General Hazards

Effective housekeeping can eliminate or reduce some workplace hazards and help get the job done safely and properly. Poor or improper housekeeping and material storage can create or hide many different hazards and contribute to accidents. Eliminating housekeeping hazards is sometimes a matter of being creative. Everyone must keep his or her eyes open, and be aware of and alert to their surroundings, while walking through any work environment. They must also think about the many possibilities of how things might go wrong as a result of poor housekeeping. Listed below are some of the more common hazards that result from poor housekeeping:

• Slipping on wet, dirty, or other slick surfaces

• Tripping over objects or debris

• Falls to the same surface

• Fire and explosion hazards

• Chemical exposure and spills

• Contact with protruding or sharp objects

• Overloaded storage shelves and bins

• Excess storage

• Poor indoor air quality

• Blocked exits and walkways

• Blocked access to electrical panels, fire extinguishers, and eyewash/showers

 

 

 

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