Workplace Safety, Hygiene and Housekeeping
What this domain tests
This section checks hazard identification, emergency response, personal hygiene, cleaning routines and 5S. Questions are often picture-free scenarios: what is the correct action?
Core concepts
- Common hazards: wet floors, trailing wires, unstable stacks, sharp edges, broken glass, electrical sockets near water, blocked exits, poor lighting.
- Fire safety: know exit routes, keep extinguishers accessible, use PASS (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) on a extinguisher, never use water on electrical fires, assemble at the muster point.
- Manual handling and equipment: use trolleys, keep aisles clear, do not stack above safe height, report damaged ladders or steps.
- Personal hygiene: clean uniform, tied hair, trimmed nails, covered wounds, hand washing before handling food or merchandise, no eating at the billing counter.
- Housekeeping: clean-as-you-go, spill response with a wet-floor sign, waste segregation, pest control reporting, cleaning schedule with sign-off.
- 5S: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain - a workplace organisation method that also improves safety and stock finding.
Worked example
A bottle of oil breaks near an aisle. Correct order: stop customers from entering, place a wet-floor sign, wear gloves, absorb with an appropriate material, sweep up glass into a safe container, clean and dry the floor, remove the sign only when dry, and report the incident.
Traps that cost marks
- Cleaning a spill without a warning sign.
- Blocking a fire exit with cartons.
- Mixing cleaning chemicals.
- Treating 5S as one-time cleaning rather than a routine.