Labour welfare and Industrial Health

Dr. Shyamal Gomes

Chapter – 5: House Keeping

Introduction:

HK is an important sphere of labour welfare activity; and perhaps

logically and chronologically occupies the first place in welfare
programme in and around the work place. The concept of HK rests on
the well known belief that “there is a place for everything and
everything should be in its right place”. It means that every situation
and institution – including the individual – has its own proper
equipment, and this equipment should be properly kept in a place
which belongs to it. Therefore, HK is the provision, arrangement and
maintenance in proper condition of the proper equipment.

There are three important aspects of HK which need to be kept in

mind i.e.
1. Provision of proper equipment (PoPE)
2. The arrangement of these equipments (AoE) in order and
harmony and
3. The maintenance of these equipments (MoE) in good condition

Provision of proper equipment

Refers to the supply of amenities and necessary tools and raw

materials as well as all those minute items which constitute a
congenial working environment. Items like – refined raw materials,
light; air coolers; water coolers and sanitary facilities refers to layout
and correlation of details not only with a view to achieving
conveniences and utility but to realising the beauty.

Intellectuality of House Keeping:

1. Space adjustment / management of Space

2. Appropriate colour of wall
3. Appropriate colour of Furniture
4. Placement Manner

Layout of correlation are not only works of art but also science (
They are based on the understanding of the functions of the
equipment, why and how a thing is useful and how best it could be
related to other things)

Maintenance of Equipments (MoE)

Refers to continued upkeep of the equipment and its arrangement in a

satisfactory manner. Thus, it appears that HK is totally a dynamic
function.

Why House keeping?

Good housekeeping habits are the important part of a safe workplace,

because good house keeping reduce amounts of flammable and
combustible materials, reduce ignition hazards, ensure safe emergency
evacuation of occupants and allow for quick emergency response.

However, the main approach of HK is “Planning for decent HK”

which is generally neglected in all most factories / work areas. The
main causes are:
1. Dingy and dirty alleys
2. Sinuous ( curving in and out), narrow and stinking passages
3. Littered on either side with garbage heaps
4. Gutter waters and other effluents.
5. Avoided by the elegant and elite; while really industrial work
places should be considered as civilization’s TEMPLE, clean
and inviting.
6. The crowded cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Madras etc. the high
wall that surrounding a factory and lining the main roads by
lanes afford excellent shelter to the houseless beggars and
indigent squatters.
7. Not un-often, these poor and houseless citizens put up flimsy
structures against the outer compound wall of the factory and
live there with families.

In addition to the squatters, the following types could be identified

as infesting the work place approaches:

1. The Beggar: (Blind, Cripple, discarded, old man, women and

child) – occupy places temporarily or permanently. Indian
labourers/ workers are poor but charitable in nature, moreover, they
are superstitious).
2. The Fortune Tellers (Invariably the fortune teller is found in the
environs of the work places)
 3. The Gambler (who invariably haunts the factory surroundings)
4. The Auctioneer: the unlicensed auctioneer is another type of
person found around the factory approaches, also active on pay
days.
5. The Hawker & the Footpath Shop keeper: ( Pan – bidi, Tea /
Tiffin, vegetables / fruits etc.) – too playing their unlicensed trade
around the factories. Usually they sell cheap & low quality articles
and unhygienic food items, the poor workers attracted by the low
prices buy those and expose themselves their children & wives to
health hazard.
6. The Money Lender: “ Kabuliwala” look, who lends money to
workers on exorbitant interest varying from 50-100% and is
interested in collecting interest regularly and not the principal.

Now, different questions may be asked:

1. Why the outside / adjacent areas are absence of civic & police
protection?
2. Why security people allow to these people / money lender etc to
come inside the factory.
3. What can labour welfare officer do to make the work place
neighbourhood less uncongenial?

Actually, it is the function of the entire factory management to keep

factory clean and delectable the approaches which do not belong to them.
The welfare officer should and can play his/ her useful role in regard to
removing, or at least reducing some those bad features (by negotiation
with Trade Union and Govt. Administration like police department)

House keeping with in premise:

• Immediate and effective use of large open space in and around the
factory (workplace and administrating building – flower plants,
greens/ grass or cover with tiles related to vision / mission or
company culture etc.)
• Dump un-use items separately or backside of the factory where
generally the workers are not passing.
• Don’t allow wild growth of grass / thrown in the premises invite
the pests/ insects and reptiles.

Hence, Good HK would ensure that every bit of space inside and out side
factory are use properly, Materials are stored properly and the premises
are kept clean, safe and attractive. Therefore, it is become common to
have a ‘Mali’ (gardener) to take care of the garden and green. Moreover,
some flourishing management have been appointing qualified
Horticulturist now- a - days.

Therefore, beside safety, cleanliness and good house keeping, the factory
garden could be a successful public relation activity too.

House keeping in Work Room:

• HK in the work and administrating rooms refers to the up keep of

machinery and tools, raw materials and auxiliaries.
• Machinery should be maintained in good condition, periodically
tested and serviced and well adjusted in all its parts.
• Similarly raw materials and waste products strewn about, tools
lying helter-skelter, dust, fumes, gases, noises, high temperature
where these could be reduced, and low lighting are indications of
bad house keeping

Therefore, the main objective of good HK is “To build a scientific work

environment for highest productive growth”. The work environment
should match with the requirements of plant and machinery in case of
production requirements and job requirements, in case of other
requirements in addition to the convenience and comfort of the
employees. The work environment which suits the requirements of job
and conveniences of the employee maximises the workers’ efficiency
and productivity.