High level cleaning across Oxford and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire has a wide mix of commercial buildings with high spaces that are hard to reach. Science and business parks such as Milton Park, between Didcot and Abingdon, combine labs and offices with industrial and warehouse units. Distribution sites line the A34 and the M40, and the city itself has older buildings with tall rooms, roofs and windows.
What these buildings have in common is dirt that builds up out of reach. Dust settles on roof steelwork, light fittings and ducting, algae grows on cladding, and gutters fill up. Locus Services cleans all of it from cherry pickers and scissor lifts, and we can work at night or at weekends so your site keeps running.
High level cleaning: before and after
What we clean at height
| Building | What builds up | How we reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouses and distribution units | Dust on roof steelwork, racking tops, lighting and ducting | MEWPs working one zone at a time, with the area below closed off. See warehouse cleaning in Oxford |
| Labs, offices and atriums | Dust on high ledges, vents, light fittings and internal glazing | Out-of-hours visits, with floors and equipment protected |
| Factories and plant rooms | Dust and grease on beams, ducting and plant | Planned around production, permits and isolations |
| Building exteriors | Algae and dirt on cladding, glazing and fascias, plus blocked gutters | Cherry pickers from the car park or the street. See facade cleaning in Oxford |
| Older buildings | Dust and cobwebs on high ceilings, beams and windows | Methods agreed with you first, with floors and fittings protected |
If pigeons have been roosting in the roof space, the droppings need clearing before anything else. See pigeon guano removal in Oxford.
Safe access comes first
HSE says the Work at Height Regulations apply to anyone who controls work at height, including facilities managers and building owners who bring in contractors. So it pays to check how a contractor will do the job before they start.
HSE’s step-by-step guide sets the order: avoid working at height where you can, prevent falls where you can’t, and minimise the distance and consequences of a fall if the risk remains. It names MEWPs such as scissor lifts as a way to prevent falls. That’s how we plan every job. We choose a platform that suits the floor and the height, close off the area underneath, and make sure nobody works below the clean.
Working on Oxford’s streets
If the platform has to stand on the road or pavement, the council needs to know. Oxfordshire County Council’s scaffolding and hoarding licence also covers access machinery such as cherry pickers on the highway, and the council asks for applications at least five working days before work starts. We sort the licence out as part of the job, and we can work early or late, when streets are quieter.
Confined spaces too
Some of the dirtiest parts of a building are below ground: plant rooms, tanks, pits and service tunnels. HSE defines a confined space as somewhere enclosed or largely enclosed, with a reasonably foreseeable risk of serious harm. We assess the space before anyone goes in and plan the way in and out. See confined space cleaning.
How a high level clean works
- Free site survey: we look at the areas to be cleaned, the access routes and floor, and anything that needs isolating.
- Safe working plan: you get risk assessments and method statements before work starts.
- Your site rules: our crews complete your inductions and work under your permits.
- The clean: zone by zone, at agreed times, with the area below kept clear and waste taken away.
- Sign-off: we walk the site with you and give you a report on what’s been done.
Read more about our high level cleaning service.
Accredited, insured and documented
Locus is SafeContractor-accredited, Constructionline Silver and a BICSc corporate member, and our operatives hold IPAF and CSCS cards. We’re registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier (CBDU320327).