There are a lot of obvious factors when we think about health and safety in the office. But have you given thought to any of these less obvious ones? Documentation Proper documentation, and wide access to it, is often forgotten about when we discuss health and safety. But it’s an absolutely vital area to think about. How does someone know how to use a particular piece of equipment? Some would say that the best way to learn is to simply use the equipment. But what if something goes wrong?
The best way to learn how to do something is to have the manual for it. Any health and safety documentation should be complete and easily accessed. This can be achieved through shared paper documents or by allowing access to relevant documents on the cloud. Germs Think about a modern office. We get our grubby fingers over pretty much everything, don’t we? We’re clasping at telephone receivers. Typing away at keyboards. Holding onto a computer mouse for most of the day.
Of course, people sometimes overstate just how dirty and unsafe all that touching is. But there’s no denying that it allows for germs to spread easily. It’s no wonder office workers get ill more often than other kinds of workers! You should consider having hand sanitizing stations in your office. Experts in the field Health and safety is a lot more complex than many business owners like to think. You have to take into account so many things. Not just from the immediate medical or physical standpoints, either. You also have the various legal intricacies to think about.
Not every business owner has the luxury of having time enough to go into all of this in great detail. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have these bases covered, though. Having staff trained in first aid would definitely be a good start. Some offices may want to consider on-site nursing. (Though that’s usually only needed for massive businesses!) Others may want to work with health and safety consultants outside the office. Food When people think about office fridges, they think about the amazing passive-aggressive notes you get. But let’s get a bit more serious. The fact is that most office fridges simply aren’t cleaned as often as they should be. You’ve got an entire office of people who are bringing in various types of food in different containers. Sometimes there are spills.
But getting the fridge cleaned involves getting everyone to take everything out. This is seen as time-consuming, something that has to wait. But you should be cleaning it every few days! Remember also that people tend to leave things in there and forget about them. Fire risks The average modern office can be pretty hectic. They also don’t tend to be very roomy. This is fine, in a way. It means you’re nice and busy and that room isn’t being wasted.
But what if a fire breaks out? There should never be obstructions to the safe passages out of the building. Make sure there isn’t equipment or documents in anyone’s way. This should apply all the time, not just when there’s a prearranged fire drill.