27/11/2021
Should we pay attention to housekeeping? Is it important?
Yes we must pay attention to workplace housekeeping. Effective housekeeping can help control or eliminate workplace hazards. Poor housekeeping practices frequently contribute to incidents. If the sight of paper, debris, waste and spills is accepted as normal, then other more serious hazards may be taken for granted.
Housekeeping is not just cleanliness. It includes keeping work areas neat and orderly, maintaining halls and floors free of slip and trip hazards, and removing of waste materials and other fire hazards from work areas. Good housekeeping is also a basic part of incident and fire prevention.
Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation: it is not a one-time or hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic "panic" cleanups are costly and ineffective in reducing incidents.