Time for spring cleaning

The fresh smell of spring–clean air, flowers and leaves emerging, temperatures warming, and cabin fever reaching its peak. Studies show that this time of year we just have to find something to do with all that pent-up energy, and it often results in the “infamous” spring cleaning–the house, the garage, the attic, and always the windows!

A good cleaning is necessary in the workplace, as well, but must be done more often than once a year. If you review your safety incidents and injuries over the last couple of years, you may find what I found when I reviewed mine– that about 70% of all incidents involving injuries or near hits (those that should have been injuries) directly relate to housekeeping (or the lack thereof).

Slips, trips and falls are caused by grease, oil or rocks from spillage or leaks, unreeled hoses and cords or hand tools left on or in front of stairs or walkways, or from “stuff ” clinging to the soles of boots. They all contribute toward twisted backs, sprained and broken limbs and gashes. Leaving the tops off of chemical containers creates fire and toxic fume hazards. Accumulated paper and cardboard trash creates fire hazards. Food and drink trash not only ripens the air but attracts stinging and biting ‘critters’ while cluttering a work area, causing additional slip and fall hazards. Don’t forget the cabs of forklifts, trucks and other mobile equipment that may collect cans, bags, loose fire extinguishers or tools, slings, and other transitory yet dangerous clutter.

Housekeeping is not complicated, but it requires daily attention. So how do managers get their personnel to improve housekeeping? Here are a few ideas. Performing any of these will reduce injury, fire and damage to the environment.

• Include clean-up and housekeeping in your time estimates to complete a task. If it takes 20 minutes to do the job and 10 minutes to clean up, you have a 30-minute task.

• The entire crew can take the last 30 minutes of the shift to perform general pick-up of trash and emptying of trash receptacles, sweeping, grease removal, tool and parts return, etc.

• Clean as you go, or, as I like to say from my emergency medical technician days, fix it as you find it. Shovel the spillage in the surge tunnel when found, soak up spills immediately; discard damaged slings, wire rope, tools; maintain clear areas for fire extinguishers and eye wash stations, etc.

• Initiate and track pre-shift workplace examinations, looking for slip/trip/fall and other hazards and immediately cleaning them up. This may only take 3-5 minutes, and the entire crew can participate in it.

On this fourth point, create additional accountability and competition. The new crew coming on will see what was or was not resolved by the previous crew. Tracking what needs to be corrected will soon identify repeat culprits. On the other hand, if it is a piece of equipment generally used by only one operator per shift, be sure to recognize when the person(s) is doing an excellent job at keeping the area or cab clean. Repeat offenses must be addressed, but stay focused on positive results rather than negative ones. You will create peer pressure, friendly competition, and a willingness to do the task right. In the meantime, crews will be striving together for excellence in housekeeping. A little recognition and a lot of team participation will create a cleaner and a safer environment.

It is time for a good cleaning. Make housekeeping routine and include everyone in the process. Housekeeping and teamwork go hand in hand. This is a quality of life choice. Make the right one!

Randy DeVaul (safetypro@roadrunner.com) is a 25-year safety professional and internationally published author/speaker. He has authored workplace safety books

(www.filbertpublishing.com/safety.htm) for front-line management. Comments are always welcome.