Dilemma:

A colleague of yours regularly leaves his tools or materials lying around and often does not clear them away after work. He sometimes gets comments about this from the foreman, but doesn't really care. What do you do?

• You discuss it with the colleague;
• You do nothing; after all, it's not your stuff;
• You clean up his things and used materials. A clean and safe workplace is important to you;
• You report it to the foreman;
• You say something about this during a meeting in front of everyone.

Statements:

• Everyone is responsible for their own mess
• I never put materials on the walkways
• On this project, the walkways are clearly marked and clean

One look at a work area says everything about the attitude to safety on a project. Staff who are serious about safety keep the work area clean and tidy. This is because they know that this is a proven method of preventing accidents.

The aim of this Toolbox meeting is: to achieve tidy workplaces. This ensures that:

• 90% of (near) accidents and/or unsafe situations can be prevented;
• Increase overall safety;
• Increased employee morale;
• Emergency services can do their work better/faster in case of emergencies;
• Work can be done comfortably and conveniently, leading to a better end result;
• Unnecessary damage to equipment can be prevented.

Cleaning up initially takes a lot of time, but this pays off in the end in: more productivity and a reduction in the number of accidents.

An untidy workplace produces the following risks:

• Slipping;
• Bumping;
• Tripping;
  
• Falling;
• Stepping on nails;
• Loss of tools;
• Getting snagged.

• Keep your workplace clean;
  
• Keep access roads, passageways, exits, stairs and access to switches and fire extinguishers clear;
• Store equipment, tools and materials after finishing work;
• Clean up waste and put it into the designated waste containers or waste disposal bags;
• Leave the canteen and toilets clean and tidy;
• When you go for a break, take any minor waste with you;
  
• Be sure to designate a team member to perform a check at the end of every day.
   
  If other parties are leaving the construction site in a mess, hold them to account and ask them to tidy up. If they ignore you, inform your foreman or supervisor.

Contact the ‘Safety’ department for any questions