Purpose:

To remind employees of the importance of keeping work areas clean and orderly and to focus attention on the types of accidents that can be caused by poor housekeeping practices. If the sight of paper or debris on floors, clutter and spills are accepted as normal, then other more serious health and safety hazards may also be taken for granted.

Begin:

Today's discussion will be about housekeeping. Some people think it's a waste of time. But if you spend five minutes picking up junk and litter, you might prevent a slip, trip or fall. You could prevent an injury that keeps someone off work for weeks or even months. Five minutes to save months off work—it's a good investment. And next time, it could be you who gets hurt.

Housekeeping is everyone's job—every trade, each and every worker, each and every supervisor. It's a job you should do every day—not just once a week or when a project is over. The first rule is to work neatly in the first place, and clean up your own mess. Practicing good housekeeping does more than prevent injuries—it can save you time, and it can keep tools from being lost, damaged, or destroyed.

You or one of the crew may want to add a personal story about poor housekeeping hazards.

Next, discuss with the crew any housekeeping problems you have found at this particular work area:

After each question, give the crew time to suggest possible answers. Use the information following each question to add points that no one mentions.

ASK THE CREW THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What could be done by each of you, to prevent slip, trip, and/or fall injuries?

• If and when you see a mess, take care of it. Don't wait for someone else to clean it up. Pick up anything you see lying around, especially if it could trip a person or fall on them.
• If and when you find someone's tools or equipment around, move them out of the way. Put them away, somewhere safe, but visible.
• Clear scrap and debris from walkways, passageways, stairs, and around floor openings immediately. Aisles must be kept clear at all times.
• Keep storage areas and walkways free of holes, ruts, and obstructions.
• Clean up spills of grease, oil, or other liquids at once. If a quick wipe up is not possible, cover them with absorbent material until they can be cleaned up.
• Make sure extension cords, lines, welding leads, hoses, etc. are coiled up when not in use. All cords running into or through walk areas must be taped down or inserted through rubber protectors to prevent them from becoming tripping hazards.
• Make sure there's adequate lighting. If a light is out, report it or immediately replace it if you can.
  

2. What other kinds of injuries could be prevented by practicing good housekeeping?

Nail and fastener injuries:

• If you see nails protruding from surfaces, remove them or at least bend them down.
• Remove nails or fasteners when opening crates.
• Remove or bend down nails before discarding scrap material.
  

Fires/Burns:

• Keep flammable and combustible liquids in closed containers.
• Store flammables in approved cabinets.
  

Electrical:

• Maintain sufficient access and working space around all electrical equipment allowing for ready and safe operations.
  

COMMENTS FROM THE CREW

Ask:

• Do you have any other concerns about housekeeping?
• Do you see any problems at our facility?
• What about other jobs you've worked on?
• Have you had any experience with housekeeping that might help us work safer on this job?

SAFETY BLITZ TARGETS CONSTRUCTION SITE HAZARDS
McGuinty Government Committed To Eliminating Workplace Injuries

NEWS

As part of Ontario’s ongoing efforts to help reduce workplace injuries, inspectors will be “blitzing” construction sites to help eliminate specific hazards to health and safety starting in August.

The province-wide blitz will target health and safety hazards at demolition and renovation projects. The inspections are part of the province’s new four year plan--Safe at Work Ontario, launched in June.

Inspectors will check for work around energized electrical equipment, possible chemical and biological hazards and hazards that could result in workers falling or being struck by material or equipment. They will also look for hazards that could lead to structural failures or collapses.

Future health and safety inspections will focus on the following sectors:

• In August, demolition sites
• In September, inspectors will start to concentrate on industrial workplace hazards that can cause workers to fall
• In November, inspectors will focus on electrical hazards in industrial workplaces
• Early next year, inspectors will conduct special checks on industrial sector forklift operations and on construction site conditions that could cause workers to be struck by equipment.
  

For each violation, the court can impose a fine of up to $500,000 against a corporation convicted under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Individuals, if convicted, could face a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

Keeping more workers safe means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy and less strain on the health care system.

QUOTES

“Demolition and renovation projects are two areas of construction that don’t always get a lot of attention because we tend to focus on what’s being built rather than what’s being torn down or repaired,” said Labour Minister Brad Duguid. “Targeted enforcement at these worksites will help us to achieve our goal of eliminating all workplace injuries.”

QUICK FACTS

• The Ministry of Labour compliance program that ran from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2008 reduced the workplace lost time injury rate by 20 per cent, or more than 50,000 incidents.
• Because of this drop in the annual rate of lost time injuries, employers have avoided about $5 billion in direct and indirect costs during the four years ending March 31, 2008.
• Ontario employs 430 full-time occupational health and safety inspectors.
  

LEARN MORE

Read more about Ontario’s new four year plan, Safe at Work Ontario, that will help strengthen workplace safety.

SAFETY BLITZ TARGETS CONSTRUCTION SITE HAZARDS
McGuinty Government Committed To Eliminating Workplace Injuries

NEWS

As part of Ontario’s ongoing efforts to help reduce workplace injuries, inspectors will be “blitzing” construction sites to help eliminate specific hazards to health and safety starting in August.

The province-wide blitz will target health and safety hazards at demolition and renovation projects. The inspections are part of the province’s new four year plan--Safe at Work Ontario, launched in June.

Inspectors will check for work around energized electrical equipment, possible chemical and biological hazards and hazards that could result in workers falling or being struck by material or equipment. They will also look for hazards that could lead to structural failures or collapses.

Future health and safety inspections will focus on the following sectors:

• In August, demolition sites
• In September, inspectors will start to concentrate on industrial workplace hazards that can cause workers to fall
• In November, inspectors will focus on electrical hazards in industrial workplaces
• Early next year, inspectors will conduct special checks on industrial sector forklift operations and on construction site conditions that could cause workers to be struck by equipment.
  

For each violation, the court can impose a fine of up to $500,000 against a corporation convicted under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Individuals, if convicted, could face a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

Keeping more workers safe means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy and less strain on the health care system.

QUOTES

“Demolition and renovation projects are two areas of construction that don’t always get a lot of attention because we tend to focus on what’s being built rather than what’s being torn down or repaired,” said Labour Minister Brad Duguid. “Targeted enforcement at these worksites will help us to achieve our goal of eliminating all workplace injuries.”

QUICK FACTS

• The Ministry of Labour compliance program that ran from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2008 reduced the workplace lost time injury rate by 20 per cent, or more than 50,000 incidents.
• Because of this drop in the annual rate of lost time injuries, employers have avoided about $5 billion in direct and indirect costs during the four years ending March 31, 2008.
• Ontario employs 430 full-time occupational health and safety inspectors.
  

LEARN MORE

Read more about Ontario’s new four year plan, Safe at Work Ontario, that will help strengthen workplace safety.