Grade II listed buildings demand specialist cleaning providers due to their operational challenges. Experience heritage cleaners have the expertise to navigate strict compliance standards, adhere to heritage protection regulations, and the tools to work with the unique maintenance needs associated with historic properties.
This blog outlines how working closely with a heritage cleaning provider can improve operational practices and mitigate the challenges your site faces.
Compliance Standard Challenges
There are multiple compliance standards and regulations that must be met when partnering with a heritage site. From health and safety regulations to building requirement ISOs, these standards must be adhered to in order to ensure that your site is safe for employees, visitors, and the environment.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
When the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is in place this act ensures sites are maintained in a safe condition for all employees and visitors. This includes ensuring there are limited risk for trips, slips and falls, areas to be sanitised and services in place which support wellbeing.
As a cleaning service provider, we can reduce hazards by keeping areas free of waste on floors, keeping floors free from liquid spills and overall ensuring the environment is safe and that supports staff wellbeing and compliance.
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
Similar to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 is a regulation which requires sites to be clean, hygienic, and well kept. Adhering to this regulation will ensure the hygienic standards on site are consistently upheld, which is essential for both employee health and professional reputation.
Cleaning tasks such as regular deep cleaning can be a great solution in enhancing health and safety regulations on your site. Deep cleaning services include tasks that a regular cleaning service won’t, including but not limited to:
- Dry carpet deep cleans
- Wet carpet extractions
- Equipment de-scaling
- Internal glazing and partitions
Tasks like these optimise sanitation results and mitigates dust particles in the air which can leave negative effects on visitor health.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, is in place to manage the exposure to harmful substances such as cleaning chemicals, dust, and biological agents.
We follow strict rules to ensure our services adhere to this regulation. By providing training and knowledge to our operatives, we have full understanding to COSHH requirements and only utilise approved products and methods which minimise risk. We use renewable cleaning agents, such as BioHygiene, which protect all employees and area users from toxic chemical inhalation.
Aesthetic and Material Challenges
Conservation is crucial to cleaning a listed site. Every task conducted on the premises must protect the historical and architectural integrity of the property.
Historical Importance
Heritage buildings hold historical significance on their sites. It is crucial to balance between preservation and presentation when conducting cleaning services. Removing grime is important as it can remove evidence of the building’s past.
Using harsh cleaning methods or harsh chemicals could damage historic materials, finishes, or masonry. To avoid this, it is important that non-abrasive methods, equipment and chemicals are utilised or third-party specialised teams are hired to conduct specialised tasks.
Historical Artefacts and Features
Listed properties are home to valuable historical artefacts and features such as framing, wood panelling and fixtures. Items like these need to be taken care of during cleaning services by using specialised skills and equipment that are gentle to the artefact materials.
Logistical and Practical Challenges
Cleaning and maintaining listed buildings present a range of logistical difficulties, from complex architecture to restricted access and time constraints.
Complex Layouts
Each historical building is often retrofitted with modern systems such as wiring and air conditioning. However, with heritage sites often requiring consent from local planning authority bodies, such as Historic England, some systems are still dated and require specialised skills from third party organisations.
Not all cleaning providers have the knowledge or qualifications to carry out such works, which is why it is crucial for providers to understand your site and conduct a detailed site survey before signing service contracts.
Working Conditions
Listed buildings are often open for public use, accommodating for thousands of visitors a year. Whilst visiting these spaces, visitors like to feel safe and welcomed, these needs can be achieved by relying on your cleaning partner. However, it is crucial for cleaning services to not disrupt the nature and operations of the environment.
In order to minimise disruption, cleaning tasks can be scheduled during low visitor hours. If this is not possible, our cleaning teams can use quieter equipment and wear uniforms that blend in with other employees on site.
Budgets
Often heritage site finances are supported by grant funding from grants from the government or organisations such as Historic England or The National Lottery Heritage Funding.
As your cleaning partner, we can support grant-funded heritage projects by optimising our specialised skills and knowledge, equipment, and materials. With tailored cleaning plans, budgets can be discussed, openly and honestly to meet site requirements without disrupting cleaning results.
It is no secret that heritage sites, such as grade II listed buildings, require an experienced cleaning provider that is well knowledge and that general cleaning tasks with pose as a risk to their site. From compliance with health and safety standards to the careful skilled handling requirements , every aspect must be managed with professionalism and care.
Contact Us Today
Partnering with a specialist heritage cleaning company ensures your building remains safe and compliant. Get in touch with our experienced team today to discuss how our expertise can help protect and maintain your listed building.