During this toolbox meeting, we will pay attention to order and cleanliness in the workplace. A tidy workplace results in less risks and the work can be carried out more efficiently.
Order and cleanliness is a relative term. What is a disorder for one person, is an order in which he/she 'feels very comfortable' with. It's different if a colleague is hindered by your junk. Many accidents are caused by simply falling as a result of materials and debris lying around. Order and cleanliness apply not only in the workplace but especially in the common areas such as toilets, washing, changing rooms and canteens.
A work location where safety and quality are given a high priority is often immediately recognizable by the order and cleanliness that prevails. Every year, workers are injured because:
- Someone trips or falls over tools/equipment;
- The residual materials;
- Sloppy materials;
- Leftovers, packaging material, etc.
Often these accidents are blamed on the person who did not watch out, when in fact they are caused by the carelessness of others.
On a well-ordered work site, the risk of fire is reduced. Many fires start in all kinds of waste, especially those rags soaked with oil and grease, greasy iron waste, etc., and are thus the cause of sometimes great damage to property and loss of life.
A tidy workplace is not the result of one cleaning action per week. Even once a day is not enough. It has to be done all the time, by everyone. It is also the responsibility of everyone, from the highest to the lowest. "Tidy is (safely) neat" is only half the truth, because it also improves the atmosphere at work. It is more pleasant for everyone to go to work in the morning in a tidy environment than when there is still rubbish from the previous day(s).
Order and cleanliness are required for promoting safe working conditions. Tidying up is therefore not a waste of time. In order to maintain a safe workplace, the following regulations have been drawn up:
- Escape routes, emergency exits, fire-fighting equipment, access routes, passageways, exits, stairs and access to switches must be accessible and free of obstacles. In the event of an emergency, this gives you immediate free access;
- Equipment, tools and materials must be properly stored at the end of the working day and after completion of the work performed;
- Tools that are handled nonchalantly will often get lost. This is especially true for tools without a "fixed boss", such as hoisting equipment. Unexpected defects can cause unpleasant surprises;
- Unnecessary materials must be disposed of;
- Waste material must be disposed of and, if necessary, deposited in specially designated bins;
- Chemical waste must be separated from other waste and disposed of in the appropriate bins;
- The workplace must be free of slippery things. These include snow, ice, oil, grease and grains. If you use absorption granules, they should be swept up even after it has absorbed the liquid;
- It is strictly forbidden to throw down or drop materials from a higher workplace;
- Dining, changing and washing rooms and the toilets must be kept clean.
Clutter at work causes irritation and accidents. Tidying up is therefore not a waste of time, but required for working safely. This includes not only the well-thought-out supply and removal of materials and tools, but also the removal of waste as quickly as possible. Transporting excess material and tools to a central storage location provides more walking and working space. Removing waste, packaging residues and empty crates or loose slats keeps the workplace uncluttered and prevents nail steps and other minor accidents.
Removing the risks associated with walking
Accidents that are quite common, but have relatively minor consequences, are tripping, slipping, and stepping. This often happens because we walk on a ''not even'' surface. Unevenness in the floor of, for example 1 cm, such as cables, spanners, sticks, etc., can already cause a trip. In general, the risks associated with walking can be eliminated by a good "housekeeping".
If you want to get started with a tidy workplace, use the 5S model.
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