An essential aspect of carrying out a comprehensive, thorough and efficient regular communal clean is working in line with health and safety procedures and ensuring any relevant risk assessments have been carried out. Given that it is a legal requirement for communal areas to be assessed for health and safety risks under the management of health and safety at work regulations 1999; it is vital that any risks or potential risks are identified, and any suggestions have been made on how these can be managed or monitored.

At Your Option Services all our operatives and team members are fully trained in both our Health & Safety Policy & Procedure and Risk Assessments.

Not only do we want our operatives to be safe whilst on site, we also want our clients to be satisfied that whilst working, the area itself is also safe.

To ensure residents are comfortable with our team members working on site, the Your Option team are easily recognisable in the clear branded uniform, an aspect of health and safety that can sometimes be overlooked.

It may seem like common sense but this means making it obvious through the use of health and safety signs (eg: wet floor signs) that we are working and that there may be trip or slip hazards such as cables & wet floors.

Another important aspect that can often be overlooked is the importance of stair nosings in communal blocks. Firstly, it makes sense to establish why they are needed; the difference to the safety level for people of all ages walking up a flight of stairs with stair nosings attached compared to without is drastic. Stair nosings essentially hide the edges of the flooring where the two different aspects meet; they are designed to blend into the floor; this provides you with extra space as you walk up or down, therefore making it more comfortable and enabling a reduction in accidents and trips. Stair nosings also protect the stair edging from breaking or getting damaged which can easily happen.

Throughout commercial buildings, stair nosings are essential by law otherwise they may be in breach of codes & regulations.

Given that it is incredibly important that stair nosings are visible and fitted throughout communal blocks; it is therefore also important they are kept clean and maintained to a high standard.

As per the Your Option Services policy and procedure for regular communal cleans, included within this is the thorough clean of all individual stair nosings; this ensures the stairs are well maintained and remain safe for everyday use for residents.

Central to health and safety relative to communal blocks is bulk items of all shapes and sizes. Here at Your Option Services we have a specific sector dedicated to the removal of bulk (Bulk Option). Bulk of any shape or size left within a communal area can be a trip hazard, but also cause mobility issues for tenants depending on where it has been left; this is why it is vital to arrange for the comprehensive and safe removal of these items by specially trained operatives; especially when dealing with much larger scale bulk items. Similarly, if bulk items are left outside of the communal area there is a chance they can attract unwanted pests, causing even further issues.

The Your Option Team pride themselves on leaving each communal area spotless, safe & clean.