Health and Safety in the Cleaning Sector

Background

The cleaning industry provides absolutely essential health protection services across a range of industry and sector groups. The majority of cleaners receive hourly rates a little above the minimum wage. They work, either in small teams or on their own, often at nights, and usually when the regular staff of the organisation are not present.

In the search for efficiencies and cost reduction the cleaning sector has been the scene of very competitive bidding for contracts. As a result, cleaners have been expected to carry out the work, to the standard expected, in less time than under their previous contracts.

It is a complex industry sector with many stakeholders

• The principals, being property owners, tenants, and employers who employ contractors;
• Large to medium sized employers who employ cleaners or operate as Franchisors;
• Small businesses that employ cleaners, or operate as franchisees, or are self employed;
• The ITO, businesses specialising in providing training to the sector, and suppliers of equipment and cleaning materials; and
• The cleaners.

About the cleaners

Working as a cleaner is seen as an opportunity for new immigrants to enter the New Zealand workforce. There are issues with fluency in English, literacy and numeracy. It is also seen as providing an opportunity to earn some money in the short term to meet a particular financial obligation.

Staff turnover for larger companies can be anything from 65% per annum to 100% or even more if there is a change of contract and the staff servicing a building are employed by a new contractor. These factors present significant challenges for the extensive and effective uptake of training as well as adapting to new technologies.

Difficulties are now being experienced in getting sufficient staff to fulfil available contracts. This places additional strains on the remaining staff involved to complete the work to the standard expected. Particular staffing difficulties are being experienced in the South Island and in provincial centres.

In some organisations staff turnover is very low and there are many cleaners with long service. Factors contributing to this situation include regular employment for up to 40 hours a week or more, work being done during the daytime when other staff of the organisation are working. Here the cleaners tend to see themselves as staff of the organisation rather than working for the cleaning company that currently holds the contract, and there is a culture of respect for cleaners.

Overseas literature confirms that the duties of cleaners in New Zealand are no different from those of cleaners around the world. One could expect the same degree of discomfort, pain and incidence of injury. However, in other countries reported injuries and claims for compensation far exceed those registered in New Zealand. Weigel et al, [Assessment of the Repetitive Manual Tasks of Cleaners (2006)] compares insurance premium rates in New South Wales in 2004-05. Cleaning is ranked with abattoirs, an industry where manual handling requirements are much greater. This raises the question of the degree of under reporting in general. There are variations between regions in New Zealand, as ACC data show. For example, Canterbury has a far higher ratio of claims than other areas.

Major initiatives

A number of major initiatives have the potential for very good outcomes in the Cleaning Industry. Representative of all the stakeholders have reached agreement on Principles for the Property Services Industry (see Appendix 1). This agreement (which is about the sustainability of the Industry) is being implemented, firstly, with core government departments and then with the potential for implementation across the wider state sector in the future. It is anticipated that standards being implemented with these organisations will have an impact on contracts for cleaning in the private sector.

There is a separate tripartite agreement - The Health Sector Relationship Agreement (see Appendix 2) – which provides the framework for constructive engagement in the New Zealand Public Health and disability sector.

The Building Services Contractors Association has a Code of Practice for its members (see Appendix 3). Initiatives under the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy will assist in fully understanding all the health and safety requirements for the Industry and having agreed measures which indicate whether the requirements are being met. A component will be the work being done by the Department of Labour to develop an online hazard self assessment tool to assist businesses to manage their health and safety matters so as to meet the ACC Workplace Safety Discount Programme criteria and efforts to clarify obligations under section 18 of the HSE Act.

Cleaning company commitment

From our discussions with stakeholders it is obvious that the major companies have a strong commitment to the development and implementation of management processes to minimise injuries, to supply training and the provision of appropriate materials for the cleaners. The Cleaning Industry and the industries they service, are all applying resources to independently develop or enhance their management and safety management systems. There is duplication of resource inputs and differing levels of effectiveness. There are obvious efficiencies in having an industry best practice Guideline rather than each company working up its own materials.

A particular need we have identified is the equipping of supervisors and team leaders to enable them to provide ongoing training for their staff.

With 84% of the cleaning businesses in New Zealand employing 5 or fewer staff these operators do not have the resources to develop their own material. A Cleaners Guideline would be essential training tool for this part of the Industry.

Recommendations are made of the need for auditors to not only review the management processes and systems, and that they are being implemented appropriately, but to take the opportunity of auditing how the cleaners themselves are carrying out their duties in accordance with the prescribed methods and procedures.

Effective change is achieved through a change of behaviour of the individual or party – not simply because something is written down.

As a result of our study we conclude that there is a need in the Industry for Guidelines. From our discussions with stakeholders our assessment is that these would be welcomed and appreciated by the respective groups in the Industry.

Conclusions

1. There is a need for an overarching strategy clearly stating best practice methods and procedures for the Cleaning Industry.
2. There are three main areas for improvement:
   • contracting between principals and cleaning organisations
   • in areas of management systems, and
   • the delivery of cleaning services by the cleaners.
   • Initiatives are being taken to improve the level of advice available about health and safety management systems:
   • to meet the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act (HSE), ACC programmes (the Partnership Programme or the Workplace Safety Management Practices scheme) and new emphases in contracting and procurement processes:
   • The Department of Labour and the Ministry for Economic Development are developing these resources
   • Many of the topics covered are generic to many industries.
   • All these systems and material provide frameworks but will need to be tailored to the Cleaning Sector.
   • Resulting from the work undertaken in this study a number of observations and recommendations are made of current practices – both the facilities used by cleaners, management systems, and cleaning techniques and practices.
   • Some of the material currently being used for training purposes needs updating.
   • Of the overseas resources reviewed, attention is drawn to the document “Working Safer and Easier” produced by the Department of Industrial Relations in California and able to be accessed at www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/janitor. The material in this ergonomics based guideline provides excellent examples of what should be included in the Cleaning Industry Guidelines.
   • Reports of research commissioned by the Department of Labour and published recently as “How Health and Safety Makes Good Business Sense” stress the point that healthy and safe workplaces are fundamental to achieving productive work and quality working lives. The points made in this and related publications are drawn from a number of industry sectors but are applicable to the Cleaning Industry
   • An Industry approach, through the development of a Cleaning Industry Management Guideline, would reduce the resource input and further the consistency of management training and performance in supervising cleaners. Perhaps of greater significance, it would also provide a means of facilitating, in an integrated manner, the implementation of a range of separate government and industry initiatives that are proposed to achieve improvements in the Cleaning Industry.
   • A Cleaners Guideline, including work practices and techniques, would provide medium sized businesses and organisations with a source of material and a benchmark for their training material. It would be particularly valuable to those organisations and individuals with little or no training material on how to clean.
   • The positive interaction between stakeholders in the development of the Principles with the associated synergy could be continued in the development of these Guidelines.
   • The Building Service Contactors Association could be the lead organisation in this initiative.
   • Their members employ well over half the cleaning workforce.
   • The larger members and specialist training organisations are each developing their own health and safety resources. A joint development would reduce the overall staff input and there would be a synergistic gain.
   • There would be a continuing saving in having a consistent content and standard of training contributing to improved cleaner competency.

Recommendations

Arising from our research and the contacts made with stakeholders the following key recommendations are made:

1. That there be a meeting of stakeholders to update participants and facilitate progress with the range of important health and safety management initiatives impacting on the Cleaning Industry.
2. That the Building Services Contractors Association lead and facilitate a process to develop Guidelines as suggested in this Discussion Paper.
3. That the following Guidelines should be developed:
• A Cleaning Industry Principals and Contractors Guideline
• A Management Guideline
• A Cleaners Guideline

Arising from our research and discussions, topics for further consideration and development by task groups working on drafting the Guidelines include:

Provision of appropriate facilities

4. That the Industry develops design criteria for suitable facilities to be used by cleaners, that these criteria be included in all appropriate building specification documents, and that property owners include the criteria for cleaning facilities in the design brief for new and renovated buildings.
5. That provision for cleaner facilities be included in the Building Code.
6. That the provision of suitable facilities for cleaners be included in training programmes for building design and inspection.

Education and Training

7. That the Cleaning Guidelines be developed for and be the basis for training throughout the Industry, and focus on safe work practices and techniques, and be made available to all cleaners.
8. That the training and display materials developed utilise good communication, learning methods, and techniques - recognising the various language and literacy levels in the Industry.
9. That the Industry undertakes a major programme to update and support all training and management staff, with the ‘best practices’ information contained in the Cleaners Guideline. Emphasis to be given to training in achieving skill behaviour change and coaching.
10. That the Industry undertakes a study of the design of cleaning equipment against ergonomics principles and that information on selection is included in the Guidelines. Employee participation is encouraged and the material would require regular updating.
11. That the Cleaning Guideline includes the techniques for operating all equipment.
12. That training programmes have as one of their objectives, that the cleaner can manage their work practices and techniques to minimise the risk of discomfort, pain, and injury.
13. That education is provided on the effects of long work hours and fatigue.
14. That training programmes be developed for trainers, assessors, supervisors and management to enable them to teach and coach cleaners in ‘best practice’ work practices and techniques and the cleaner’s self management of their work.

Management

15. That the Industry adopt and support a culture that recognises and expresses the value of cleaners.
16. That the Industry implements the principles contained in the document ‘Principles for the Property Services Industry’.
17. That employers, franchisors, and property owners give greater recognition for the organisation of work hours to be between 6 am and 9pm.
18. That employers encourage workers to work reasonable hours and provide education on the effects of long work hours and fatigue.
19. That employers have management systems that make the prompt reporting of discomfort and pain very easy – and that response is immediate, competent and supportive.
20. That the Industry adopts the ACC’s Discomfort Pain and Injury (DPI) Programme.
21. That the ACC safety management audits include auditing the work practices and techniques of the workers.
22. That cleaners be given the opportunity to take part in the development of guidelines for their work practices and techniques and the selection of equipment and that appropriate training is given to those taking part.
23. That organisations study the Working Safer and Easier document and review their equipment in the light of comments and recommendations in this report and that document.
24. The Industry should consider research of the overseas literature relevant to the prevention of MSD, the developments in equipment design, and the health and safety initiatives being developed in overseas cleaning industries as well as research reports recently commissioned by the Department of Labour.

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This page was last updated on: 08-Jun-2009 and is current.