Basic Guide to Housekeeping 2

How do I plan a good housekeeping program? 

A good housekeeping program - Plans and manages the orderly storage and movement of materials from point of entry to exit; Includes a material flow plan to ensure minimal handling; Ensures that work areas are not used as storage areas by having workers move materials to and from work areas as needed. 

Part of the plan could include investing in extra bins and more frequent disposal. The costs of this investment could be offset by the elimination of repeated handling of the same material and more effective use of the workers' time. Often, ineffective or insufficient storage planning results in materials being handled and stored in hazardous ways. Knowing the plant layout and the movement of materials throughout the workplace can help plan work procedures. 

Worker training - Essential part of any good housekeeping program; Need to know how to work safely with the products they use; Need to know how to protect other workers such as by posting signs (e.g., "Wet - Slippery Floor"); Reporting any unusual conditions. 

Housekeeping order is "maintained" not "achieved." Cleaning and organization must be done regularly, not just at the end of the shift. Integrating housekeeping into jobs can help ensure this is done. A good housekeeping program identifies and assigns responsibilities for the following: 

- Clean up during the shift

- Day-to-day cleanup

- Waste disposal

- Removal of unusual materials

- Inspection to ensure cleanup is complete

Do not forget out-of-the-way places such as shelves, basements, sheds, and boiler rooms that would otherwise be overlooked. The orderly arrangement of operations, tools, equipment and supplies is an important part of a good housekeeping program. 

The final addition to any housekeeping program is inspection. It is the only way to check for deficiencies in the program so that changes can be made. The documents on workplace inspection checklists provide a general guide and examples of checklists for inspecting offices and manufacturing facilities.