11 tips for the workplace of effective maintenance

Key points

• Cleaning can help to prevent injury and to improve productivity.
• Every worker should have a role in the home, even if it means a separate area to keep it clean.
• The house should be a continuous process, not a practice at once.

For some people, the word "family" cleaning floors and surfaces, dust, clutter and organization recalls.

But is used in an image, it very much. Cleanliness is crucial for job security. You can help prevent injury and to improve productivity and morale and to make a good first impression on the visitors, according to Cari Gray, National Security Advisor to the Office of Workers' Compensation Ohio. It can also help employers to avoid penalties for non-compliance.

The practice varies from traditional offices to industrial companies, including factories, warehouses and production facilities, the particular challenges as hazardous materials, combustible dusts and other combustible materials. Experts agree that all security programs should incorporate the work to home, and all employees have a role. In addition, the family must have the commitment of the administration to ensure that workers are aware of their importance. Here are 11 tips for efficient maintenance.

1

Prevent slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls were the second leading cause of injury or illness involving days of work in 2013 non-fatal labor, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Workspaces Ruta OSHA Standard (1910.22 (a)) requires that all jobs must be "clean and maintained in good condition and in a sanitary condition." The standard contains passages, storage and utility rooms. Floors should be clean and dry. The drain should be where "wet processes are used."

Employers should choose appropriate floor (eg cement, tiles or other material), because different types of soil more resistant to certain conditions, said Fred Norton, technical director of the ergonomics and manufacturing technology for the control services risks, Liberty Mutual Insurance in Walnut Creek, California then develop and implement cleanup methods using suitable cleaning agents.

"Things like oil and fat - if you do not spread with the right kind of purification protocols, you simply slide instead of getting up and locally," Norton said.

To help Slips, trips and falls to prevent incidents, Health and Safety Canadian Centre recommends the following:

• Reports and clean up spills and leaks.
• The aisles and exits clear elements.
• Consider helping installing mirrors and blind spots with warning signs.
• Worn or floors, defective damage.
• Consider installing non-slip floor in areas that can not always be cleaned.
• Use drip pans and guards.

In addition, mats, platforms, raised floors or other offers "dry seats up" when it makes sense, according to OSHA. Each workstation must be free from protruding nails, splinters, holes and loose boards.

Gray added that employer to check the risk of falls, and encourage workers to focus on the task.

2

Remove fire hazards
The employees are responsible for the unnecessary accumulation of combustible materials in the work area responsible. Waste fuels should be "reconsidered and stored away in metal containers per day," according to the standard OSHA hazardous materials (1910.106) .

Monitoring the "Safety Manual", "National Security Council comprises these preventive measures for fire protection:

• Keep combustible materials at the workplace and in the quantities required for the position. If they are unnecessary, move them to a safe storage area affected.
• Shop fast-burning, combustible materials in designated areas away from ignition sources.
• Avoid contaminating clothes with flammable liquids. Change if contaminated clothing.
• Keep walkways clear of obstructions and fire doors. Stairwell doors should be kept closed. Store items on stairs.
• Keep materials at least 18 inches automatic sprinklers, fire extinguishers and sprinkler controls. It is necessary that the distance of 18 inches, but 24 to 36 inches is recommended. Required between the stacked units and ceiling liquidation of 3 feet. If the share is more than 15 feet high filled, the Office must be doubled. Check understand applicable codes, Life Safety Code, ANSI / NFPA 101-2009.
• Electrical hazard areas should be reported, and work orders should be issued to secure it.

3

Dust control
The accumulation of more than 1/32 of an inch of dust - or 0.8 millimeters - at least 5 percent of the surface of a workpiece poses a significant risk of explosion, according to the National Fire Protection Association based Quincy MA ,. This dust is as thick as a coin or clip.

An industrial hygienist should check the work of the exhibition, if the quality of air and dust is a concern, says Gray.

NFPA 654 - a standard for preventing fires and dust explosions - is concerned with the identification of risk areas, dust control and cleaning. The rule is that the vacuum is the "preferred" method of cleaning. Exploration of water and water wash are other options. "Blow-down" with compressed air or steam allowed in inaccessible or dangerous surfaces.

Industrial vacuum cleaners can clean the walls, ceilings, machines and elsewhere, note CCOHS.

"They want to use wet methods or vacuum systems are powerful," said Steve Ahrenholz, senior industrial hygienist NIOSH department, risk assessments and field studies Surveillance. Resuspension of dust and distribution throughout the house - "You do not want just with a vacuum cleaner or dry sweep Certainly not to blow compressed air [Then] you goes well.".

Dust can also affect the recorded quality of life and equipment, Ahrenholz.

4

Avoid materials tracking
Workspace carpet - which can be woven or sticky summit - should be cleaned and maintained. This helps to prevent the spread of hazardous substances to other areas of work or at home, says Gray. Check all carpets, so they do not stumble.

In addition, separate purification protocols for different areas may be required to prevent cross-contamination, so Norton. Avoid the same mop to clean a little greasy and in another area, for example, to spill.

If materials are toxic, industrial hygiene testing, uniforms and showers may be required, says Gray. Employees who should work with toxic materials not wear your work clothes at home, added Ahrenholz.

5

Avoid falling objects
Gray noted that protections such as cards toe give, or network can help falling objects and strike to prevent workers or equipment.

Other tips include stacking boxes and materials up and down to drop it, says Paul Errico, a security consultant in Fairfield CT based. Place heavy objects on lower shelves and keep the device away from the edges of desks and tables. Also any objects in areas where workers stacked on foot, including alleys.

Note the arrangement so that workers exposed to risks as they go through areas, Norton said.

6

Clear the clutter
A cluttered work environment may cause ergonomic problems and injuries because workers have less space has, says Gray.

"If an area is full, you probably have a cut or injury," he said. "You do not need much space to your workstation as it should be and move on. He was twisting his body rather than the whole body."

The Office of Workers' Compensation Ohio recommends that workers return tools and other materials for storage after use and disposal of materials that are no longer needed.

Corridors, stairwells, emergency exits, electrical panels and doors free of clutter and clean up dirty areas. Empty trash can, before they overflow.

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