Cleaning Up a Job Site

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The Benefits of a Clean Job Site

Tips for Keeping Clean!

Adopt a cleaning system. Try out different systems and see what works best for you and your company.

The 5 S system has recently gained popularity in the states. It comes from the five Japanese words: Seiri Seiton Seiso Seiketsu Shitsuke

The 5S System Sort This step requires you to go through your tools and inventory and only bring what is necessary to do the job. If you do not need an item do not bring it to the site. Set in Order Next, place the items that will be used at their respective workstation locations at the beginning of a job. This will lessen the amount of scrambling for a tool when you need it. Shine Here is where the cleaning comes in. This is basically cleaning the site once you are done with it, as well as the tools and items you've used. Remember, the job isn't done until everything is cleaned! Standardize The next step is to make this a habit. It's very easy to be clean for a day and slip back into an older way of doing things. Write down the process for starting and closing the day. Sustain Make sure the cleaning plan is done every day while on a job, and repeat the steps again when you move onto your next job.

Precautions to Take While Cleaning

Cleaning after a construction project is vastly different than custodial work. This kind of cleaning needs your attention to the many kinds of surfaces and materials you are using. There are many substances floating about at the end of a job, such as paint, sawdust, metal shavings and drywall, because of this it's important we protect ourselves.

First remove all debris and move them to their appropriate receptacles. Surface cleaning comes next. Since paint, drywall dust, and saw dust travel far when kicked up, ever surface will need to be tidied. Don't forget to check the ceiling as well!

Documentation It's important to document the cleaning you're doing, not just for your own benefit but to show the client the amount of work done as well. ## This is also necessary to demonstrate the work done. On many projects there may be another team that comes to the site after you. If they leave a mess you shouldn't be blamed for it! ## This is great for verification and also for our own documentation. ## Once you're done, take pictures of the cleaned site for us and for the client if they ask.

Personal Protective Equipment

Airborne debris is prevalent in the air, so remember to wear protective equipment; there could be silica from concrete and many other possible dangers.

If you are cleaning up at night time make sure you have bright reflective vests for your team. Safety glasses, disposable gloves and N95 masks are required in when cleaning a job site.

When moving equipment off site, make sure to wear thick full-length pants such as jeans, a hard hat, as well as steel toed boots and leather gloves.