How to manage housekeeping in your hospitality business.

Keeping your workplace clean and tidy is a must for any business, but it's especially important in hospitality. In the UK, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay out the rules. They say that every workplace should be kept in a clean state, with regular cleaning and proper waste removal. Plus, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 says employers have to make sure their workplace is safe and doesn't put anyone's health at risk.

In the U.S., OSHA's sanitation standards (29 CFR 1910.141) cover similar ground. They say workplaces should be kept clean and orderly, with regular cleaning schedules and proper waste disposal methods. It's not just about looking tidy - poor housekeeping can lead to slips, trips, and falls, or even fire hazards.

So, as a hospitality business, you've got to take housekeeping seriously. It's not just the law - it's about keeping your staff and customers safe. A good housekeeping plan should cover everything from daily cleaning routines to waste management and storage. You'll need to train your staff on the right way to clean and handle any chemicals they use. And don't forget to keep an eye out for any hazards that might crop up, like spills or cluttered walkways.

Waste Arrangements:

• •Ensure that Responsible Persons implement suitable arrangements to assure all waste is separated and disposed of in line with the above legislation.
• •Preventing anyone from dealing with its waste illegally.
• •Preventing the escape of waste.
• •Ensuring waste is only transferred to an authorised person.
• •Providing an accurate description of waste when the waste is transferred, and completing a transfer note.
• •Using suitable disposal equipment to contain waste materials, and ensuring regular waste disposal.
• •Implementing arrangements during adverse weather conditions to prevent waste from blowing around the site or contaminating surroundings.
• •Considering the risk of arson and ensuring waste is protected and located at a suitable distance away from final exit outlets.
• •Ensuring Responsible Persons are accountable for the systems and arrangements for the safe disposal of waste.
• •Preventing anyone from dealing with its waste illegally.

Housekeeping and Cleaning Arrangements

Your company operates within the hospitality sector, where housekeeping and cleaning are paramount to ensuring the safety, health, and welfare of employees and others who enter the premises by keeping it in a clean, well-presented, and sanitary condition. Your company is responsible for maintaining an acceptable standard of site cleanliness within the area of works and front of house as perceived by customers.

• •Ensuring Responsible Persons identify and supervise the provision of housekeeping arrangements. This includes recording cleaning schedules and making a risk assessment of the hazards the workforce is exposed to while undertaking housekeeping duties.
• •Refining and implementing cleaning procedures and safety working protocols to ensure the standard of housekeeping aligns with safety requirements and brand presentation goals.
• •Identifying competent, trained personnel to undertake housekeeping/cleaning work to maintain cleaning regimes and control measures.
• •Ensuring Responsible Persons carry out regular housekeeping inspections prior, during, and after regular working hours.
• •Issuing and monitoring staff use of personal protective equipment in keeping with the documented risk assessments.
• •Providing instruction and training when necessary, ensuring all training provided is documented.
• •Regularly monitoring and reviewing housekeeping protocols to ensure all staff adhere to the procedures and safe systems of work.
• •Working with and supporting local authority officers to help maintain the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene on the premises, in keeping with food safety responsibilities.