Increase Productivity By Good Housekeeping Practices
Housekeeping and cleanliness refer to the processes
which ensure facilities, equipment, work areas and access routes
are kept in good condition. This condition is required for supporting safe and
reliable operation and maintenance of normal healthy life style. Further, the
housekeeping and cleanliness both are interrelated. Reaching a good standard in
one of them is difficult without reaching a good standards in the other.
Good housekeeping and cleanliness normally results
into
1. A workplace which is cleaner, safer, well
organized and more pleasant for work
2. Improved utilization of floor space
3. Smoother and systematic workflow with
substantial reduction in non-value added activities
4. Better inventory control of tools and
materials
5. Reduced
handling to ease the flow of material
6. Reduction in wastages of materials
7. More efficient equipment clean-up and
maintenance leading to lower break-downs
8. Minimization
of errors leading to better products
9. Safe environment for work and lower
exposures of employees to hazardous substances (such as dusts and vapor etc.)
10. More hygienic workplace conditions which lead
to improved health of the employee
11. Improved overall look and feel of the work
environment
12. Improved morale of the employees.
Poor
housekeeping and cleanliness, on the contrary, creates workplace hazards which lead to various accident such as:
1. Slips, trips and falls
2. Caught in-between objects
3. Struck by falling objects
4. Struck by moving objects
5. Cut/stabbed by objects
6. Struck against objects.
Good housekeeping and cleanliness practices plan and
manage an orderly storage and movement of materials from point of entry to
exit.
HISTORY
OF HOUSEKEEPING INDUSTRY
Back in 1983, we hardly had any equipment. There were
no vacuum cleaners. People had to manually sit, swab, mop, clean.
Cleaning done in earlier centuries manually. They
clean by broom, sponge, duster etc. They don’t have any equipment for
cleaning. Even there is no advancement in cleaning materials. And they are not
able to make their surroundings germ free or fully sanitized as it required. They are not able to clean properly carpets, floors,
sofas, windows, gate, bedding, glass etc.
After having these kind of problems people start
thinking for advanced cleaning then invented cleaning equipment in world for best cleaning.
Advanced cleaning equipment are used now a days for best cleaning or to make
our surroundings neat n clean.
These are the changes made in housekeeping industry
that people used to follow professional cleaning services.
For better Housekeeping services employees are trained
to give the best services to customers.
Hence employees training is an essential part of good housekeeping and
cleanliness practice.
Employees need to know how to work safely with the
products they use.
Elements
of housekeeping and cleanliness at workplace;
The major elements which are normally included in the
housekeeping and cleanliness practices at the workplace are described below.
- Dust
and dirt removal – If dust and dirt are allowed to accumulate on surfaces,
there is a potential for a slip hazard. Hence, regular sweeping the
workplace for the removal of dust and dirt is an essential housekeeping
and cleanliness practice.
- Employee
facilities – Adequate employees’ facilities such as drinking water, wash
rooms, toilet blocks, and rest rooms etc. are to be provided for the
employees at the workplace so that employees can use them when there is a
need. Cleanliness at the place of these facilities is an important aspect
of the facilities.
- Flooring
– Floors are to be cleaned regularly and immediately if liquids or other
materials are spilled. Poor floor conditions are a leading cause of
accidents in the workplace.
- Lighting
– Adequate lighting reduces the potential for accidents. It is to be
ensured that inoperative light fixtures are repaired and dirty light
fixtures are cleaned regularly so that the light intensity levels are
maintained at the workplace.
- Aisles
and stairways – Aisles and stairways are to be kept clear and not to be
used for storage. Warning signs and mirrors can improve sight lines in
blind corners and help prevent accidents.
- Spill
control – The best method to control spills is to prevent them from
happening. Regular cleaning and maintenance on machines and equipment is
an essential practice. When cleaning a spill, it is required to use
the proper cleaning agents or absorbent materials. It is also to be
ensured that the waste products are disposed of properly.
- Waste
disposal – The regular collection of the waste materials contribute to
good housekeeping and cleanliness practices. It also makes it possible to
separate materials that can be recycled from those going to waste disposal
facilities. All recyclable
wastes after their collection are to be transferred to their designated
places so that the waste materials can be dispatched to the point of use
or sold.
- Tools
and equipment – Tools and equipment are required to be inspected prior to
their use. Damaged or worn tools are to be taken out of service
immediately. Tools are to be cleaned and returned to their storage place
after use.
- Maintenance
– One of the most important elements of good housekeeping and cleanliness
practices is the maintenance of the equipment and the buildings housing
them. This means keeping buildings, equipment and machinery in safe and
efficient working condition.
- Storage
– Proper storage of materials is essential in a good housekeeping and
cleanliness practice. Flammable, combustible, toxic and other hazardous materials are to be
stored in approved containers in designated areas which are appropriate
for the different hazards that they pose. If materials are being stored correctly,
then the incidents of strain injuries, chemical exposures and fires get
reduced drastically.
- Clutter
control – Cluttered workplaces typically happen because of poor
housekeeping practices. This type of workplace can lead to a number of
issues which include ergonomic as well as injuries. It is important to
develop practices where items like tools, chemicals, cords, and containers
are returned to their appropriate storage location when not in use.
- Individual
workspace – Individual workspace need to be kept neat, cleared of
everything not needed for work. It is necessary to make
a checklist
which is to be used by the employees to evaluate their workspace.
Services
provided by Housekeeping-Domestic Cleaning Services:
1. Sofa
Cleaning
2. Carpet
Cleaning
3. Chair
Cleaning
4. Car
Cleaning
5. Floor Cleaning
6. Carpet
Cleaning
7. Tiles
Scrubbing
8. Washroom
Cleaning
9. Water
Tank Cleaning
10. Water
Harvesting Tank Cleaning
11. Glass
Cleaning
12. Façade
Cleaning
13. House Cleaning
14.Office
Cleaning
Through healthy housekeeping and cleanliness
practices, the organization not only keep the workplace neat and clean, but
also save on a whole lot of resources which in turn helps in improvement of the
profitability of the organization.
All the employees of the organization play an integral
role in housekeeping and cleanliness.
At this time employees are expected to inspect, clean and
remove unused or discarded materials.
It is important to train workers to keep their areas clean in order to minimize hazards as well as reduce the amount of time
needed to clean.
Demand for housekeeping will grow with the growth of
healthcare, multinationals and malls, residential complexes, airlines, airports
and other segments.
