If you are an office worker, it is essential to be aware of the everyday health and safety issues in most offices so that you can take reasonable measures to avoid any accidents. Knowing what dangerous situations you could face is the best way to ensure your protection at all times while also keeping your employer accountable for their negligence.
Here Are Some Occupational Health And Safety Guidelines For The Office
Even though these guidelines are meant to protect people in the workplace, it does not mean that they are strict rules. Think of them more as strong recommendations - just because something isn't required doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it when possible.
Office surfaces should have rounded edges where employees would frequently need to walk by. This means areas around desks, conference tables, etc., are often rounded for safety
You need to know how many people are on site at any one time, to ensure that you are not breaching fire safety or your own risk assessment findings. To this end, consider making use of swipe cards for entry, or some other kind of visitor identification system that tells you exactly who is on site at all times.
All electrical outlets should be fitted with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in case of water or any other fluid spills nearby.
All sharp items that could cause serious injury must either be removed from the work area, covered up with something to prevent them from being accidentally picked up or touched by an employee, or they should have protective guards around them, so they don't cut eyes or hands when employees are close by. Think about blades on utility knives, scissors in a shared pen holder at a desk, paper cutter finger holes - all of these things would need to have some secondary protection if you are going to leave them out for employees to use.
People using any machinery should be adequately trained to use them to ensure that they don't injure themselves or others.
Office chairs should have appropriate lumbar support for the lower back when sitting at a desk for hours on end and adjustable seat heights so everyone can find their perfect position. Armrests are also crucial in helping prevent injury. Office chairs should also meet all fire-code specifications, determining whether they will quickly catch on fire if something nearby suddenly ignites (such as an overheated computer).
Office floors should be slip-resistant when wet - you don't want to risk slipping and injuring yourself if water is dropped near a door or spills during a cleaning process. There also needs to be safety strips for steps. Floors often have tiles, carpeting, rubber mats, or sheet flooring, depending on the work done there.
All office furniture should be anchored to walls or carpets using appropriate brackets to reduce the likelihood of it tipping over and injuring someone. Tables used for more detailed work such as sewing, soldering ironwork, etc., need their anchors because they are smaller and could easily tip over onto an employee's foot or hand if appropriately secured with its bracket at one end of the tabletop only. Office furniture that cannot be anchored should be labeled so employees know that it could tip over, and they should take extra precautions around those items.
Prevention Is Better
To stay within OSHA standards, office employees must understand and apply workplace safety protocols. Employers should provide necessary training to all workers in order to reduce the risk of serious injuries and possible lawsuits