4.2 Housekeeping

4.2.1   Rule 1060: Premises of Establishment

Rule 1060.01 (Premises of Establishments) of the Occupational Safety and Health Standard (OSHS) states that:

  • Good housekeeping shall be maintained at all times through cleanliness of building, yards, machines and equipment, regular waste disposal and orderly processes, operations, storage and filing of materials.

Rule 1150.01(Materials Handling and Storage) of the OSHS also states that:

  • Storage areas shall be kept free from accumulations of materials that constitute hazards from tripping, fire, explosion or pest harborage. Vegetation control shall be exercised when necessary.

Both Rules refer to good housekeeping as strategy to keep workplaces free from safety hazards of trip, fire, explosion, etc.

Good housekeeping practices can help control or eliminate workplace hazards. It is based on the premise that if a workplace accepts debris, clutters, spills and disorder as normal, then other more serious hazards may be taken for granted.

Housekeeping is not just cleanliness. It is also:

  • keeping work areas neat and orderly;
    • maintaining halls and floors free of slip and trip hazards;
    • removing waste materials and other fire hazards from work areas; and
    • keeping the discipline among employees to sustain the practice.

Poor housekeeping can cause accidents like:

  • tripping over clutters on floors, stairs, platforms;
    • being hit by falling objects;
    • slipping on greasy, wet and dirty surfaces;
    • striking against projecting and poorly stacked items or misplaced materials; and
    • cutting, puncturing or tearing the skin on projecting nails, wire or steel strapping.

On the other hand, good housekeeping:

  • prevents accidents;
  • prevents fire;
  • prevents illnesses (poor housekeeping attracts pests that can make workers sick);
  • improves productivity; and
  • boosts employee morale.

4.2.2   5s of Good Housekeeping and its Principles

5S of Good Housekeeping involves the principle of waste elimination through workplace organization. It is derived from the Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke which can be roughly translated to English as sort, set in order, clean, standardize, and sustain, respectively (APO, n.d.).

Principles of 5S of Good Housekeeping

JapaneseEnglishPrinciple/Action Items
SeiriSortSeparate necessary from unnecessary. take out unnecessary items label unserviceable or defective equipment/toolsdispose of trash regularly
SeitonSet in orderOrderliness eliminates extra motion. place items in dedicated location to be more visibleapply systematic labeling to separate exclusive items practice First-in-first-out (FIFO) method
SeisoSweepCleaning as purifying the spirit, cleaning as inspection and elimination of minor defects. keep workplace as clean as required by the product/serviceinspect while cleaning and clean before things get really dirty
SeiketsuStandardizeVisual management and standardization. maintain high standard of housekeeping at all timesmake the first 3 S as standard and write themuse standard signs and safety signage
ShitsukeSelf-DisciplineSustaining, maintaining discipline and reviewing standards. do housekeeping spontaneously without being tolddo regular inspections/auditsadopt the kaizen principle (continuous improvement)

4.2.3   Housekeeping Program

An effective housekeeping program considers the orderly storage and movement of materials. At the minimum, the housekeeping plan includes:

  • materials flow plan,
  • workplace lay-out,
  • worker training,
  • responsibility matrix,
  • financial resources (e.g. to purchase extra bins and build storage),
  • waste disposal plan, and
  • inspection plan.

Elements of an Effective Housekeeping Program

Successful implementation of housekeeping program is based on management commitment together with disciplined workers. The following are the recommended elements of an effective housekeeping program:

  • maintenance – most important element (e.g. fixing broken windows and damage floors, regular painting and cleaning of walls, etc.),
  • dust and dirt removal (e.g. vacuum cleaning dust and dirt in areas where dusts accumulate),
  • employee facilities (e.g. regular cleaning of lockers, wash and change rooms, showers, toilets, etc.),
  • surfaces (e.g. keeping floors and walls in good condition),
  • light fixtures (e.g. regular cleaning and maintenance of light fixtures),
  • aisles and stairways (e.g. wide enough and free from obstructions for easy movement of people, products and materials, adequately-lighted),
  • spill control (e.g. prevent spills, drip pans and guard if spills might occur, immediate clean-up if spills do occur),
  • tools and equipment (e.g. suitable storage with markings and orderly arranged),
  • waste disposal (e.g. regular collection, grading, sorting and disposal of scraps), and
  • storage (e.g. materials do not obstruct aisles and fire exits, stocking procedures followed and flammables and hazardous materials properly stored).

(Source: Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 2018)

4.2.4 Key Points

  • Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get job done safely and properly.
  • Poor housekeeping can frequently contribute to accidents (by hiding hazards that cause injuries).
  • Good housekeeping is a basic part of accident and fire prevention.
  • An effective housekeeping program helps in successful implementation.
  • Management commitment and employee discipline help sustain housekeeping programs