Todd Jerome Jenkins, MS, CSP, SMS, CHST, STSC

Safety Aficionado & Ph.D. Student

Weekly Safety Topic – Housekeeping

Have you ever considered ways to make your job easier? Perhaps you have wondered if someone could develop better tools and equipment for construction or simplify a work process. But there’s another way to make a job easier and safer – practice good housekeeping!

Housekeeping is a continuous process that requires everyone’s involvement throughout the day. We will look at ways to eliminate some of the most common housekeeping issues.

NAILS: Nails can cause serious injuries if stepped on. Ensure that all nails are removed from scrap lumber. Throw the scrap in trash containers or pile it neatly where it won’t get in the way.

METAL STRAPS AND BANDS: Have you ever been tangled up in this stuff? Straps and bands should be picked up immediately and placed in a trash container. It can quickly become a tripping hazard when you leave banding lying around. The same goes for other scraps.

EXTENSION CORDS: These are another tripping hazard. If you must run an extension cord across the walkway, hang it from the ceiling so that no one will trip over it. Make sure you hang it high enough so that no one will be harmed by walking under it.

FOOD RUBBISH: Lunch bags and other food waste cause slips, trips, and fires. After eating, place all food waste in the trash. Do not leave them around to attract animals and insects or clutter the job. Leaving glass bottles unattended can be hazardous. As well as being a tripping hazard, they can also break and cut someone.

SPECIAL CONTAINERS: Separate trash containers may need to be used depending on the item. Rags soaked in oil or solvent and empty cans containing flammable liquids like paint, thinner, glue, and thinner are examples. Remember to keep these trash containers covered.

STORAGE AREAS: There should be multiple storage areas throughout the project. They should be kept tidy. An organized area is safer, enabling you to find what you want more quickly and easily obtain it.

SLIPPING HAZARDS: It is almost impossible to avoid getting grease or tar on the floors of a new building or the job site during construction. Naturally, this causes slips, trips, and falls. Remove these hazards as soon as possible. This also applies to the ice during cold weather.

SAFE HOUSEKEEPING PAYS OFF: When you work in a clean environment, you find it easier than if you work in a cluttered one. A clean job also means a safer job. Good housekeeping is the responsibility of each of us.

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