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Good housekeeping is the first and the most important step for preventing slip, trip, and fall incidents.
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Poor housekeeping can be a cause of incidents, such as:
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- Tripping over loose objects on floors, stairs, and platforms
- Being hit by falling objects
- Slipping on greasy, wet, or dirty surfaces
- Striking against projecting, poorly-stacked items, or misplaced material
- Cutting, puncturing, or tearing the skin of hands or other parts of the body on projecting nails, wire, or steel strapping
Effective housekeeping results in:
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- Reduced handling to ease the flow of materials
- Fewer tripping and slipping incidents in clutter-free and spill-free work areas
- Decreased fire hazards
- Better hygienic conditions leading to improved health
- Improved indoor air quality
- More effective use of space
- Reduced property damage by improving preventive maintenance
- Less custodial work
- Improved morale and productivity
Self-inspections are a good method of recognizing and controlling hazards that are created by poor housekeeping. Concentrate efforts in high traffic areas, stairways, work areas and storage areas.
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Good housekeeping includes:
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- Cleaning all spills immediately
- Marking spills and wet areas
- Mopping or sweeping debris from floors
- Not storing materials in walkways
- Ensuring stairways are free from obstructions
- Requiring work areas and workstations that are uncluttered and organized
- Inspecting flooring surfaces for holes, chips, uneven changes, or other trip hazards
- Maintaining entryways, sidewalks, and parking lots
- Securing (tacking, taping, etc.) mats, rugs and carpets that do not lay flat
- Closing file cabinet or storage drawers
- Covering cables and cords that cross walkways
- Encouraging students to keep backpacks, coats, books, and other belongings off the floor and out of walkways
- Keeping working areas and walkways well lit
- Storing materials securely so they don’t fall over
- Disposing of waste properly in designated containers
- Reporting hazardous areas so conditions can be corrected
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Housekeeping should be an ongoing process, not a one-time practice. Slips, trips, and falls are a leading cause of school employee injuries. Establishing strong housekeeping practices is the key to an effective program to prevent injuries and every employee should play a part.
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