June is National Safety Month, and what better way to kick off the celebration than with a few workplace safety tips? Today we will focus on office environment safety and what to look out for.
Office Injuries Can Have a Huge Impact
Office safety is an important issue. We do not frequently hear of incidents because they are typically minor, but some specific dangers in this environment lead to severe injuries.
People often first think of workstation ergonomics when considering safety in the office. In in-office environments, companies should provide the tools to ensure workers maintain good ergonomic positioning when at their workstations.
Some workers may feel comfortable and never have a problem being slightly out of position in one way or another. Still, they should be taught the correct posture and feel confident requesting changes to help them reach that position if they feel uncomfortable. Discomfort leads to injury over time. Watch this video to help you better understand office ergonomics.
With the important topic of ergonomics covered, let’s now focus on slips, trips, and falls to help us understand and prevent the most severe injuries encountered in and around office environments.
Stairs: Material stacked on stairs, lack of a handrail, carrying material on stairs, and stairs that are slippery either because the surface does not provide good traction or something has been spilled on them, are things to keep an eye out for and inquire about at client sites to avoid major injuries.
Parking lots: Yes, even before or after a person has clocked in, an incident in a parking lot can lead to injury. Uneven surfaces and cracks in a parking lot that are not well maintained, the lack of an ice clearing plan in cold weather, and poor lighting are things to keep an eye out for and inquire about at client sites to avoid major injuries.
General housekeeping, including break areas: Materials stacked in walkways, or even in a workstation, cords stretched across places people walk or sit, poorly maintained flooring, drawers left open, and spills are things to keep an eye out for to avoid major injuries. Don’t forget to check the breakroom for the same causes of injuries.
Keeping an eye out for these issues helps keep yourself and your co-workers safe from injury!
