Office safety, also known as workplace safety, is the practice of ensuring a safe, working environment for employees and visitors. It is both the duty and moral responsibility of every company to promote wellness, and prevent the likelihood of accidents in the workplace which may result in damage in either a physical or mental injury. A safe and healthy office benefits both the company and the worker as it helps to ensure that productivity and service/quality is met with high standards. We have compiled some Office Safety Tips to ensure your office runs smoothly and injury free.
Ergonomic injuries
Discomfort and strains caused by poor office furniture and equipment surprisingly account for a large number of office injuries, so you must consider investing in ergonomically designed products. Office workers spend many hours a day seated at a desk, often resulting in strains and other injuries due to unidentified ergonomic hazards. Ergonomic hazards are usually the most difficult to spot as workers won’t always immediately feel the effects of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Analyse your situation, the layout, and your needs before making changes. With proper planning, you will achieve the best possible workplace and be able to introduce height adjustable desks and chairs to minimise any injuries.
Poor ventilation/temperature
As more and more people return to the work environment, creating effective practices to combat poor ventilation has become paramount. Improving indoor ventilation not only increases employee productivity but it creates safer and healthier workplaces. Poor ventilation is the catalyst for a variety of other ambient issues which impact employee health. Without proper ventilation, humidity, CO2, germs and indoor pollution sources build up. Apart from investing in a air conditioning unit and ensuring it is maintained regularly, there are also natural ventilation tips:-
- Opening windows doesn’t have to mean working in a blustery office. Part-opened windows dotted throughout the room or zone are enough to ensure adequate air flow without causing uncomfortable drafts.
- Cross-ventilation, can be an ideal way to naturally ventilate rooms and zones at the same time. For example, create a through draft by opening a window, propping the door open (unless it is a fire door) and opening a window in another part of the office.
- Air the office space completely to dilute the charged indoor environment and renew the air. This is best done during a moment in the day when occupancy is low, like lunchtime for example.
Social distancing
As we enter into the government’s Step 4, social distancing guidance no longer applies and there are no limits on social contact between people from different households. But we are remindful that COVID-19 can still be spread through social contact so office safety tips are still required to mitigate the risk by reducing the number of people your workers come into contact with.
Examples of ways to do this include:
- Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ or ‘cohorting’ (so each person works with only a few others).
- Reviewing layouts, using protective screens or barriers to separate people from each other, or using back-to-back or side-to-side working, instead of face-to-face.
Poor lighting
From the workers’ perspective, poor lighting at work can lead to eye‐strain, fatigue, headaches, stress and accidents. On the other hand, too much light can also cause safety and health problems such as “glare” headaches and stress. Both can lead to mistakes at work, poor quality and low productivity. Various studies suggest that good lighting at the workplace pays dividends in terms of improved productivity, and a reduction in errors.
Improvements in lighting do not necessarily mean that you need more lights and therefore use more electricity – it is often a case of:-
- Making better use of existing lights
- Making sure that all lights are clean and in good condition
- Ensuring that lights are positioned correctly for each task.
- Making the best use of natural light.
For further information on office safety tips and assistance in ergonomic desks/chairs, office screens and all other aspects of office furniture, please contact us here.