--- title: "Cleaning isn’t just for Spring" description: "Senior SML Health and Safety Consultant, Wayne Hodgson, always tells our clients that housekeeping is 50% of their Health and Safety concern. “If you can keep a good clean working environment, you are halfway there. It not only reduces the risks of slips and trips, but also has..." canonical: "https://www.safety-management.co.uk/news/cleaning-isnt-just-for-spring" type: "Article" publishedAt: "2022-03-21T09:56:03" modifiedAt: "2022-03-21T09:56:03" keywords: "Health and Safety, Safety Culture" --- # Cleaning isn’t just for Spring Senior SML Health and Safety Consultant, Wayne Hodgson, always tells our clients that housekeeping is 50% of their Health and Safety concern. “If you can keep a good clean working environment, you are halfway there. It not only reduces the risks of slips and trips, but also has... Canonical URL: https://www.safety-management.co.uk/news/cleaning-isnt-just-for-spring ## Article Spring is here, and with it comes the natural urge to de-clutter our homes, brush off the cobwebs, and let in the light. But for businesses, good housekeeping needs to be kept on top of all year round, not just one big Spring Clean ahead of an audit. Senior SML Health and Safety Consultant, Wayne Hodgson, always tells our clients that housekeeping is 50% of their Health and Safety concern. **“**If you can keep a good clean working environment, you are halfway there. It not only reduces the risks of **slips and trips**, but also has a big impact on **fire** arrangements, **access and egress**, **manual handling**, **preventing pests**, and other **workplace injuries** such as cuts and lacerations.**”** Efficiency Housekeeping also has a big impact on efficiency. If everything is in its designated location (tools, equipment, and parts) your teams will operate more efficiently. Shared responsibility If everyone takes part in maintaining housekeeping standards, it gets done more quickly and everyone has an interest in keeping things that way. Dust risks In the Food Manufacturing industry especially, having layers of organic dust on surfaces in the factory is a significant risk for explosions. Products like flour, custard powder, instant coffee, sugar, cocoa, dried milk, and chilli powder if released into the air as a dust, have the potential to cause an explosion when exposed to an ignition source. Read more here: **[Organic Dust Risks – Food Manufacturing](/news/organic-dust-risks-in-food-manufacturing-plants)** Cleaning is best if it happens regularly, to maintain a good standard at your site and to minimise risks to your employees, business, and reputation. 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