Good Housekeeping: More Than Just a Good Idea

Good Housekeeping: More Than Just a Good Idea

Thursday, June 21, 2012 3:00 AM
by Chris Kilbourne

Safety and health rules require all employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace. OSHA's general housekeeping and sanitation requirements apply to nearly all permanent places of employment.

OSHA's housekeeping and sanitation rules for general industry (29 CFR 1910.22 and 1910.141) require employers to keep workplaces clean and sanitary in order to promote a healthy work environment for employees.

These are the basic housekeeping requirements:

• Walking surfaces. The regulations state that "all places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms should be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition." The rules makes specific mention of keeping floors clean and dry: "To facilitate cleaning, every floor, working place, and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards." The rules also say that "aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and in good repair."

• Toilet facilities. Toilets must be available in all workplaces, with separate rooms for each sex, unless a room is to be occupied by only one person at a time and has an inside door lock. An employer of up to 15 employees must have at least one toilet Each toilet must have sufficiently high doors and walls to ensure privacy. Hot (or at least tepid) and cold water, soap, and towels or air blowers are to be provided for all washbasins.

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• Hand-washing facilities. Employers must provide hand-washing facilities that are readily accessible to employees. When this is not feasible, the employer must provide either an appropriate antiseptic hand cleanser along with paper towels or antiseptic towelettes.

• Changing rooms. Whenever employees are required to wear protective clothing because of contamination or toxic materials, changing rooms should be provided.

• Vermin. Enclosed workplaces must be constructed and maintained to prevent rodents, insects, and other vermin from entering. If they are detected, an extermination program must be instituted. 

• Meals, food handling, storage, and disposal. Employers must prohibit employees from eating, drinking, or storing food or beverages in a toilet room or any area exposed to toxic material. If employee food services are provided, employers must ensure that the food used is fresh, hygienically handled, and provided with sanitary storage. Food and drink must not be kept in refrigerators or freezers, on countertops, or anywhere blood or infectious materials are present. Employers must provide covered waste receptacles that must be cleaned at least once a day.