Free Safety Information
Housekeeping - Show You Mean Business
First impressions do count and so does a clean, tidy, well laid out workplace. So when starting to get to grips with safety it's important to demonstrate clearly that something has visibly changed in the organisation - physically changed, it's clean, tidy and well organised.
To make it look different we suggest that the whole place is given a good clean up, the junk is removed, work areas are re-organised because of the extra space available, gear is stored properly, yellow lines are marked on the floor to indicate areas to be kept clear and all the appropriate safety signs are erected.
The clean up and general presentation of your site should also extend to the front of the building, any parking areas or gardens, as well as to the side and rear, including lay-down areas and the perimeter.
Work on the basis that first impressions of the front and internal areas of the building may be taken as a reflection of the attitude and ability of the firm, its CEO and the senior managers - neat, efficient and well organised - Great. Dirty, scruffy and disorganised ..... Well, your visitors will draw their own conclusions about the standard of leadership and the quality of work.
So, the first step is simple - Clean Up and Throw Out. Many workplaces are cluttered with accumulated scrap, old broken equipment, rubbish, old pallets, old drums, tyres, empty or half used containers of something, broken machinery ( I've seen whole rooms dedicated to the storage of broken chairs, furniture, carpet and old computers.)
As you know, there is always a good reason for keeping junk - "Well, you never know when we'll need it, " or, "we keep it just in case," or, "we may need it for spare parts." There are a hundred reasons. But, if in Doubt, Throw it Out.
The point is that all the dead, unproductive space the junk is taking up is costing you money. Your people are having to work around it all, it's difficult to find equipment or get at it, and they're complaining there is not enough space.
Once you have got rid of all the junk, the problem now is to keep everything up to scratch. One of the best ways to do this is to carry out regular (at least monthly) housekeeping inspections using a form set up like the one below. Obviously, you will have to add on a few more items to cover all work areas.
The form below is written in such a way that everyone knows exactly what they are looking for - they don't have to guess. When you develop your own form write the inspection items in the same way and state clearly the standard you want.
| Location: | Date of Inspection: | ||
| Name/s of Person/s Inspecting: | |||
| Topic | OK | Not OK | Corrective Action | ||
| Action Required | By Whom (name) | By When (date) | |||
|
Fire Extinguishers in place, sign above & serviced within last six months |
|||||
| Exit doors open easily from inside | |||||
| Exits clear of obstructions | |||||
| Emergency procedures displayed | |||||
|
Electrical No broken plugs, sockets or switches |
|||||
| No frayed or damaged leads | |||||
| Portable power-tools in good condition | |||||
| No temporary leads on floor | |||||
| No strained leads | |||||
| etc, etc, etc. | |||||
And who should do the inspections? Well, initially I would expect supervisors and safety committee people to do them. After that, I recommend that you train everyone to carry out an inspection of their area. As long as your checklist makes it clear what is required, getting shopfloor employees involved in inspections will often identify things which you have overlooked. Also, it will give your employees the opportunity to get involved in safety and make their own contribution.
AchieveSafety - www.achievesafety.com
