Safety Meeting: You Think It Is Funny, but I Fell on my Butt and It Hurts

This safety meeting discussion is about housekeeping. As always, I recommend that whoever is conducting the safety meeting read over the meeting notes and then think about similar instances that have occurred in their facility. 

Most people do not think of housekeeping as a safety issue. I totally disagree and have a good example for you to discuss. In a busy warehouse it is easy to have the mentality that “we have to get these orders done, so we will clean up later”. A few years ago this very mindset caused a young lady to wind up with a cracked tailbone. Could the injury have been prevented? Let us talk through the circumstances and see.

 Jill was a receiving clerk on a very busy warehouse receiving dock. Her manager was concerned about getting behind because his superiors felt he had enough staff. The receiving team did a great job of cleaning up, At the END of the shift. This is where the problem started. As the habit formed of cleaning at the end, the associates became less aware of the mess on the dock.

 One common source of trash and debris was oversize cartons. Each carton had small parts inside of a large carton. Each large carton was on a pallet. Each pallet was wrapped and banded. The banding had to be cut to open the cartons. It had become a habit, for everyone, to cut the bands and “clean it up later”. Since everyone had been accustomed to walking around and over these bands, just like all of the other debris, no one felt it necessary to clean up the mess. Everyone was guilty, but felt they were doing a good job. The supervisor even commented how good of a job everyone did daily cleaning up at the end of the shift.

 This nice Autumn day, it was exceptionally busy due to the upcoming holiday season. Everyone on the dock was working briskly. Then out of no where Jill stepped on one of the bands and slipped. She landed right on her tailbone. As tends to happen, someone a few feet away started to laugh. One of her other co-workers rushed over to help. The person laughing thought it was funny and then out of nowhere Jill yells, “You Think it is funny, butt I fell on my butt and it hurts”. Her supervisor came and checked on her. Jill really was in pain and he followed process and sent her to the doctor.

 An accident investigation was conducted. The safety team determined that the debris littering the dock heavily contributed to the accident. It was noted that good housekeeping practices would have removed the trip and fall type obstacle that was present. In addition, the doctor confirmed Jill had cracked her tailbone. She missed a week of work. This incident caused her pain, caused the company to incur an OSHA recordable, caused a workman’s comprehensive insurance claim, and caused the supervisor to be reprimanded for poor housekeeping practices.

 Safety/Housekeeping Suggestion: I have had a lot of success with housekeeping. If you instill into associates the need for good housekeeping they usually respond well. If you give them better tools, they respond even better. There are two types of general associates in warehouses, for this suggestion: Forklift Drivers and Floor Personnel. Forklift Drivers should be taught to clean as they go and utilize the trash cans located throughout the warehouse, preferably a can is located at the end of each aisle. Floor Personnel should each have a rolling trash can or a cart with a trash bag hanging from it. I have found by requiring them to have this mobile trash can/cart that they tend to utilize it very well. It reduces the trash on the floor and helps maintain a safe work environment.