Housekeeping to Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls

Clean-as-you-go habits, clear walkways, cord and hose routing, nail-free scrap, and lighting, the basics that keep the crew off the ground.

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Site conditions · 29 CFR 1926.25

Slips, trips, and falls on the same level put an enormous number of workers on the ground every year, and most of them start with something as simple as a cord across a walkway or a scrap board with a nail sticking out of it. Housekeeping is not the laborer's problem or an end-of-day chore. It belongs to everyone, all shift long, because the person your mess trips is usually a coworker.

Key hazards

• Cords, hoses, and welding leads run across walkways and stairs
• Scrap lumber with protruding nails left where people walk and kneel
• Mud, ice, sawdust, and spilled liquids on walking surfaces
• Material and debris piled in aisles, exits, and around ladder bases
• Poor lighting in stairwells, basements, and corridors
• Packaging and trash hiding holes, rebar, and floor edges

Safe practices

• Clean as you go. Clear scrap and debris from work areas as it is created, not just at the end of the day.
• Pull or bend down protruding nails in scrap lumber before it goes to the pile.
• Route cords, hoses, and leads overhead or along walls, and ramp or protect them where they must cross a path.
• Keep walkways, stairs, ramps, and exits clear at all times, no staging material in them, even for a minute.
• Clean up spills immediately, and put down grit or absorbent where surfaces stay slick.
• Stack and store material stable, level, and out of traffic paths.
• Use dumpsters, debris boxes, and chutes. Never drop material from height unless the landing zone is barricaded.
• Report burned out lights and dark stairwells so they get fixed before someone finds the hazard the hard way.
• Wear boots with good tread, slow down on mud and ice, and keep one hand for the handrail on stairs.

Discussion questions

• Where is the worst housekeeping spot on this site right now, and who is going to own fixing it today?
• Which walkways and stairs does the whole crew rely on, and are they clear this morning?
• What keeps us from cleaning as we go, and what would make it easier, more cans, closer dumpsters, better staging?

If something goes wrong

• If someone slips or trips and falls, help them get checked out. Ankle, knee, and wrist injuries often feel minor until the next morning, so report it the same day.
• Fix or barricade the hazard that caused the fall before work continues in that area.
• Tell the foreman about repeat problem areas so the site plan changes, not just the cleanup.

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