General cleaning SWMS

When you need this form

Every commercial cleaning contract eventually asks for one. This SWMS sets out the scope of general cleaning work, the hazards involved, and the controls applied: manual handling, wet floors, lone work, waste handling, electrical leads and public interaction. Clients now request SWMS evidence before a crew is allowed to start, whether the site is an office, a bank branch, an aged care facility or an aquatic centre.

Two things separate a working SWMS from a filed one. Workers signed on to it, and the method was reviewed when the site or the task changed. A live form records both, with the sign-on attached to the person, the date and the site. That is what a tender assessor or an incident investigator looks for first.

What good looks like

• Task steps broken down, each with its own hazard and control.
• Site-specific risks named: public access, wet areas, lone work, night shift.
• PPE listed per task rather than one blanket statement.
• Every worker signed on before starting, and re-signed after any change.
• Authorising supervisor recorded, with review date and consultation notes.