Most employers know their office should be clean, but fewer know that UK law actually requires it. Several pieces of legislation set out what employers must do to keep a workplace clean, safe and hygienic, and what they need to be able to show if anyone asks.
This guide explains the main office cleaning requirements in plain English. It is general guidance, not legal advice, so check the official HSE guidance or take professional advice for your specific situation.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
This is the foundation of UK workplace health and safety law. It places a general duty on employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, so far as is reasonably practicable. A clean, well-maintained workplace is part of meeting that duty.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
These regulations are the most direct source of office cleaning requirements. In summary:
- Cleanliness: the workplace, and its furniture, furnishings and fittings, must be kept sufficiently clean.
- Surfaces: floors, walls and ceilings must be capable of being kept sufficiently clean.
- Waste: so far as is reasonably practicable, waste must not be allowed to build up except in suitable containers.
- Floors and routes: floors and traffic routes should be kept free of obstructions and anything that could cause people to slip or trip, such as spills.
- Welfare facilities: toilets and washing facilities must be kept clean, and rest and eating areas should be suitable and hygienic.
The HSE's Approved Code of Practice for these regulations (L24) gives more detail on what "sufficiently clean" looks like in practice, including how often cleaning should happen depending on how the space is used.
COSHH: cleaning chemicals
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) apply to many everyday cleaning products. Employers must assess the risks from hazardous substances, put controls in place, keep safety data sheets, train the people who use the products and store chemicals safely. Mixing incompatible products, such as bleach with ammonia-based cleaners, is a common and avoidable risk.
Risk assessments
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments. Cleaning activities, such as working at height, using chemicals, wet floors and lone working, should be covered. Our guide to cleaning risk assessments explains what to include.
Waste and recycling
Businesses also have a legal duty of care for the waste they produce under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. That means storing waste safely and using an authorised waste carrier. For more on reducing the environmental impact of cleaning, see what eco-friendly commercial cleaning actually means.
Higher standards in some sectors
Some workplaces must meet stricter standards on top of these general rules. Healthcare premises, for example, follow specific infection prevention guidance. Our article on healthcare cleaning standards in the UK covers this in more detail.
How to show you are meeting your duties
Keeping an office clean is one thing. Being able to show it is another. Good evidence includes:
- A written cleaning specification that sets out what is cleaned, where and how often. Read what a cleaning specification is and why your business needs one.
- Completed cleaning checklists or logs.
- COSHH assessments and safety data sheets for every product used.
- Risk assessments and method statements for cleaning tasks.
- Records of any incidents and how they were dealt with.
How Hashtag Clean can help
Hashtag Clean provides commercial cleaning across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. We are CHAS and SMAS accredited, and our COSHH records, risk assessments and incident logs are managed digitally, so documentation is available when you or your auditors need it. Every contract runs to a bespoke, site-specific checklist, delivered by directly employed cleaners.
Request a quote to talk through your workplace's cleaning requirements.
