Healthy Housekeeping Habits in the Hospital
Often, our facility is a hectic place as employees with many different responsibilities are constantly moving from one part of the facility to another. If proper housekeeping habits were not practiced, the hospital would become cluttered and dirty—and therefore hazardous—for both staff and patients. This would not only be aggravating and counterproductive, but it would also be very dangerous for everyone in the hospital. Proper sanitization and cleaning are fundamental to our patients’ health. Moreover, slips, trips and falls are a common cause of injury on the job site, and inadequate housekeeping is a contributing factor in most of these accidents.
What is Housekeeping?
Avoiding dangerous conditions like those described above requires a commitment to housekeeping by every individual on our team. This means making spill cleanup, proper disposal of hazardous substances, general cleaning and correct storage a priority every day, throughout the day.
Good housekeeping also means constant vigilance. Remove any object or material that obstructs a pathway on the floor and take care of any other materials that could pose a possible fire hazard or danger for coworkers. This includes:
- Cords
- Medical equipment
- Cables
- Empty containers
- Food
- Water or other spills
Do Your Part
Follow these housekeeping tips to keep yourself and your coworkers safe.
- Make sanitization your top priority.
- Make sure all containers are correctly labeled.
- Place wet floor signs where there may be a slipping hazard, and remove them as soon as the surface is dry. Clean up spills immediately.
- Keep flammable or hazardous wastes in covered, separate waste containers.
- Familiarize yourself with substances that cannot be used together, such as oxygen and fuel gases.
- Clean up your work area immediately after finishing a task—do not leave the area cluttered with tools and supplies.
Risks to Avoid
When practicing good housekeeping, there are several things you should always avoid:
- Do not store supplies where they may be mistaken for something else.
- Never pile material around fire extinguishers, sprinklers or emergency exits.
- Do not collect broken glass in plastic bags.
- Never use bare hands when collecting waste. Using gloves prevents cuts and splinters.
Our Commitment to You
At , we put your safety first. If you have any doubts about the security of your area of our facility—regarding housekeeping or any other issue—do not hesitate to talk to your supervisor.
This Safety Matters flyer is for general informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical or legal advice. © 2010, 2014, 2019, 2021 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.