[dhnjj]

ello everyone

Just out of interest, what is your procedure when it comes to fire safety for those of your staff working on office cleaning and the like contracts?

Do you request that your staff follow the clients procedure? or
Do you have your own generic or site specific procedures?

and

What is your policy on Staff signing in procedures at other locations?


For me, I always ask for a copy of the clients procedure, then ensure the staff read it as part of their site induction.
As for signing in and out, I  instruct the staff to always do this.

Some of my staff work during the clients business hours so if my staff didnt sign in and there was a fire, then only the clients staff and their visitors who have signed in will be counted and i cant imagine each and every one of my clients saying, "oh lets not forget the cleaners" because afterall they dont actually work for them.

those staff that work alone in the evenings always and are expected to ring/txt me after they finish as this interlinks with my lone working policy.

dont worry none of the staff have turned up chargrilled, im just curious what others do or would do
penny for your thoughts

 Dave

[Robert Parry]

Hi Dave,

Before starting any contract we ask for a copy of the clients H & S procedures, not their H & S Policy, the actual procedures(most are gob smacked by this!!) these procedures also cover their Fire Safety procedures as well, this is then covered in our own staffs site induction day, they are tested on this a week later via a written test, in which they are expected to know the location of all fire exits, the location of each fire extinguisher, the types and which one to use on which type of fire etc etc.

On the bigger sites, all of our staff attend the client’s fire drills, and some receive extra training in first aid and fire fighting techniques.

As for signing into the clients premises, we insist on this happening as a matter of course.

Regards,

Rob

[dhnjj]

Thanks Rob

Very thorough indeed but prevention is better than cure! as they say 

anyone else?

[Fox]

Hi

We also ask for clients H&S including procedures, the cleaners are expected to read these but we follow our own procedures as these are geared towards our workers not the on site 'office' workers where they may have someone in charge of drills etc.

Rob you surprise me when you say all your cleaners are to know how to use the fire extinguishers!  My staff are instructed not to tackle a fire no matter how small,  they are told to sound the fire alarm and leave through one of the fire exits, call 999 and meet at designated area the clients are told this and are more than happy that these are our procedures.  This is obviously on out of hours sites, when on site in working hours cleaners are told to leave building by nearest exit and go to designated point.  Of course all of our cleaners have to sign in and out even if it's out of hours.

Fox

[dhnjj]

Hi Fox

Thanks for your comments

Although I only ask for fire, flood and other emergency type contingency plans I do occasionally get given the whole lot if there part of a booklet.
Shockingly some clients dont have these available so i then use my own generic one and tweak it to the site. Its very much the same as yours.
As for training, the staff are required to know which colour fire extinguisher to use on which fire etc but I doubt they would remember, Iv been on countless fire safety courses and only seem to retain "dont touch the horn on the black one" lol

When on site visits, I also sign in and out but while im there I flick back through the pages to check that the cleaners are doing it also. No point me having a policy if i dont know its being followed.

Do you also audit (so to speak) these? Or is just having the policy enough? Or have I gone and added another item to your/your area managers (if you have one) list of things to do? lol

Dave

[Fox]

Hi Dave

Yes I know what you mean about some clients not having this info 'to hand'!

Many of my sites have a communications book aswell as a signing in/out book as the cleaners often don't see the clients, area supervisors have to check sites weekly where they check the signing in/out and look at the communications books so that we can identify reoccuring problems and put systems/training into place.  Some of my sites have a clocking in machine (fitted by us) and supervisors have to return cards to office every week for payroll so again this helps with the checking.

We have monthly audits of everything from the paperwork to the bin emptying with the client and get all works signed off, (even though they are ongoing contracts it helps keep communication open and a good standard throughout). 

In this business the chain of mangement seems a long one but because there are many cleaners on many sites it would be difficult to control if we didn't have this in place.

like you I think there is no point in having a policy if it's not checked!

Fox