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Induction pack aims to improve safety standards within the cleaning industry

Commercial cleaning company Blue Diamond Services has introduced a new training induction pack for employees. The pack, which is presented to each new employee upon completion of his or her induction training course, provides a number of aide-memoirs in a handy wallet format that can be easily carried by employees on location and quickly referred to.

The cards include information in a checklist format on such things as the correct personal protection equipment to accompany each cleaning task, what to do in the event of an accident, and how to respond to specific situations they may encounter in the course of their work.

The contents of the pack have been carefully designed and collated to ensure they comply with all relevant company and government safe working practices currently applicable to commercial cleaning.

Blue Diamond's induction training course comprises an explanation of Method Statements and COSHH Data Sheets, basic training exercises on fourteen cleaning tasks with a practical ‘hands on’ training exercise on six of these, accompanied by two videos that cover these subjects and also look at colour coding and the safe use of chemicals. The module is completed by a written multiple-choice questionnaire that employees must pass before they can be assigned work on a Blue Diamond contract.

"Cleaning is now much more technical and demands a much greater professional approach, especially if we are to comply with the myriad of health and safety regulations that now apply to even the most basic of cleaning tasks," said Chris Howard, Blue Diamond’s Managing Director. "The new induction pack adds an additional safeguard to our existing training plan by providing staff with a quick on-the-spot ready reference they can use to help resolve any difficulties or disputes about what they are doing and how they are doing it.

"We hope staff will use the contents of the pack not only as a personal checklist before commencing a task, but also as an aid in cases where their instructions are challenged by the client, particularly if these have important health and safety implications. Such cases are rare, but on these occasions the cards give clear guidance what action the cleaner must take, and they can also serve to explain to the client, who is probably not fully aware of all the relevant health and safety legislation, why his request is being questioned or rejected.

"With over 1,000 staff working on many varied contracts in different industry sectors throughout the country, it is imperative that we maintain consistent standards that have been agreed and which comply with regulations. The induction pack helps fulfill this requirement and I believe it can make a major contribution to improving safety standards within the cleaning industry."

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