When you talk about dangers in the workplace, most people will assume you are talking about heavy and dangerous machinery, factory floors, or building tools.
But there are a lot of hazards in supposedly safer environments, such as the office. If you are an employer, it is up to you to ensure the safety of your staff. If you don’t, you could face legal consequences.
Let’s take a look at some of the major issues and what you can do about them.
Slips, Trips & Falls
A surprising number of people have avoidable accidents at work head over to the Department of Laborfor some very interesting statistics. And with so many personal injury lawyers looking for easy business, it has never been more important to be a safety-conscious boss.
Implement a tidy regime in your offices to minimize the likelihood of any trips and falls. Keep walkways clear at all times. Protect yourself and your business by giving safety courses and ensuring your employees are signed off on know what they need to do.
Air Conditioning & Moisture
Air conditioning and indoor humidity is still a major cause of illness in workers. Unless you have the right maintenance program in place, you could end up losing a lot of work days. And that’s going to affect your bottom line.
According to environment control company Bry-Air, poor air conditioning can lead to moisture build up and mold and fungus problems. You can find out more at Bry-Air.com, but the point is, it will cause problems if you do not address your air-con and moisture levels. Particularly if you have employees who are asthmatic or suffer from breathing conditions.
Office Equipment
All office workers are at risk from the equipment they use. Bad posture can cause a lot of issues whether it is from sitting in a chair, using a PC keyboard or a positioning a mouse. The neck and shoulders aren’t designed to sit in front of a computer for hours on end, and repetitive strain injuries are all too common. Make sure you give your staff the right training to address these problems. And advise them to take regular breaks from their work so they can stretch their legs.
Fire Safety
There are thousands of workplace fires in the United States each year. They cause dozens of deaths and, sadly, almost all of them are avoidable.
Ensure your company complies with federal and local fire regulations, or you could be hit with a serious fine. The biggest culprit for office fires are electrical cords, so keep them in good order. Have your power points regularly serviced and have all equipment thoroughly inspected by a professional.
Fire doors are often propped open in many offices, especially when it is hot. But make sure this doesn’t happen in your workspace. After all, they are called ‘fire doors’ for a reason!
Make sure that you have the legally required amount of fire extinguishers to cover your offices. And don’t forget about your sprinkler system if you have one. Many office sprinklers are blocked by high cupboards or tall piles of equipment. If you don’t allow them enough space, they won’t cover all the areas they are supposed to.