We’ve all heard the expression, cleanliness is next to godliness and in any plant or warehouse, that wants to be taken seriously, cleanliness is next to safety. That’s why I started and continue this series, to help you become a better leader because no one may have bothered to point out that good housekeeping and sanitation practices will not only improve safety by preventing accidents but can also help give equipment less time in maintenance and a longer lifespan.

“Cleanliness is the Hallmark of perfect standards and the best quality inspector is the conscience” J. R. D. Tata

No body really seems to enjoy cleaning up but housekeeping has it’s place and by showing employees how to properly breakdown and stack cardboard, to place used shrink wrap, strapping and other trash in containers, and how to keep their work areas clean, the benefit is a reduction of trips and falls which are a top accident occurring in the workplace. By sweeping, mopping and washing your area, immediately cleaning up or containment of a liquid spill that can cause slips and falls. By keeping the work area floor free of clutter, obstructions and other debris will reduce the cause of trips and falls and when keeping it organized helps find tools and parts quicker. You have now created a productive and safe work environment which also leads to less sick time off by employees and increased retention.

Another reason to keep plastic wrap and other debris off the floor is to give forklifts a longer life span. If a forklift or other type of industrial powered equipment drives over it, it can be quickly sucked up into their inner workings and over time as the plastic heats up can literally gum up the works. You do not need the added expense of a down forklift and maintenance service call. Make sure there are enough trash receptacles throughout the facility but located where they’ll get most used.

In a warehouse where perishable goods and other food products are stored, good housekeeping is even more critical and usually referred to as sanitation. This involves more deep cleaning on a regular schedule as well as procedures and programs to control and prevent the entry of pest. A good sanitation program is laid out in a master sanitation schedule which ensures all critical areas are consistently cleaned to prevent any contamination of raw goods and finished food product so the customer receives the finest quality available.

When you keep your part of the universe, what ever it is, a department, a dollar store, a warehouse, a factory, clean and organized bosses and visitors usually don’t feel compelled to look further into what’s going on as it looks as it is, under control and that gives credibility to your abilities. Remember, you’re in charge, be in charge.

It is so easy to fall into the open clutches of technology with all those alluring sweet apps, like a genie granting your every wish;  bringing you meals, groceries, bagels, new outfits, games for endless hours of entertainment and finding you the love of your life or an evening of lust.  They do seem to make life so much easier so you have to do less thinking or reasoning for yourself.  Back when this boomer was as a grocery store clerk, I had to count out the change on my own with no prompting from the register but as we all know now the register tells you everything.  Is counting out change the loss of a skill set that helps develop critical thinking to resolve problems?  Maybe?  A start. Less thinking, less brain activity and beating candy crush is not a replacement of the skill set.  

As we become more dependent on the use of technology and virtual reality especially now with so many working from home which is fabulous for office workers, other white collar employees or late night talk show hosts but when it comes to manufacturing, besides all the support groups like sales, marketing, customer service and administrative, who can continue working from home someone still needs to physically be there at the plant to operate, load and repair the machinery needed to produce, package and ship product. 

Clustered in a control room in that plant along with the latest in technology and behind the bank of monitors, scan counters, dials and flashing lights of various colors all updating production in real time sits the Production/Plant manger monitoring the activity going on, on the production floor.  However are you getting the whole story when you’re just siting behind a desk watching reality T.V.?  Well, I can tell you that the successful ones don’t because they know that tech doesn’t give you the rhythm of production or the melody but when you take a WALK you can hear it live all for yourself as well as being accessible to your staff which is always critical.

You may have heard of the term Gemba Walk which is part of the teachings of Six Sigma.  I’m not going to go into Six Sigma since it is an involved but excellent way to problem solve but you can Google it and find out more for yourself which I suggest you do.  You don’t have to become a disciple unless you want to get your belts and certification but you should at least understand it and then you can incorporate what you like best of it into your daily workings.  My manufacturing philosophies are a combination of different teachings, tweaked at times to suit specific needs.

I like the concept of Gemba Walk, it’s like a nature walk but around your facility.  You can call it what ever you want, as long as you are out and about for the staff and around the facility so you can find issues before they become problems.  It’s also a great way to get the blood flowing through some exercise as at some facilities I could walk several miles a shift.  All you need to go for your walk is your eyes, ears and a notepad.  As you touch base with employees and thank them when you find them doing things correctly make notes of items that may need attention or repair.  You may notice an out of date fire extinguisher, dangerous pot hole in the warehouse floor or unguarded chain or sometimes when a worker sees you on the floor they may point out an issue.  It’s your facility and you should know as much about it as possible.  When they do make sure to follow up with them as well as to the disposition.  A leader has a few aspects to accomplish to be successful and the ability to listen is important but to me the one that’s most critical is Credibility! It is a priceless commodity. Once you lose it, it takes a lot to gain it back. 

The walk isn’t just good for your shift but as plant manager I could go for a walk on any shift and quite often did keeping every shift manager and employee on their toes .

This could have been avoided.  OSHA cites Furst-McNess Corp. for safety violations If someone n management had practiced the Walk they would have seen that housekeeping was falling behind and a dangerous situation was developing.  When dust accumulates it can become an explosion hazard and not just wood dust but any dust including sugar and grain dust. 

OSHA Whistleblower Charges Surge During COVID19 What Employers Can (and Should) Do to Prepare and Respond ” https://buff.ly/3jv0oUF Employers you can avoid this, try listening to your employees, they are the ones doing the job. When you blow them off it sends the message of “we don’t care about you”. Listen to their concerns and then give them the plan with a schedule of when corrections will be made.

Why wearing the proper PPE is critical to your survival. If working over 6 feet off the ground you must have some sort of fall protection. Ask for it — Report: Nearly half of America’s deadliest Jobs are in construction https://buff.ly/3jVUQTn

I have found in my many years that Corporate Cultures only exist when the corporate heads allow it. At Wells Fargo it’s a den of thieves allowed to cheat and abuse customers. It’s the same with safety. If corporate takes it seriously and has consequences for those who don’t then it will work from the top down. — Wells Fargo Fired Over 100 Workers For Allegedly Lying To Obtain Loans Intended For #SmallBusinesseshttps://buff.ly/3lRj8ia

When it comes to safety at the workplace, never keep quiet but speak up for the life you save may be your own. You are not a rat for speaking up, you are not a stool pigeon, you are an intelligent human being who took in all the facts and decided it is not worth dying to save the boss a few bucks in safety. You can make an anonymous call to the OSHA HOTLINE – 1 – 800 – 321- OSHA (6742) or your state OSHA. Politics has no place in workplace safety, we ALL deserve a safe workplace. Until next time, please stay socially distant, wear a mask, wash your hands and stay safe.

Why you don’t block exits, emergency exits, emergency routes or electrical panels with product.  Due to the constant turnover of employees and the many unethical companies out there training is not done consistently or uniformly even comparing store to store if at all and the main reason for doing this series of articles.  To help you.    

As the manager/supervisor you maintain inventory at manageable levels so you don’t disappoint customers but when it comes to those weekly specials and co op advertising deals you usually have no control on the amount or any idea of the quantity that is going to come your way to support the sale and weekly flyers.  Marketing always over estimates the quantity your location will sell and they also couldn’t care less about your limited space or storage issues.  It’s not their problem.  

When that product arrives the tendency may be to store product where ever you can and in some cases with the best of intentions blocking an exit  for a short period of time or at least that’s what you tell yourself.  First you promised to move it within a few hours, then the next day, they’re be no fire here or emergency, that never happens.

In 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City where they chained and locked emergency exits.  A fire broke out and 123 women, girls and men died.  They couldn’t get out.  Just over 100 years later, 2012, the Dhaka Factory in Bangladesh was a garment factory and had loads of fabric and yarn all over the building making already narrow passages hard to navigate.  A fire started and 117 workers, mostly women died.  It was too difficult to get out before the smoke overtook them.  

What’s an Emergency Exit? – It’s as it sounds, an exit from the premises so you can evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency.  Actually any Exit can be used when evacuating but Emergency Exits are for that purpose only.  All Exits, even Emergency exits should be clearly marked and light up and if power is lost equipped with battery backup.  They should never be locked (unless they have a panic bar with alarm for easy exit), chained shut or most of all blocked by anything!  Don’t assume because emergency exits aren’t always used for daily activity, that you can use them for storage.  Remember, an emergency is never planned and doesn’t wait until you have clear emergency exits. 

What’s an Evacuation route plan? –  It’s a path that is the quickest way to exit a building from your actual location when an evacuation is needed marked by a series of signs and/or markings.  You need to have this posted on the walls along the route so everyone can see the best way out.  As with the exits, emergency routes should never be blocked and free and clear of any obstacles.  You also should indicate the meet place so everyone can be accounted for and known safe.

Why do I have to keep electrical panels clear?  When there is a fire, you want to shut the power off especially if it’s an electrical fire.  You must do your best to keep it clear.

When it comes to the storing the amounts of product, there is no doubt you will have to become creative and that may mean moving it around often.  Don’t be afraid to try new or different ideas, in fact try to get the staff involved.  As far as the specials try to get as much as possible on the floor display so customers can get right to it and hopefully sell out quickly.  It’s not going to be easy but you are responsible for the safety of your employees and customers and you need to take it seriously.  

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