While they may be one of the last things on your mind at the office, there are potential safety hazards all around you. To prevent injury and promote office safety, incorporate the following precautions into your everyday routine.
Crowded Workplace Cautions
- Immediately clean up spills, melting snow and rain water from your shoes when entering the building to avoid tracking in a slippery mess.
- If you notice a spill, alert maintenance staff and place a wet floor sign in the area. Remove the sign as soon as the floor is dry.
- Never run in hallways or aisles.
- Clear clutter such as rubbish bins from hallways and aisles.
- Never run a cable so that it crosses a passageway. Find an alternate way of attaching it.
- Always use handrails as you walk down stairs.
- Use the lift if you must carry a heavy box to another floor.
- Open doors slowly to avoid hitting someone on the other side.
Workstation Safety
- When you are not using desk and file drawers, close them.
- Do not place file cabinets near doors or in high traffic areas of the office.
- Place heavy loads only on the bottom shelves of file cabinets and open one drawer at a time when retrieving items.
- Be cautious when using sharp items such as letter openers, staplers, craft knifes, etc., and store them safely in drawers when not in use.
- Open drawers only with the handle to avoid getting your fingers stuck.
- Avoid paper cuts by handling documents carefully and slowly. Use a rubber thimble if you will be handling large quantities of paper.
- If you need to reach something on a tall shelf, find a stepladder. Do not stand on a chair or desk.
- Avoid eating or drinking near your computer to avoid spilling on it.
Make it a Priority
If you are unsure about any safety procedure, do not hesitate to ask your supervisor.
