Sometimes it only takes a little time and effort to make a big change in shop operations. Here are some one-day projects that are easy to do and inexpensive to complete.

Clean up. Remove all the loose equipment in your shop and move it outside when the weather is good. Sweep the floors, wipe up any accumulated oil and vacuum under objects that cannot be moved. Drain the accumulated water from the shop air compressor tank — careful, there may be a lot more than you expect and it will usually have some emulsified oil in it. While you’re at it, replace all burned out light bulbs or fluorescent tubes. Before you put things back, ask yourself whether you really need each item and if it can be stored somewhere else. The result can be a cleaner, brighter shop with more useable floor space.

Check fire extinguishers. Install new fire extinguishers if you don’t have any, or inspect and recharge existing ones. A dry-chemical extinguisher with a UL rating of 2A10BC should be the minimum size in a shop — an extinguisher with a rating of 3A40BC and a flexible discharge hose would be better. Dry chemical extinguishing agents work well on most kinds of fires, but leave caked-on residues that can damage sensitive electronics and are difficult to remove. Halotron extinguishers are more expensive, but don’t leave a residue. Mount the extinguishers in conspicuous locations at chest height using approved brackets — behind a door is not conspicuous. Place a sign above each extinguisher to identify its location.

Provide good access. It’s funny how things find their way down off the shelves and into the aisles. It’s dangerous too. Remove objects from aisles and doorways and find them new homes. Check that all doors can open freely. Consider installing bright floor tape or other markings to define aisles. Install appropriate exit signs above designated exit doors. Consult your local occupational safety and health agency for specific requirements — you may have to install battery-powered emergency area lights to allow safe movement in case of power failure. Also consider securing tall shelves and cabinets to the walls to prevent them from toppling over and blocking exits in case of earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes.

Inventory spare parts. Keeping a sufficient quantity of spare parts is only part of the job. Periodically you also need to check on what you have. Inventory does two things. First, it can help you spot errors in record keeping, or worse, theft. Second, it lets you review what you have to determine whether you still need certain items. Lots of shops clutter their shelves with spare parts for apparatus or equipment that are no longer in service. Taking inventory is a good time to rearrange items to make them more accessible. It’s also a good time to make certain items less accessible if you suspect theft. Radios, batteries and expensive gear should be moved off open shelves and stored in locked areas. The recent rash of brass and copper thefts across the nation also make nozzles, fittings and adapters good candidates for secure storage. Tires should be stored away from electrical motors to prevent ozone degradation of the rubber.

Last, but most important, take some time to find the maintenance manuals for all your apparatus and equipment. Put them in one place and make sure you have the latest editions — working on a 2007 engine with a 2001 manual can cause big problems. Contact your local dealer or distributor to obtain any missing manuals. In some cases, the required maintenance manuals can be downloaded off the Internet for free. This project might take more than a day, but you can work on it in small increments until the job is done. Having the right manuals can not only help you perform maintenance with greater speed and fewer errors, but it also can help you avoid serious liability. As any lawyer will point out, if you don’t have the manual, you may have trouble convincing a jury that you are doing things correctly.