Common Health & Safety Hazards in the Office

Health and safety is the workplace, should be practised for all types of businesses and many people believe offices to be the safest places to work. When people say they work in an office, health and safety hazards don’t exactly spring to mind, however you’d be surprised how many health and safety hazards there actually are in an office space. To ensure you are complying with health and safety regulations, then it’s best to have policies and procedures in place to help protect yourself.

However, you should also be carrying out and documenting risk assessments to help make your office a safer place for yourself, your employees and any visitors. Keep reading below to find out more about some of the most common health and safety hazards that appear in an office.

What Are The Most Common Hazards in an Office?

1. Fire Safety

One of the most important parts of health and safety is fire safety, and whilst you might not think it, offices are more prone to fires than you might think. From server rooms to equipment, there are a number of different things that can cause a fire to happen. It’s essential for all businesses, especially offices, to ensure they have the appropriate fire safety measures in place.

2. Eye Strain

Eye strain is common in the workplace and this is due to DSE (display screen equipment) such as laptops, tablets, tvs, computers and many other things. Most causes of eye strain in the office cause symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision and even neck and shoulder related problems. When using any type of screen in the office, you should aim to have them at least 20 to 26 inches away from the eye and they should also be just slightly below the eye level. Employers are required to provide eye tests for employees if they are suffering from any type of eye strain related to their working environment.

3. Ergonomic Injuries

Sitting down all day, might like some people’s idea of a dream job. However, in offices, sitting for long periods of time can cause ergonomic injuries such as strains, disc problems, rotor issues relating to places such as the back, neck and shoulders. When you aren’t set correctly or are sat on the wrong type of chair, you could suffer an ergonomic related injury. The ideal way to ensure people are sitting correctly is to ensure they are provided with the correct chair and if possible sitting and standing desks.

4. Slips, Trips and Falls

One of the most common hazards in the office is slips, trips and falls, from cables on the floor to someone mopping the floor, you’d be surprised what can cause an accident. Whilst it might seem like common sense to some people, when you are in the workplace and usually in a rush or dealing with something or talking with someone, it can be easy to slip or trip on something. It’s currently estimated that around 30% of workplace injuries are caused by slips, trips and falls.

Getting Help With Office Health and Safety

Dealing with office health and safety can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are trying to run a business and that’s where we come in. At Safetynet Scotland, we can provide a wide range of health and safety services to help ensure your office is fully compliant with current laws and regulations. From creating risk assessments to policies and procedures and much more, we can assist. For more information or to discuss using our services, be sure to get in touch with us today. One of our team is always on hand to assist.