Slips, Trips & Housekeeping
Nobody brags about housekeeping — but sprains, twisted knees, and broken wrists from cords and offcuts cost crews more lost days than the dramatic stuff.
How to run it
Read it through once, then talk it — don't recite it. Five minutes at the start of the shift, crew standing where the work happens. Under O. Reg. 213/91, s. 14(3)–(4), the talk is held by a supervisor or a competent person the supervisor appoints — and the sign-in sheet is what proves it happened.
Talk through these points
- Cords and hoses are the site's tripwires. Route them overhead or along walls, not across walkways.
- Clean as you go beats clean at the end. Offcuts and packaging go in the bin when they're made, not when someone rolls an ankle.
- Keep stairs, ladders access, and exits clear — always. Those routes matter most exactly when everyone's moving fast.
- Ice, mud, and wet floors get dealt with or marked the moment they're seen — sand, squeegee, or a sign, not a mental note.
- Material storage is part of it: stacked stable, out of routes, nothing leaning where it can slide.
- If lighting is bad enough that you can't see the floor, the floor isn't the problem to fix first.
Ask the crew
- What's the worst trip hazard on this site right now — go name it.
- Whose cords are crossing the main walkway today?
- Where does the offcut bin actually need to be?
The answers are the real talk. If a question lands on a live hazard, write it down and assign it a name and a date.
Paper it
A talk without a record didn't happen, as far as anyone who asks is concerned. Print these free:
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