 3, employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings of their assessment and any group of employees identified as especially at risk. A practical record should make the relevant hazards, affected people and controls clear enough for the work to be managed.
Smaller contractors may not be required to record the assessment under that employee threshold, but a written site-specific note can still clarify tasks and controls. If no document is available, ask the contractor to explain how it has assessed the site before the work starts.
One line of an assessment, worked through
It helps to see what a single entry looks like. Take a wet floor in a reception area, where the clean takes place in the early evening.
- The hazard is a wet and slippery floor after mopping.
- The people who might be harmed are the cleaner, any member of staff still in the building and a visitor who arrives early.
- Possible controls include cleaning in sections, keeping a clear route where the site allows it and placing warning signs where people can see them. The controls need to fit the actual floor, access and opening hours.
- Any further action, its owner and the date for checking it should be agreed by the people responsible for the site and the work.
- The assessment should say when the control will be reviewed, based on the task and the chance that conditions may change.
That is five lines, and anyone can read them. If a document is full of long paragraphs and nothing like this, it is probably a template.
When to ask for the documents
The best time is before the first visit, so the team arrives knowing the plan. Ask again at each renewal, because sites and staff change. Ask for an update after any accident or near miss, and when you add a new service such as a deep clean, a carpet extraction or a high level job. Each of those brings hazards that the original document may not cover.
Reviews and changes
An assessment must be reviewed if there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid or a significant change affects the matters it covers. EU-OSHA also recommends regular reviews so the record stays current. A new product, machine, work area or team arrangement may mean the controls need checking before the job changes.
For you, that means asking to be told when something changes. A new product, a new floor machine or a new team leader should lead to a short update to the document.
Talk to the people who do the work
EU-OSHA recommends involving workers when an assessment is prepared, then telling them about outcomes and actions that affect their work. A cleaner may notice a blocked route, awkward reach or change in a product that is easy to miss from an office. Invite specific observations before the method is settled, and record how the team will respond.
What to ask for
- A risk assessment written for your site.
- A method statement that describes the steps, the equipment and the hours.
- The names of the people who wrote and approved them, and the date.
- A statement of who is trained in what.
- A commitment to update the documents if anything changes.
How this fits our process
Our commercial cleaning contractors begin with a site assessment and a written cleaning specification. That records the premises, agreed areas and operating requirements. If your own records require a formal risk assessment and method statement, ask for them when you request the quote.
Describe the areas to be cleaned and any work restrictions during the same discussion. Our commercial cleaning services in Manchester should reflect the actual building, whether it includes a reception, kitchen or storage area.
Getting started
If you want a contractor who is happy to talk about risk, start with a few details about the premises and the hours. You can request a cleaning quote for your premises and mention that you would like the documents set out above.