Remember what your mother told you? “A proper place for everything and everything in its place.” Well, Mom was right, especially at work where an effective housekeeping program can make a big difference in preventing accidents, fires, explosions, and occupational diseases.
Good housekeeping provides other benefits as well:
- Encourages efficiency
- Utilizes space better
- Keeps inventory at a minimum
- Helps control property damage
- Provides a good appearance of your facility and impresses the customer
- Reflects a well-run organization
- Encourages better work habits
- Minimizes janitorial work
- Makes jobs easier and working conditions more pleasant
On the other hand, here is what we can expect to find if our workplace is disorganized:
- Cluttered and poorly arranged areas
- Untidy piling of materials
- Items stored that are no longer needed
- Blocked aisles, stairways and exits
- Materials stuffed in corners and out of the way places
- Materials gathering rust and dirt from non-use.
- Overcrowded storage areas and shelves.
- Overflowing bins and containers.
- Broken containers and damaged materials.
- Combustible materials stored near sources of ignition.
Tackle your housekeeping chores by assigning different areas of responsibility to your workers. Use a housekeeping checklist to evaluate each unit as your begin your program. Remember to keep up the housekeeping campaign after the initial newness wears off.
The result will be employees who are proud of their jobs, workplace, and the product they produce. The benefits will be higher production and better products at a lower cost.