Offices are generally considered low-risk work environments. When most people think of high-risk work environments places like industrial, construction or mining sites often come to mind.
We often neglect our health and safety duties because we falsely believe we are safe from workplace injuries at our desk jobs. Though the potential for injury is not as dramatic as it would be on the factory floor, it can be every bit as costly.
Exposure to workplaces hazards is an issue that affects everyone. All workplace settings have hazards that need to be monitored and controlled. Appropriate hazard identification and risk assessment procedures need to be carried out in order to implement control measures to reduce the likelihood of workplace incidents.
Some of the most common hazards include;
- ergonomic hazards
- slip, trip and fall hazards
- fire hazards
- chemical hazards (e.g. cleaning products)
- electrical hazards (e.g. appliances, power sockets, etc)
- contagious illness spread by sick workers
- stress hazards and fatigue, and many more.
Though some hazards are harder to identify (e.g. stress hazards), appropriate steps must always be taken to identify and remove any potential hazards from the workplace. Clear health and safety policies need to be in place to ensure all workers understand company expectations and their own responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. A great first step is to provide adequate Health and Safety training for yourself and your employees, apply the knowledge, then enjoy the benefits of working in a safe workplace environment.
