Housekeeping & Slips/Trips

No one thinks they'll slip on a piece of conduit or trip over an extension cord: until they do. Housekeeping injuries are the most preventable on any jobsite because the fix costs nothing: move the material, coil the cord, clean up the debris. The hazard doesn't require engineering or a permit to fix: just discipline.

1. Clear walkways and aisles before starting work each day. If you're the last crew out, you're responsible for any hazard you leave for the next shift.
2. Extension cords and air hoses must never cross walkways at ground level without being taped down, run overhead, or covered by a cord protector.
3. Dispose of debris throughout the shift: not just at end of day. A bag of demolition material left in a walkway for three hours is three hours of trip hazard.
4. Floor openings must be covered with material that supports twice the intended load, secured so it can't be kicked out, and labeled 'HOLE.'
5. Adequate lighting is a housekeeping requirement: if you can't clearly see the floor surface, you can't identify trip hazards. Report and fix inadequate lighting before work starts.
6. Stack materials stably and away from walkways, leading edges, and overhead work areas. Secure loose materials against wind.
7. Clean up liquid spills immediately: water, hydraulic fluid, concrete slurry, and barricade the area until the surface is dry.