Safe Work Practice: Housekeeping At Construction Site
Housekeeping is not only important on our homes, it is also important on any workplace, let alone the construction site.
Good housekeeping must be practiced at all times.Bad housekeeping constitutes health and safety hazards thereby endangering lives of workers and may even cause property damage.A 30-minute of housekeeping just before leaving the area each day would suffice.The safety officer has the sole responsibility to implement this, and should have the total supervision of the workers.He/she should have that keen sense of detecting potential hazards and put into place suggestions to make good housekeeping work in the workplace.
Tripping hazards and slippery conditions should, at all times, be eliminated.All areas including aisles, passage and access ways, must be kept clear of any obstructions with proper or adequate illumination and ventilation.
Trash, scraps and garbage must be removed and properly disposed to disposal bins or to designated areas.
Nails or sharp objects protruding from lumber, planks or boards must be removed.
The safety officer should assign clean-up crews from workers rotating on a daily basis.
All materials should be segregated as to size, length and kind and must be neatly arranged on safe and orderly place.This will surely clear the passage ways to tool rooms, storerooms warehouses and/or job site creating a safe workplace for the employees.
Materials must be stored, stacked or piled away from power lines and to prevent tipping and/or spilling.
Bagged or sacked materials (eg.cement, sand and the like) should be stacked or piled no more than ten high and must be crossed piled on skids so that in all cases no falls, breaks, rolls or overturned to prevent injuries to workers passing the area.
Barrels must be stacked upright on flat forms or planks and should not be stacked any higher than any mechanical equipment can rich.
Skids of brick blocks, hollow blocks and/or similar materials should be stockpiled in such a manner to prevent collapsing or tipping.Workers must not be allowed to climb up or around the stockpile or any equipment, supplies, machinery or parts, unless authorized and/or the job calls for it.
Stockpiles should be blocked and interlocked ensuring that they are not too high or obstruct any fire access, extinguishing materials or fire safety equipment.
Proper signs must be posted on this areas to warn or ward off employees of its potential hazards.
It may not be simple, but it is a sure way to prevent accidents and the loose of lives and limbs.