Housekeeping may be defined as activities undertaken to create or maintain an orderly, clean, tidy and safe working environment. Effective housekeeping can eliminate many workplace or jobsite hazards and help get work done safely and properly.
Clean up after yourself. Pick up trash and debris and dispose of it properly. Keep your work area clean throughout the day, minimizing the time needed to clean a larger mess at the end of the day. Always leave your work area better than the way you found it.
• Never leave tools, equipment, and material laying around—especially not left unattended.
• Only have the tools and equipment you need with you onsite.
• Only order and bring on site the materials you need.
• Make sure you stack and store equipment and other materials away from walkways and emergency exits.
• When equipment and materials are not in use, store them away safely to reduce tripping hazards.
• Turn sharp tools upside down or standing up out of the way.
Avoid bad lighting situations. If lighting isn’t good on a worksite, it can become a hazard as hazards are hard to see.
- Ensure that your worksite is well lit. If not, don’t work until it is.
- If appropriate, wear PPE if the risk is not fully minimized.
- If possible, use natural daylight where practical.
Perception is reality, a jobsite should look clean, organized and picked up. Fire tools neatly placed out within 50 feet, off of the truck. Safety at jobsites start with good housekeeping.
