My Life Monday Office safety Keeping you work area clean and tidy helps to avoid occupational injuries. It is easy to dismiss housekeeping at work. Most people think that work requires productivity. It’s a waste time to be extra neat. What’s your opinion? Think of the time you waste locating tools or paper amongst your mess!

Examples of poor housekeeping Improperly piled or stored inventory or files. Excessive material, paper or waste in the work area. Coffee mug left on the photocopying machine. Loose electrical wirings, cords and cables that run across passageways and aisles. Liquid spills that are not attended to quickly. Cabinet doors and filing drawers left open. Heavy objects stored on the top shelf. Objects & boxes blocking aisles or placed near emergency exits. Leaving sharp items sticking out on shelves. Ignoring a burnt out light in the stairway could lead to a fall.

Do you still think housekeeping is a waste of time? Surely you agree that it is difficult to work efficiently in a congested, messy and crowded area. There is no freedom! You cannot find things easily and access is limited and constricted.

Good housekeeping promotes: Better working conditions. Safer workplace. Greater efficiency. Improves overall attitude towards safety and work.

Here are some safe practices Areas under maintenance work should be barricaded to protect workers from potential danger. If there is a wet floor in sight, put up a caution sign to warn other staff in the area. Keep all material in a proper storage place when not in use. Label them if you need to. This way, you can easily locate it when needed. Chemical & flammable liquids should be carefully stored in approved containers, according to the manufacture's instructions. Do not allow obstacles such as cables or wires run across the passageway or stairs. Loose cabling or wires can lead to a fall, electrocution or it could pull equipment of the table.

Here are some safe practices Never store heavy objects in an overhead location. Store them in the lower shelf, where they are less likely to fall. Never leave desk or filing cabinets open. Do not use chairs, tools or boxes to reach anything. Use a proper ladder. Watch out for loose carpets or broken stairs. Switch off machines before trying to clear blockage. Keep sharp objects in safe containers. Never carry a load that blocks your vision. Office equipment such as typewriters or desk lamps should not be placed near the edge of the table. Make sure excessive paper, cartons and trash is removed on a regular basis.

You'll never know until it is too late. Clean it up! Don't wait! You'll never know until it is too late. Don't turn you back on good housekeeping.