Housekeeping & Sanitary Workplace Policy

This Model Policy establishes very general rules and standards and should work in any work setting or jurisdiction with only minimal adaptation.  

  1. PURPOSE

ABC Company has adopted this Policy to establish standards and rules of housekeeping for workers to follow in performing their duties that will ensure that its workplaces are kept in a safe, neat, sanitary, and orderly condition at all times in accordance with [province name] Occupational Health and Safety laws (“OHS laws”), the ABC Company Occupational Health and Safety Program (“OHS Program”), and other applicable standards and requirements.

  1. POLICY STATEMENT

Good housekeeping eliminates workplace hazards and enables all personnel to do their jobs in a manner that is safe, healthy, and efficient.  Conversely, poor housekeeping and neglect of cleanliness and sanitation creates or conceals hazards that can cause injuries and illnesses.  Accordingly, ABC Company expects and requires workers to be constantly conscious of and always apply good housekeeping practices to keep their workplace orderly, neat, sanitary, and safe.

  1. WHAT “HOUSEKEEPING” MEANS

Housekeeping means more than just cleanliness. It includes keeping work areas neat and orderly; keeping hallways and floors free of slip and trip hazards; and removing waste materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and other fire hazards from work areas.  It also requires attention to important details such as the layout of the whole workplace, the adequacy of storage facilities, and maintenance.

Good housekeeping is also an ongoing operation, not a hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally.  Periodic “panic” cleanups are costly and ineffective in reducing injuries, illnesses, and incidents.

  1. WORKERS COVERED BY THIS POLICY

The intent of this Policy is to require all workers engaged to perform work for ABC Company at its work sites to maintain standards of good housekeeping regardless of who pays or employs those workers, including:

  • Full- and part-time workers paid by ABC Company;
  • Temporary employees placed by an outside agency to work at the site;
  • Contract labourers engaged to perform work at the site;
  • Volunteers who work at the site for free; and
  • Workers employed by constructors, contractors, and subcontractors to perform work at the site under a contract with ABC Company.
  1. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1. Employer 

The owners, corporate officers and directors, upper managers and other representatives of ABC Company who may be deemed “employers” under the OHS laws, will carry out their “employer” duties by:

  • Providing the resources necessary to implement this Policy effectively;
  • Overseeing and reviewing this Policy;
  • Leading by example by exercising good housekeeping practices in their own work.

5.2. Safety Coordinator

The ABC Company safety coordinator, facility manager, or other official in charge of safety at the workplace will be responsible and held accountable for the overall implementation and enforcement of this Policy.

5.3. Supervisors

Supervisors will take the following steps to ensure that this Policy is properly implemented, including:

  • Carrying out daily inspections to monitor housekeeping in their work areas, departments, and operations;
  • Carrying out monthly inspections to monitor housekeeping in their work areas, departments, and operations;
  • Conducting or arranging for the conducting of reviews, spot-checks, inspections, and other necessary actions to monitor housekeeping in their work areas, departments, and operations;
  • Recommending and implementing corrective actions of housekeeping problems identified;
  • Enforcing housekeeping standards and the terms of this Policy including, where necessary, via the imposition of discipline;
  • Ensuring that all personnel they supervise are familiar with and properly trained to carry out their housekeeping responsibilities.

5.4. Workers

Workers will support implementation of this Policy by:

  • Receiving and carrying out instructions and training on how to exercise proper hygiene and housekeeping in their work areas in accordance with the procedures set forth below;
  • Obeying all ABC Company policies, procedures, signs, and supervisors’ orders, e.g., by not eating or drinking in areas where eating and drinking are banned;
  • Refraining from leaving objects in floors, platforms, walkways, ramps, stairways, stairs, and other areas that create slipping or tripping hazards or engaging in other poor housekeeping that may create a safety or health hazard;
  • Pointing out and helping correct sanitary and housekeeping hazards.
  1. GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING STANDARDS & PROCEDURES

All workers, managers, and supervisors will work together to ensure that, among other things:

  • Suitably effective methods are used each day to remove dirt and debris from all floors, working surfaces, stairways, and passages;
  • All eating areas are appropriately cleaned at least once a day;
  • Floors are washed, vacuumed, or otherwise cleaned at least once a week;
  • All inside walls, partitions, ceilings, partitions are kept clean;
  • Rubbish and waste material is removed from the work site as soon as possible;
  • All work areas and public access areas are checked on a daily basis to ensure good housekeeping practices;
  • Excess stock is stacked neatly in the storage area or warehouse area to prevent items from falling;
  • All workplace entrances and exits are kept free of materials, equipment, items, waste accumulations, and conditions that might endanger workers or restrict their movement;
  • All floors, platforms, walkways, ramps, stairways, stairs, and other areas are kept clean, unobstructed, dry, and clear of all tripping hazards at all times and such hazards are immediately removed or reported as necessary;
  • All floors, platforms, walkways, ramps, stairways, stairs, and other areas are kept free of slipping hazards caused by slick conditions like spills of oils and other liquids and such hazards are immediately cleaned up and reported as necessary;
  • All floors, platforms, walkways, ramps, stairways, stairs, and other areas are kept free of ice and snow in the winter and such hazards are immediately cleaned up and reported as necessary;
  • Mats, pads, rugs, and other items on the floor are checked regularly for hazardous ripples, curling, and other tripping hazards and such hazards are immediately addressed, including where necessary, removing or replacing the item;
  • Shelves, floors, work areas, and other surfaces are kept clean and free of dusts and any dust accumulations are immediately cleaned or reported as necessary;
  • Product is not piled within the restricted distance from the ceiling to ensure that the sprinklers provide the required protection;
  • Fire alarms, pull stations, hose cabinets, and fire extinguishers are kept free of obstructions and are readily accessible at all times;
  • Fire exits remain free and clear of obstruction and are readily accessible at all times;
  • Doors to and from a work area can be opened without substantial effort and are not obstructed;
  • Adequate lighting is maintained as necessary;
  • Tools are maintained, inspected, cleaned, and immediately removed from service if found defective until the defect is repaired as required;
  • All cutting tools and equipment such as knives are properly secured and stored in the knife rack.
  • All power tools and equipment are properly secured and stored;
  • Trash receptacles are regularly emptied, cleaned, and maintained;
  • All Wet Floor, No Eating, No Entry, and other signs are recognized and obeyed by all personnel;
  • Signs themselves are not posted so as to create a tripping or other hazard;
  • The locations of spill kits are known by all personnel who have spill clean-up duties;
  • At least one meter of the space in front of and around electrical panels and switches controlling a service supply, feeder, or branch circuit is kept clear of any obstructions that would prevent it from being readily accessible to an electrical worker;
  • The locations of fire extinguishers and other emergency response equipment are known by all personnel who have firefighting or emergency response duties;
  • A safe, sanitary, and orderly workplace is maintained by:
    • Clean up during the shift;
    • Day-to-day clean up;
    • Waste disposal;
    • Removal of unused materials;
    • Inspection to ensure clean up is complete.
  • Implementation and enforcement of a daily housekeeping routine is carried out;
  • The end of a shift is considered completed only when the work area is cleaned up, and tools and equipment are returned to their proper storage place.
  1. INDOOR SMOKING

In accordance with the [list province/local legislation that bans smoking in indoor public places, including workplaces], no person is allowed to smoke in:

  • An enclosed ABC Company workplace in which workers perform their employment duties, including adjacent corridors, lobbies, stairwells, elevators, escalators, eating areas, washrooms, restrooms, or other common areas frequented by workers during the course of their employment;
  • A vehicle used in the course of employment that is carrying 2 or more persons or in which any occupant is under age 18.

ABC Company will ensure that:

  • No-smoking signs are posted in clearly visible locations in enclosed or indoor work sites or work-related site where smoking is banned; and
  • There are no ashtrays or other smoking receptacles inside those areas or sites.
  1. CONSTRUCTORS, CONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORS

All constructors, contractors, and subcontractors hired to work at ABC Company workplaces will be notified of and required to ensure that their workers comply with the terms of this Policy in carrying out the contract work. Constructors and contractors in control of work at ABC Company workplaces must ensure that the work they control is carried out in a way that meets the standards of this Policy by either:

  • Directly applying this Policy to the work; or
  • Implementing alternative housekeeping policies and procedures that comply with the OHS laws and [list province/local legislation that bans smoking in indoor public places, including workplaces],, are suitable for the workplace, and are no less stringent than the requirements set out in this Policy.
  1. TRAINING

Each worker of ABC Company affected by this Policy will receive the training and instruction necessary to recognize and carry out their responsibilities under this Policy.

  1. EVALUATION

Housekeeping practices will be evaluated during the monthly workplace inspection and regular job observations.  This Housekeeping Policy will also be reviewed annually and more frequently where circumstances indicate that more frequent review is necessary.