Basic Office Safety Tips

Slips and falls are the most frequent cause of injuries in the workplace. Keeping alert and thinking ahead can help minimize the risk.

Some Common Sense – Use basic common sense in your daily comportment around the office. That means :

  • Sit upright in your chair, with your feet touching the floor when you’re working at your desk.
  • If you’ve got to carry anything from one place to another, don’t stack things up so high that you can’t see directly in front of you.
  • Walk, don’t run.
  • Go slowly if the floor is wet or otherwise slippery.
  • Don’t read while walking.
  • Always hold the handrail when using stairs.
  • When carrying boxes, use the elevator if available.
  • Immediately wipe up spilled beverages.
  • Obey your building’s (no) smoking rules, and don’t throw matches, ashes or cigarette butts into regular trash.
  • Refrain from eating or drinking at a computer station. Spills and crumbs could get into the keyboard and cause malfunctions.
  • Don’t touch electrical outlets, plugs nor switches with wet hands.

Report It – Anytime you see something unsafe, report it to your management department or supervisor. Things you might want to point out include sightings of:

  • Torn carpet
  • Loose tiles
  • Wobbly steps or floorboards
  • Burned-out lightbulbs
  • Broken chairs or desks
  • Other defective equipment
  • Possible unauthorized visitors

Emergency Preparedness – Emergencies can happen, and being prepared for them ahead of time is vital. Here’s just a selection of things that can better prepare you for an emergency:

  • Have a plan for evacuating the building in the event of a fire or other disaster.
  • Know where the nearest emergency exit is along with other locations on your floor.
  • Make sure your office has fire guards or marshals designated on each floor or section to provide direction in the event of an evacuation.
  • Practice with fire drills at least once a year, or more frequently.
  • For evacuations during natural disasters, especially fires, take the stairs instead of an elevator.
  • Move away from windows during a tornado or other type of windstorm.
  • Create specific plans for earthquakes if your office is situated near a fault line.
  • Similarly, create specific strategies to deal with possible power outages and computer network failures.

The safest workplaces are ones in which every single employee knows office safety tips. A safe office benefits employers and employees alike. Workers save money on health care costs and are happier and more productive in safe office environments.

Source: http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Office_Safety_Tips