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o matter what the workplace en-
vironment, the product, or the ser-
vice, proper maintenance and good
housekeeping routines are critical to
proper safety, and controlling health is-
sues. These two important components
are extremely complimentary to one an-
other, and often overlap in several cases.
However, some distinction can be made
when it comes to forming proper health
issues policy.
When it comes to health issues; mainte-
nance is the term that refers to the work
that is necessary for keeping the build-
ing, equipment, and machinery in work-
ing order and safe to use. It also refers to
the upkeep of all of the sanitary and wel-
fare facilities, the cleaning, sanding, and
painting of all walls, ceilings, and fix-
tures. Flooring is also kept in good repair.
On the other hand, good housekeeping to
avoid health issues is regular daily clean-
liness efforts. This includes tidiness, and
good order of all of the different items in
the workspace environment.
Maintenance and housekeeping are
wholly dependent upon one another to
effectively prevent health issues. For ex-
ample, a tattered carpet is hard to keep
clean, and the work environment is hard
to keep dry if there is a leaky roof. Simi-
larly, by making a habit of good house-
keeping, maintenance will be a lot easier
and faster.
Health issues often associated to bad
housekeeping or maintenance include:
• Falling and sliping on broken flooring,
torn carpets, and worn stairs or steps
• Falling from broken or defective
chairs, stools, and ladders
• Getting burned from un-lagged hot
pipes, and scalds from leaking steam
pipes
• Pinches, breaks, and lacerations due
to damaged guards that leave dam-
aged parts of machinery open.
another serious health isuue in the work-
place is the case of firebreak and entrap-
ment of staff. This is possible if exit doors are
blocked or don’t open quickly. It is also the
case if staircases to the outside are dam-
aged or blocked in some way. Electrical
fires and electrocutions become a health
issue when damaged electrical equipment
remains un-repaired, such as with earth-
ing arrangements, flexes, plugs, and worn
wires. Lack of maintenance is the number
one cause of failure in lifting equipment,
and explosions in pressure vessels.
Some causes of health issues as a result of
poor maintenance are:
• Poor lighting due to dirty windows or
light fittings
• Badly maintained exhaust ventilation
systems which fail to expel dangerous
dust and fumes
• Workbenches that are worn past the
ability to clean them properly
• Defective plumbing
• Lack of hot water or clean drinking
water
Health issues and risks as a result of poor
housekeeping are most commonly associ-
ated with:
• Falling and sliping on slippery, wet,
or greasy floors
• Tripping and bumping against ma-
chine parts and other material ob-
structions that are not moved away
from pathways
• Cutting and lacerations from protrud-
ing objects from desks, workbenches,
and other work surfaces
• Punctures by nails and tacks
A clean and well maintained work envi-
ronment prevents hazards and health re-
lated issues associated with untidy and ill
maintained environments. Work is seam-
less, concentration and innovation is en-
hanced and life is simply beautiful.
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