Commercial cleaning in Australia is about far more than keeping workplaces looking presentable. It operates within a complex framework of legislation, standards, and audits designed to protect workers, building occupants, and businesses themselves. From workplace health and safety laws to environmental regulations and client audits, compliance plays a critical role in how professional cleaning services are delivered.
For facility managers, property owners, and procurement teams, understanding the basics of legislation and audits in commercial cleaning is essential. It helps reduce risk, ensures legal obligations are met, and provides confidence that cleaning services are being delivered safely, responsibly, and to a consistent standard.
This article breaks down what you need to know about commercial cleaning legislation and audits in Australia, why they matter, and how reputable cleaning providers manage compliance behind the scenes.
Commercial cleaning involves physical labour, chemical use, machinery, and exposure to a wide range of environments. Without proper regulation, these factors can pose serious risks to both cleaners and building occupants.
Australian legislation exists to ensure that cleaning activities are carried out safely, ethically, and sustainably. Compliance isn’t optional — it’s a legal requirement that protects people, businesses, and reputations.
For organisations outsourcing cleaning services, partnering with a compliant provider helps reduce liability and ensures duty-of-care obligations are met.
Commercial cleaning providers must comply with multiple layers of legislation at both state and federal levels. While specific requirements vary slightly between states, the core obligations are consistent nationwide.
Work Health and Safety legislation is the most critical regulatory framework affecting commercial cleaning. Under Australian WHS laws, cleaning companies have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment for their staff.
This includes:
Identifying and managing workplace hazards
Providing appropriate training and supervision
Supplying safe equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE)
Ensuring safe handling, storage, and use of chemicals
Managing risks such as slips, trips, repetitive strain, and manual handling
WHS obligations extend beyond cleaners themselves. Businesses engaging cleaning contractors also have shared responsibilities, particularly in high-risk environments.
Chemical Safety and Hazardous Substances Regulations
Commercial cleaning relies on a range of chemicals, many of which are classified as hazardous substances. Australian regulations require strict controls around how these products are selected, stored, labelled, and used.
Key requirements include:
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemicals
Staff training in chemical handling and dilution
Proper labelling and storage
Risk assessments for hazardous substances
Failure to comply with chemical safety regulations can lead to serious health risks, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage.
Environmental responsibility is increasingly important in commercial cleaning. Regulations and industry expectations now focus on reducing environmental impact and supporting sustainable practices.
This may include:
Responsible chemical selection and disposal
Water usage controls
Waste management and recycling
Compliance with environmental protection laws
Many Australian organisations also require cleaning providers to align with their broader ESG or sustainability commitments, making environmental compliance a key differentiator.
Cleancorp holds a number of environmental and sustainability regulations including B Corp Certification, triple-ISO certification, and SEDEX Membership.
Cleaning providers must also comply with Australian employment laws, including relevant awards and industrial agreements. This ensures workers are paid fairly and treated ethically.
Key areas include:
Correct wages and penalty rates
Superannuation contributions
Leave entitlements
Right-to-work checks
Fair rostering practices
For clients, engaging a compliant cleaning provider reduces the risk of reputational and legal exposure associated with labour non-compliance.
Audits are structured reviews used to assess whether cleaning services meet legal, contractual, and quality requirements. They play a critical role in maintaining standards and ensuring accountability.
In commercial cleaning, audits may be conducted internally by the provider, externally by clients, or by third-party certification bodies.
Audits are not about fault-finding — they are about verification, improvement, and risk management.
Commercial cleaning providers may be subject to several types of audits, depending on the industry and environment they operate in.
These audits assess compliance with workplace health and safety requirements, including training records, risk assessments, incident reporting, and safe work procedures.
Quality audits measure whether cleaning standards are being met consistently. They often involve site inspections, checklists, and performance scoring.
These audits review chemical usage, waste management practices, and environmental controls to ensure sustainability commitments are being met.
Many large organisations conduct their own audits to verify that cleaning services align with contractual obligations and internal policies.
| Audit Area | What Is Assessed |
|---|---|
| WHS compliance | Training, PPE, risk assessments, incident records |
| Chemical management | SDS availability, storage, handling procedures |
| Cleaning quality | Scope adherence, consistency, outcomes |
| Environmental practices | Waste, chemical use, sustainability measures |
| Staff compliance | Right-to-work checks, inductions, certifications |
| Documentation | Records, policies, audit trails |
For businesses engaging commercial cleaning services, audits provide reassurance. They confirm that services are being delivered safely, legally, and to the agreed standard.
Audits also help:
Identify potential risks early
Support compliance with internal governance requirements
Maintain hygiene standards in regulated environments
Protect brand reputation
In sectors such as healthcare, education, transport, and government, audits are often mandatory.
Professional cleaning companies build compliance into their operations rather than treating audits as a once-off event. This means maintaining up-to-date documentation, training records, and quality assurance processes at all times.
Strong providers invest in:
Ongoing staff training
Digital reporting and tracking systems
Regular internal audits
Clear policies and procedures
Transparent communication with clients
This proactive approach ensures audit readiness and consistent service delivery.
Technology is increasingly used to support compliance in commercial cleaning. Digital systems allow providers to track attendance, verify task completion, manage documentation, and generate audit reports.
For Australian clients, this improves visibility and accountability while reducing administrative burden. It also ensures audit data is accurate, accessible, and up to date.
Looking for more information on the role of technology in commercial cleaning? Check out our other blogs:
Cleaning Tech Meets Human Expertise: Why Oversight Still Matters
How Geo-Tracking and Attendance Tracking Are Improving Cleaning Services
When selecting a commercial cleaning provider, compliance should be a key consideration, not an afterthought.
Look for:
Demonstrated WHS systems and training programs
Clear chemical management practices
Environmental credentials or sustainability initiatives
Transparent audit processes
Experience in your industry or regulatory environment
A compliant provider protects not only their own staff, but also your organisation.
Read our blog on What Certifications Should a Cleaning Company Have.
Compliance failures often stem from:
Inadequate staff training
Poor documentation
Incorrect chemical use
Lack of supervision or oversight
Inconsistent cleaning standards
These risks can lead to safety incidents, audit failures, or reputational harm. Working with a professional, well-governed provider significantly reduces these risks.
Commercial cleaning in Australia is governed by Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation, chemical safety regulations, environmental protection laws, and employment and industrial relations requirements. While specific details vary by state, the core obligations are consistent nationwide and focus on safety, compliance, and ethical operations.
Audits are not always legally mandatory, but they are often required by clients, regulators, or industry standards, particularly in healthcare, education, government, and industrial environments. Audits help verify compliance, manage risk, and maintain consistent cleaning standards.
Audits usually assess WHS compliance, chemical handling and storage, staff training records, cleaning quality, environmental practices, and documentation. The purpose is to confirm that services are being delivered safely, legally, and in line with agreed scopes of work.
Audit frequency depends on the industry and risk level of the site. High-risk or regulated environments may require regular or ongoing audits, while standard commercial sites often conduct audits quarterly or annually as part of quality assurance programs.
Businesses should look for cleaning providers with documented WHS systems, trained and accredited staff, clear chemical management processes, and transparent audit practices. Choosing a provider with experience in your industry helps ensure compliance requirements are consistently met.
Legislation and audits are fundamental to commercial cleaning in Australia. They ensure safety, protect workers, support sustainability, and deliver consistent quality outcomes.
For businesses, understanding the role of compliance helps inform better procurement decisions and reduces operational risk. For cleaning providers, strong compliance systems are essential to delivering reliable, professional services.
When legislation, audits, technology, and skilled people work together, commercial cleaning becomes safer, more transparent, and more effective, benefiting everyone involved.