Did you know that poor housekeeping has contributed to the following: Fires, unit upsets, illness, injuries, environmental incidents, disease, community complaints, and large financial fines?

Housekeeping is a broad term that refers to the routine maintenance and upkeep of our sites.  Good housekeeping reduces injuries and accidents, improves morale, reduces fire potential, and can even make operations more efficient.  Housekeeping should be an integral part of every work day.  Think of the 5 “S’s”…sort, set, shine, standardize, and sustain.

What can you do to prevent poor housekeeping?

• Make sure your work area is clean BEFORE you start the job.  If it’s not, clean it.  This includes weather related cleanup, such as shoveling snow, spreading salt, etc.
• As much as possible, bundle route-tripping hazards such as hoses, power cords, weld leads, etc., together, to cut down on the number of tripping hazards.  Even better, tie them to handrails, overhead supports, etc., to eliminate the tripping hazards altogether.
• Get scrap/waste boxes delivered to the job site as needed, to minimize “double handling” of material.
• Have a hose connected for draining or approved container available when opening equipment when you suspect there may trapped liquids present.  This will minimize cleanup later and help protect the environment.
• If you find an area with a spill, barricade it so that no one else will slip and fall.  Report the spill immediately to your supervisor and FOLLOW UP to make sure it gets cleaned up.
• Clean up waste as you generate it.  Bring garbage bags with you for scrap insulation and jacketing, use buckets for collecting bolts, etc.  This will minimize “double handling”.
• Don’t block access to emergency equipment, such as hydrants and hose reels, with debris from your job.  If an emergency arises, the equipment won’t be available for immediate use.
• Roll up hoses, power cords and weld leads as soon as you are finished with them.  Don’t leave tools or equipment lying around.

Nothing more powerful will make Stratus look better than a clean and organized job site.