Many homeowners believe that the only benefit of hiring a professional house cleaning service is having an organized living space, and they are sadly mistaken. Few understand that hiring professionals to clean your home can also help save you money and protect you from a lawsuit by minimizing premises liability risks for their clients.
As defined by premises liability attorneys in Chicago, premises liability refers to the legal responsibility of individuals to keep their property safe and prevent injury to others. And, failure to do so, can result in a lawsuit by the injured party. Thankfully, however, many cleaning services job descriptions are to not only keep a space free of clutter but also safe to use. Now, let’s take a look to see what makes cleaning services unique in their ability to prevent premises liability cases against their clients.
Proper Training
Through specified training programs, professional cleaners not only acquire knowledge of proper cleaning techniques but also identification of potential hazards on a property. By knowing what dangers to look for, they can then bring any safety concerns to light before they result in harm to guests or residents. Effective communication with the property owner is also paramount when explaining safety issues to mitigate these risks and ensure a safe and secure environment for homeowners and visitors.
Regular Inspections And Maintenance Checks
Routine checks performed by maid services allow cleaners to assess the condition of any property, identify potential hazards, and address them quickly. From slippery floors to loose handrails, trained cleaners have a keen eye for spotting safety concerns that may pose risks to residents and visitors. Through these regular inspections, maid services can detect maintenance issues early on, allowing for timely repairs or other necessary steps to be taken to prevent accidents or injuries.
Learn the reasons behind the variability in cleaning technicians in our article, Why Is It Impossible to Expect the Same Cleaning Technician Every Time?. Understand the factors that affect scheduling and service consistency.
Compliance With Safety Regulations
Another benefit that professional maid services provide when it comes to preventing premises liability claims is the safety regulations they are taught and trained to follow. Whether it be using home and pet-safe cleaning products, following the guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), or the proper handling of equipment, by following these established industry standards, maid services have a much greater chance of limiting the possibility of accidents and injuries on a property that most people wouldn’t even think of.
Risk Management Strategies
To protect themselves and others, maid services employ effective risk management strategies to mitigate liability risks. Such examples include using caution signs for wet floors, securing cleaning equipment properly, and promptly communicating any potential hazards to homeowners. With the goal of risk management as a primary responsibility, well-trained cleaning services will always go the extra mile to make sure a space is safe for all.
On-The-Job Insurance Coverage
For the most part, many maid services have some type of insurance coverage as part of their business model. This helps protect both their employees and clients in the event of an accident or injuries on the job, ensuring that homeowners are not held responsible for injuries. This way, homeowners can enjoy peace of mind knowing a member of their cleaning team can turn around and file a lawsuit if injured at work. A professional house cleaning service like Fresh Tech Maid, for example, has general business liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance, providing strong protection to both clients and employees.
Documentation And Record-Keeping As Evidence
Any form of documentation is a powerful piece of evidence that can be used in a court of law. Thankfully, they are also a necessary component of any cleaning service’s day-to-day operations. Whether they are logs of cleaning services, inspections, etc., they are available to be used to fight a potential premises liability lawsuit. Thorough documentation provides transparency and accountability, helping to mitigate liability risks for both maid services and homeowners. At Fresh Tech Maid, employees are mandated to submit Accident Report Form in real time, when any accident, large or small, happens.
Client Communication And Feedback
Open communication between an experienced cleaning service and its clients is imperative to be able to identify, notify, and act on any safety concerns discovered on the job. Furthermore, any cleaning service of note will further encourage clients to provide feedback on cleaning services that they can improve on, including safety issues or their inspection process. This combination of both communication and feedback between a cleaning service and the client can help promote safety in the present as well as the future.
All in all, professional maid services can be vital in keeping their clients safe and mitigating premises liability risks for homeowners. Therefore, by hiring the right cleaning service, homeowners can keep their spaces aesthetically pleasing, while simultaneously reducing the risk of their clients being the subject of a premises liability lawsuit. So, if you’re looking to hire a cleaning service, be sure to do your due diligence, because the right one may prove to have more value than just making sure your windows are clean and your trash is taken out.