Construction Housekeeping – Part of the Dirty Dozen

Construction housekeeping might seem like a trivial effort. You have just completed a construction project worth millions of dollars. The project was a success. Your employees and clients are extremely happy about the progress of the project. It has come time to leave the construction site and report to your next project. WAIT!! Do you have a responsible, safety conscious crew to handle housekeeping? In the beginning, did you develop a housekeeping plan? Did you maintain official documentation and records related to housekeeping? Construction housekeeping tasks may be considered tedious and insignificant, but it is a very important job. It is also vital to the overall success of your construction project.

Each month, this blog will focus on one topic related to construction’s deadly dozen. This month, the featured topic is construction housekeeping. This article will offer practical tips and safety information relevant to housekeeping at construction work sites. Poor housekeeping falls under unsafe actions as it relates to construction’s deadly dozen, http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/AtoZ/ToolBoxTalks/PDFs/DeadlyDozen.pdf .

Safety should be a primary concern at all construction work sites. Workers should always be focused on avoiding unsafe conditions or unsafe actions. This blog is committed to empowering workers to be BETTER INFORMED, BETTER PREPARED, and BETTER MOTIVATED to handle safety.

Construction work is risky business. Work sites are plagued with potential dangers. Poor construction housekeeping increases the risks for danger and serious injury. A good housekeeping routine keeps the work site free of danger and creates a safe environment for employees to perform their duties. The most common type of poor housekeeping related injuries include slips, trips, and falls. More severe related injuries could include cuts, ankle sprains, and broken bones.

CONSTRUCTION HOUSEKEEPING IS AN OSHA STANDARD

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) has developed a standard for housekeeping (OSHA standard, 1926.25). OSHA suggests the following basic construction housekeeping tips for maintaining a safe and productive work site.

• Keep tools and materials in storage bins or lockers.

• Gather and discard debris.

• Specify areas and containers for waste materials.

• Place guarding near areas workers could fall or face impalement hazards.

• Remove cords and hoses from high traffic areas.

• Dispose of scrap, waste, and surplus materials appropriately.