Good housekeeping, in other words maintaining a clean and tidy site, minimises the risk of accidents and fires; conserves space, time, materials and effort; and provides good working conditions.

Vehicle routes, pedestrian routes and workplaces must always be clear of unnecessary obstructions.

Stairways in particular must be kept free of obstructions.

Adequate lighting must be provided for workplaces and access ways as necessary, with no deep shadows.

Work areas must not become littered with tools or materials.

Tools and materials must not be placed where they could fall on persons below.

Spillages of oil, etc. must be cleared up and made safe as soon as they occur.

Rubbish of all kinds must be cleared away regularly.

Scrap materials must be placed in the skips provided and not allowed to accumulate.

Holes, damaged walkways or ramps, and slippery or uneven surfaces, are all accident hazards, which must be remedied, or reported at once.

Canteen waste including scrap food, tea bags, old milk bottles, etc., attract vermin and may cause disease. They must not be strewn around outside mess rooms but disposed of in the bins provided.

Loose timber - shuttering, shoring, etc. must be stacked neatly away from workplaces and access routes.

Nails protruding from timber must be removed - failure to do this is considered by the company to be a very serious matter.

Improper and untidy stacking and storage of materials is a major hazard and must not occur. Material compounds must be kept in good order with materials stacked neat and tidy.

Stacked material must not protrude into walkways and access routes.

Stacks must be secure to prevent materials falling. Loose materials can be secured using pallet wrap.

Pallets of bricks, etc. must only be placed on a firm level base - never on soft ground which might cause them to tilt.

Pallets of bricks and blocks must never be stacked more than two full pallets high.

Care must be taken to ensure that packs and stacks of bricks, and blocks do not collapse. If they do, they should be re-stacked asap to prevent waste.

Broken pallets must be withdrawn for repair or destruction, but not left lying around.

Pipes and materials which could roll must be effectively wedged to prevent movement.

Bearers must be used between and below bulky materials, and equipment as an aid to slinging.

REMEMBER - that a job is never finished until it has been cleared up.