SITE SAFETY || Housekeeping · 2019-09-20 · housekeeping and worker safety: Workers should do their part to help avoid and prevent injuries and incidents by practicing good housekeeping

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in recent years there are more than 800 injuriesannually involving floors, walkways, and ground surfaces. OSHA issues hundreds of citations tocompanies for violations of poor housekeeping and OSHA lists housekeeping on their top 100 mostfrequently cited list.

SITE SAFETY || HousekeepingVolume 1 Issue 46

Workers should do their part to help avoid and prevent injuries and incidents by practicing goodhousekeeping on every job and at every worksite.


➢ Always remove or hammer down nailsfrom scrap lumber and other debris.

➢ During construction, separate waste orscrap materials from the immediate workarea to avoid creating trip and slip hazards.


OSHA Standard 1926.25(a) says that during the courseof construction, alteration, or repairs, form and scraplumber with protruding nails, and all other debris, shallbe kept cleared from work areas, passageways, andstairs, in and around buildings or other structures.

Dangerous! These nails should be removed or hammered downto avoid serious injury. (*3)


➢ Keep areas clear as the workprogresses.

➢ Store pipe, conduit, rebar, andother rolling materials awayfrom aisles and walk ways toavoid creating trip hazards.

(*1)


OSHA Standards 1926.252(c) All scrap lumber,waste material, and rubbish shall be removedfrom the immediate work area as the workprogresses.

Aisles and walkways with construction debris should be keptclear.


OSHA Standard 1926.252(a) says that whenever materials aredropped more than 20 feet to any point lying outside the exteriorwalls of the building, an enclosed chute of wood, or equivalentmaterial, shall be used. OSHA Standard 1926.252(b) says when debrisis dropped through holes in the floor without the use of chutes, thearea onto which the material is dropped shall be completely enclosedwith barricades not less than 42 inches high and not less than 6 feetback from the projected edge of the opening above. Signs warning ofthe hazard of falling materials shall be posted at each level.

Construction chutes used for debris removal.


➢ Use designated waste bins, recycle bins, and metal scrapcontainers.

➢ When disposing of waste or materials on a multistoryconstruction site use chutes or designated drop-off zones toavoid possible fall hazards.

(*2) (*3)

(*4)



Worker sweeping up the job site. (*5)

Remember these tips to improvehousekeeping and worker safety:

➢ Workers should do their part tohelp avoid and prevent injuriesand incidents by practicing goodhousekeeping on every job.

➢ Always remove or hammer downnails from scrap lumber andother debris.

➢ During construction separatewaste or scrap materials fromthe immediate work area toavoid creating trip and sliphazards.

➢ Keep areas clear as the workprogresses.

➢ Store pipe, conduit, rebar, andother rolling materials awayfrom aisles and walk ways toavoid creating trip hazards.

(*11)

➢ Use designated waste bins, recycle bins, and metal scrap containers.

➢ When disposing of waste or materials on a multistory construction site use chutes or designateddrop-off zones to avoid possible fall hazards.

© Weeklysafety.com, LLC

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• (*1) Photo Credit – KOMUnews. Opus demolition begins amid lawsuit between citizens and Columbia. https://www.flickr.com/photos/komunews/15229763386/

• (*2) Photo Credit – ArmchairBuilder.com. Construction Debris. https://www.flickr.com/photos/armchairbuilder/7160445301/

• (*3) Photo Credit – Ze'ev Barkan. Construction Waste Funnel-3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/8577188082/

• (*4) Photo Credit – Ichi One. St. Paul Scientology "ideal" org. https://www.flickr.com/photos/54782222@N03/5136318245/

• (*5) Photo Credit – MTA Capital Construction. CM004 – 44th St. Vent Building – Housekeeping – (04_22_2014). https://www.flickr.com/photos/dantekgeek/1166379719/

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/


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SITE SAFETY || Housekeeping · 2019-09-20 · housekeeping and worker safety: Workers should do their part to help avoid and prevent injuries and incidents by practicing good housekeeping