Most of you probably have house cleaning responsibilities at home. For some of you, it’s a regular weekly chore. Whatever the case may be, you’ll agree that good housekeeping practices are important at home.
However, what we sometimes overlook is that good housekeeping is a key duty on the job, too. The orderly arrangement of work areas is vital to the safety of all workers, regardless of whether they are involved with machines and tools or with appliances and furniture.
It’s a fact that approximately 6,000 persons are killed on the job annually in the United States, and an estimated 19,500 in home accidents.
Seventeen percent of the on-the-job deaths are caused by falls, many of which result from just plain poor housekeeping practices.
Falls often result from tripping over loose articles such as tools left in aisle ways and work areas. Wet spots on the floor, or trash and other articles left in stairways also take their toll.
During periods of rain and snow, you know what happens when you and the kids track water into the house from outside. Tracked-in water is a serious problem at work, too. Wet spots cause slips and falls. They should be cleaned up immediately, regardless of who was responsible for their being there.
We have trash receptacles placed in several strategic areas, so there is no excuse for waste paper, pop bottles, or other materials being thrown on the floor.
You’d better get in close for a sure shot at the trash barrel.
A word of caution. If a bottle should be broken on the floor, don’t attempt to pick up the glass
