Housekeeping Practices

Housekeeping
Practices
Introduction
• Good Housekeeping in an important safety issue.

That shouldn’t be a surprise if you consider that
many of the potentially dangerous materials, tools,
and substances we work with are laying, ready to
make trouble, in the work area. Even items that
aren’t really hazardous can become so when they’re
left laying around where people can trip over them
or bump into them.
Introduction
… Page2
• Good housekeeping has other virtues. When your work area is clean and neat, its a
lot easier to find what you need and do your job efficiently. It also makes it easier
to respond or get out fast in an emergency.
• Good housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility. While the maintenance department

handles heavy cleaning and similar tasks, they don’t know where all your tools and
materials are kept. The haven’t had the training you’ve had on proper handling of
hazardous substances and other materials in your work areas. In addition, it is not
their job to pick up after you. Good housekeeping has to be constant and ongoing if
it’s going to prevent and eliminate hazards in your work area.
• Most people would never let any part of their own homes, including home
workshops (but maybe excluding teenagers” bedrooms). Get cluttered and dirty as
their work areas become. That’s not just unpleasant; it can be dangerous.
Identifying Hazards
• There are several types of hazards that you should always be on the alert for
so that they can be eliminated immediately.
Tripping and falling hazards
Impact Hazards
Puncture and Splinter

Hazards
Identifying Hazards
Electrical Hazards
Chemical exposure or
spills
Chemical Reactions
Tripping and falling hazards
• Tripping and falling hazards are anything on the floor that
doesn’t belong there: machines, tools, cords, air hoses,
scrap, boxes. Floors should be kept clear. Period.
Impact Hazards …
• Impact Hazards- object that can hit you or that you can
bump into are common problems. Open draws and tools
left perched precariously on a table are typical examples.
Puncture and Splinter Hazards
• Puncture and Splinter Hazards exist when sharp-edged or
pointed tools are left out. Splinters can develop on any
surface or on a variety of materials.
Electrical Hazards
• Electrical Hazards include overloaded circuits, extension
cords, cords left near heat or water – anything that could
cause fire and shock. Electricity is not only fire hazards or
scrap near ignition sources, dust or lint on machinery,
and materials that block access to fire exits or
equipment.
Chemical exposure or spills
• Chemical exposure or spills are always a risk when
chemical containers are in the work area, especially if
they’re left open.
Chemical Reactions
• Chemical Reactions can occur if the chemicals in the
work area are allowed to mix with things that will cause
dangerous reactions: other chemicals, water, or air.
• If you train your eyes to look for these hazards, you

can eliminate them before they cause trouble.
Protection Against Hazards
• You can prevent these hazards by applying the safety
rules and procedures you’ve learned to your own work
area. Let’s look at the potential hazards one by one.
• You can protect yourself and others from tripping and
falling hazards by not keeping anything-even
temporarily- on the floor. Any machine,tools,materials
and substances that we use should be kept back at its
respective specific place. That place should never be on
the floor.
• Other things that don’t belong on the floor are boxes
that are waiting to be moved and cords, cables, or air
hoses. Rest them on an elevated surface, not on the
floor where we walk .
Protection Against Hazards…
• Keeping the floors clear is of course, especially important
in aisles and passageways.
• Contact hazards can be prevented by putting things away
properly. Don’t just leave tools or materials at the edge of
a surface they can fall. Don’t leave the drawers open
someone can get hurt. Place the respective things where
they belong to.
• Fire Prevention requires you to practice electrical safety
and keep an eye out for anything in the work area that
could burn.
• If you’re working with flammable liquids, make sure
they’re kept in approved airtight metal containers and that
they’re nowhere near an ignition source.
• Don’t let dust or lint build up on machinery or work
surfaces. If they contact an ignition source, like a spark it
may lead to fire on your hands.
• Watch out for combustible scrap, like oil-soaked rags. It
should be disposed in tight closed metal containers that
are emptied daily.
• Accomplishing fire safety when you eliminate tripping and
falling hazards. If there is a fire, the aisles and
passageways must be clear as one can immediately run
towards the exit and the firefighters can get through in.
We should keep this in mind never stack or pile the
materials so high that they interfere with the fire
sprinklers.
• As we are aware , we have a lot of ways to protect ourself from
chemical exposure. We read the labels and material safety data
sheets (MSDSs) for the chemicals in our area.We are already
using proper protective clothing, ventilation, etc.According to
the housekeeping aspect be sure to use chemical as per the
requirement. When not in use keep the container closed.
• To prevent chemical spills, inspect containers regularly to make
sure there are no leaks. If there is a small spill, clean it up
immediately according to the procedures on the MSDS and our
client’s company policy.
• Reading the MSDS shouldn’t have a problem with chemical
reactions. Be careful and don’t forget what you read, leaving
the container open, someone less knowledgeable can move it
near an incompatible substance – which could just be an air. So
keep an eye on the chemicals and keep only what is required in
the work area.
Safety Procedures
• As you see, good housekeeping for safety is really a manner
of applying all your safety knowledge on a small scale. Even
a little toll or a little chemical container can cause a big
problem. The kind of housekeeping we’re talking about
takes almost no time and effort if you do it as you go.
• Forgetting a tool in the work area and later going back and
keeping it safely is far better to keep the tool properly at
the first time.
• The idea of good housekeeping is an ongoing part of
safety, a necessary step in every job.
• Here are a few more housekeeping tips to keep in

mind:
Safety Procedures
• Don’t let grease or dirt build up; they’re not only a fire
hazards, but are also bad for the equipments.
• Keep cords, wires, and ropes untangled. Getting knotted up
is bad for them and a pain in the neck to undo.
• Make sure all containers and materials are labeled. If we
aren't sure ensure it is labelled.
• Keep lights clean. Dirty light bulbs don’t give off mush light
and can even be a fire hazard.
• Report holes, loose boards, and other flooring problems so
they can be fixed before someone trips and gets hurt.
• Throw away trash promptly and properly. Be sure that
hazards trash goes in proper containers, incompatible trash
in its containers, etc. Trash should also be emptied
frequently.
Safety Procedures
• Don’t hang onto little scraps of odds and ends that might
come in handy someday, If you really think you can use
them, choose and label a shelf or drawer for it.
• It's not really very hard to keep our work area clean,
uncluttered and safe but it also makes our area much more
pleasant and productive working conditions.
Remember…
Good Housekeeping
Means Better Safety

Housekeeping Practices

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Housekeeping Practices

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Housekeeping Practices

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Housekeeping

• Good Housekeeping in an important safety issue.

• Good housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility. While the maintenance department

Tripping and falling hazards

Puncture and Splinter

• If you train your eyes to look for these hazards, you

• Here are a few more housekeeping tips to keep in

You might also like