Housekeeping Safety

Housekeeping

Cleaning up your area where danger may lurk will make your job area safer to work

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What does good housekeeping look like? 

We each have an opinion of what good housekeeping looks like.  What may pass as acceptable to one person may not look so neat and orderly to the next person.   From a safety perspective, some housekeeping issues should be a priority.  Here are examples to consider.

  • Emergency equipment must always have clear and unobstructed access.  Never block fire equipment, emergency flushing units, or electrical shutoffs.
  • Never leave tools or materials on walking and working surfaces.  No one should need to step over or step on materials left behind by another person or crew.
  • Don’t store combustibles against or near hot equipment.  Wooden scaffold planks have ignited when placed against (hot) equipment.
  • Combustibles like fiberboard boxes and pallets shouldn’t be stacked under pipe racks.  If they ignite they can damage the pipe supports or piping.  
  • Slippery conditions created by spilled oil should be cleaned up as soon as possible.

Housekeeping is also a reflection of the pride we have in our workplace, in the way we think about ourselves and in the work we do.  So let’s continue to keep housekeeping in focus.