Ocean Companies Safety Tip of the Week – Spring Cleaning
SPRING CLEANING
Spring has finally arrived, although you may not be able to tell by the weather. This is the time people clean out their garages (how else are you going to find your lawn care items) and do a deep clean in their house. The place that needs it the most usually gets forgotten: The workplace!
A clean work area is proven to be a more productive work area, because it makes it easy to lay your hands on the things you need when you need them. It helps to create a calm outlook.
However it’s not just the top of the desk; we are talking cleaning out file cabinets, bookshelves, and desk drawers. Clean out your emails by deleting the things you don’t need and opening folders in your inbox for the ones you want to keep and sort them.
You don’t have to do it all in one day. Start with just one drawer and work your way around the office. Just be sure to set small increments of time to be devoted to the task.
It’s not just offices that have to be cleaned. During the spring cleaning at work, walk through the processing areas and make sure all electrical panels are closed; all exits, hallways, and fire extinguishers are not blocked. Make sure all chemicals are secured and labeled, even secondary containment (e.g. buckets and spray bottles with chemicals in them even if they are empty, but had chemicals at one time). These are mandated by OSHA, so don’t take it lightly.
Sources: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, theguardian, Dr. Mimi Hull
– Cherie
