Safety Tip of the Week – Housekeeping III

Housekeeping

In the workplace, ‘good housekeeping’ is the term used for keeping the worksite clean, neat, and free of hazards that can cause injury. Housekeeping is a safety concern that is often overlooked or taken for granted. But far too many accidents happen because people didn’t keep their work areas neat and clean. Poor housekeeping also increases the dangers when evacuating the workplace in an emergency. Housekeeping isn’t something to be swept under the rug. It is a legitimate and important safety issue.

Results of poor housekeeping practices:

• Injuries, when employees trip, fall, strike, or are struck by out-of-place objects;

• Injuries from using improper tools because the correct tool can’t be found;

• Lowered production because of the time spent maneuvering over and around someone else’s mess, and time spent looking for proper tools and materials;

• Time spent investigating and reporting accidents that could have been avoided;

• Fires due to improper storage and disposal of flammable or combustible materials and wastes;

• Lack of future work due to a reputation for poor quality;

• “Wall-to-wall” OSHA inspections due to the poor first impression of the compliance officer.

Good housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t assume that someone else is going to clean up a mess or take the proper precautions. Make it your business to remove hazards from the workplace.

Keeping your work area clean helps keep hazards from being unseen!!