When you work in an office, you think that you’re relatively safe from all kinds of injuries and accidents. While it’s fairly obvious that accidents happen on construction sites and in warehouses, those shouldn’t be present in a climate-controlled office building with ergonomic chairs and tables. But there are a surprising number of dangers that could be lurking in the corners of your office building.
A good office manager would hire security guard services, for example, to ensure the safety of the staff. Many of the injuries and accidents that happen in office buildings could have been prevented if only the supervisors had recognized the risks and made the appropriate actions. If workplace policies and modifications are implemented, a lot of these incidents will never happen.
Falls
The most common types of office injuries are falls, slips, and trips. These accounted for tens of thousands of sidelined employees every year. These things happen when your office is disorganized. When boxes are cluttered everywhere, there’s a huge chance that someone will fall or trip on them. Cable wires and uneven flooring are also signs that you need to free your office from clutter.
Struck
Safely stacking boxes and documents must be a priority for office supervisors. Getting struck or caught by a huge and heavy object in the office can be bothersome. It could also lead to serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. Can you imagine a file cabinet toppling over when one of its drawers is opened because the contents are too heavy?
Health
Allergies from dust mites, pet dander, mold, and mildew could be the reason many of your employees are absent from work. Have you noticed a decline in their productivity and attendance? It might be because they are suffering from respiratory problems triggered by an unclean office. The same can be said for ergonomic injuries caused by sitting at a desk for nine to 10 hours every day. The most common types of ergonomic injuries are lower back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. These are caused by bad posture and repetitive movements.
Burglary
A lot of offices fall victim to burglary when their buildings are not protected by security guards or security cameras. Burglary happens because there are opportunities. If you eliminate these opportunities, burglars will feel discouraged to try and get into your office. What will happen if burglars get inside your office while an employee is working late? That will put that employee’s life at risk.
Fires
You don’t know how common some fires start. It could be as simple as using an extension cord to its maximum capacity or forgetting to switch off a space heater. Making sure that your building is at par with local fire codes should help prevent a fire. Other things you can do is to inspect outlets, turn off everything before leaving the office, set up a fire alarm, and install a sprinkler system. You should also train your employees in using fire drills.
Parking Lot Crimes
A great number of people are being mauled in the parking lot after working late at night. Criminals may be lurking in the dark corners of the parking lot. You should install floodlights and security cameras in the parking lot. This will let your employees feel safer. These measures will also discourage criminals.
It is your responsibility as the supervisor to ensure the safety of your staff. That’s in addition to training them in their roles. Any office supervisor should be able to recognize the hidden dangers of an office setting and address these dangers.
