10 guidelines for efficient office maintenance
Some people associate the term "housekeeping" with tasks like dusting, mopping, and cleaning surfaces and floors.
But it means a lot more in a professional situation. A safe workplace depends on good housekeeping. According to Cari Gray, safety consultant for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, it may help reduce injuries, increase productivity and morale, and provide a positive first impression on visitors. Additionally, it can aid an employer in avoiding any penalties for noncompliance.
The approach is used in industrial workplaces as well as conventional offices, such as factories, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities, which provide unique issues due to the presence of hazardous chemicals, combustible dust, and other flammables. All workplace safety initiatives should include cleaning, and every employee should take part, according to experts. Additionally, managerial support for cleaning is necessary for employees to understand its significance. Here are 11 suggestions.
1. Stay well clear of falling, stumbling, and sliding.
According to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips, trips, and falls were the second most common cause of nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses resulting in days absent from work in 2013.
All workplaces must be "kept clean and organised and in a hygienic condition," according to OSHA's Walking-Working Surfaces Standard (1910.22(a)). The restriction applies to service rooms, storerooms, and hallways. Dry and spotless floors are ideal. Where "wet procedures are employed," drainage should be available.
According to Fred Norton, technical director of ergonomics and manufacturing technology for Risk Control Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance in Walnut Creek, California, employers should choose appropriate flooring (such as cement, ceramic tile, or another material), as different types of flooring hold up better under different conditions. Then, create and put into practise processes employing the proper cleansers.
If you don't follow the proper cleaning procedures for substances like oils and grease, Norton warned, you'll actually spread slickness rather than getting it off and off the floor.
- Spills should be reported and cleaned up.
- Clear the exits and aisles of any objects.
- To deal with blind spots, think about adding mirrors and warning signs.
- Replace flooring that is worn, torn, or harmed.
- In locations that can't constantly be cleaned, think about putting anti-slip flooring.
- Use guards and drip pans.
Employees are in charge of preventing needless accumulations of flammable items in the workspace. OSHA's Hazardous Materials Standard states that combustible garbage should be "stored in covered metal receptacles and disposed of regularly" (1910.106).
- Just the amount of flammable materials required for the job should be kept in the work area. Move them to a designated secure storage location when they are no longer required.
- Store flammable, quickly burning goods in specified areas far from sources of ignition.
- Keep flammable substances away from your clothing. If contamination happens, change your clothing.
- Keep impediments away from exits and fire doors. Doors to stairwells should be kept shut. Items shouldn't be kept in stairwells.
- Keep objects at least 18 inches away from sprinkler controls, fire extinguishers, and automated sprinklers. The minimum distance is 18 inches, but 24 to 36 inches are advised. The stacked material must have a 3 foot clearance from the ceiling. Clearance should be increased if merchandise is piled more than 15 feet high. Verify all applicable laws, such as ANSI/NFPA 101-2009, the Life Safety Code.
- It is important to disclose any risks in electrical areas and issue work orders to address them.
3. Decrease the dust.
The National Fire Protection Association, located in Quincy, Massachusetts, warns that a major explosion threat exists when dust collection exceeds 1/32 of an inch, or 0.8 millimetres, covering at least 5% of a room's surface. This layer of dust is roughly the thickness of a coin or paper clip.
If there are issues with air quality and dust, according to Gray, an industrial hygienist should examine the workplace for exposures.
Identification of risk locations, dust management, and housekeeping are covered in NFPA 654, a standard on avoiding fire and dust explosions. According to the guideline, vacuuming is the "recommended" cleaning technique. Other options include sweeping and water washing down. For inaccessible or dangerous areas, "blow-downs" with compressed air or steam are permitted.
According to CCOHS, industrial vacuums may be used to clean machinery, walls, and ceilings.
Steve Ahrenholz, a senior industrial hygienist with NIOSH's Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, advised using wet techniques or installing high-efficiency vacuum equipment. You shouldn't just use a shop vac or dry sweep it, and you shouldn't blow it with compressed air either. "So you're simply spreading the dust again," she said.
Dust may also shorten the lifespan of equipment and lower the quality of its output, according to Ahrenholz.
4. Keep items off the track.
Work-area mats, which can be made of cotton or have a sticky top, should be kept tidy and in good condition. According to Gray, doing so helps stop the spread of dangerous chemicals to other workplaces or residences. To make sure no mats are tripping hazards, inspect them all.
In order to avoid cross-contamination, different cleaning procedures may be required for certain regions, Norton adds. Avoid using the same mop, for instance, to clean an oily spill and another area.
Gray noted that if the materials are harmful, it could be necessary to test for industrial hygiene, wear uniforms, and have access to showers. Employees who handle dangerous chemicals should refrain from taking their work attire home, according to Ahrenholz.
5. Avoid things that may fall.
A toe board, toe rail, or net, according to Gray, can assist prevent things from falling and striking employees or equipment.
Paul Errico, a safety expert located in Fairfield, Connecticut, offered other advice, such as stacking supplies and boxes straight up and down to prevent them from dropping. Keep equipment away from the edges of desks and tables and place heavier items on lower shelves. Additionally, avoid stacking items in aisles and other locations where workers move about.
Consider the arrangement so that workers are not exposed to risks as they move through spaces, Norton continued.
6. Eliminate messes.
Because workers have less room to manoeuvre in a congested workplace, ergonomic problems might arise as well as potential accidents, according to Gray.
"You're going to probably have a cut or laceration injury when an area is cluttered," she added. You won't have as much space as you should to set up your workspace and move about. Rather than moving your entire body, you will be twisting it.
The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation advises workers to dispose of things that are no longer required and return equipment and other items to storage after using them.
Purge unkempt areas and keep aisles, stairs, emergency exits, electrical panels, and doors clutter-free. Before they overflow, empty garbage cans.
7. Keep supplies organized.
Storage facilities shouldn't accumulate goods that pose risks for tripping, fire, explosion, or vermin, according to OSHA's Materials Handling, Storage, Use, and Disposal Standard (1926.250).
According to Errico, some employees make the mistake of keeping ladders or other objects in electrical closets where they might obstruct an electrical panel, posing a fire risk and breaking OSHA rules.
"That was in a few locations, I think. If employers are not seeking for it, it would surprise them "explained Errico. "It's crucial that they remain on top of it; know that the problem with storage is not limited to the production floor, maintenance area, warehouse, or large storage spaces, but also to these little locations in buildings."
Equipment and supplies that aren't in use should be kept out of the way of employees. CCOHS advises against storing items in work areas. Ohio BWC continues, "And don't forget to put everything back where it belongs."
Ahrenholz advises providing a storage area close by so that staff members are motivated to use it.
Maintaining order in your workspace and putting equipment back where they belong are responsibilities, he added. If the storage area is usable, it is made to be used without requiring excessive physical effort or heavy lifting. Compared to if they had to travel a great distance to place something, they are more likely to use it. Or they can decide to retain something rather than return because getting it takes more time.
8. Utilize and examine safety tools and personal protective equipment.
Errico has encountered workers' compensation cases involving people who were cleaning up spills or other materials, such shattered glass or plywood, without wearing PPE and wound up with cuts or splinters.
When cleaning houses, Gray advised wearing minimal PPE, such as closed-toe shoes and safety eyewear. Depending on the dangers, decide what kind of PPE to wear.
According to CCOHS, regularly examine, clean, and repair instruments. The work area should be cleared of any damaged tools.
9. Establish a schedule.
Every employee should help out with housekeeping, especially when it comes to keeping their individual workspaces organised, reporting any safety risks, and wiping up spills if they happen.
Every employee does have a function, according to Ahrenholz. "They need to report it if they sense something developing into an issue."
Workers should check and tidy up their work areas before leaving for the day and take any unnecessary items. According to experts, this commitment might save down on future cleaning time.
The frequency of housekeeping can be influenced by how much dirt or toxins are released at work. According to Norton, a business should blend deep cleaning with more regular, lighter cleaning that includes sweeping and spill cleanup.
10. Make regulations in writing.
The consensus among experts is that cleaning policies have to be documented. According to Norton, this makes them official and outlined. Which cleansers, equipment, and procedures to be utilised might be specified in written protocols.
In the operations we researched, Norton stated, "We found there are several gaps in the efficacy of floor cleaning." "It is a subject that is occasionally ignored. To ensure that employees are aware of and adhere to the correct processes, we believe it is crucial that the protocols and training be in writing."
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