Tag Archives: office safety

Uncategorized

5 Ways To Make Your Company Office Safer

Regardless of the scale of commercial activity, an office is the control center, brain, and heart of any company. Various factors influence the efficiency of work, but one of them is the safety of office workers and their activities. Confidence in their security allows staff to work productively, and the leader – not to worry about the safety of their values, both material and informational. In this article, we tell how to make your office as safe and comfortable as possible.

Two Key Criteria for a Safe Office

Safety is a very comprehensive concept, but it is possible to emphasize two main indicators according to which the office can be considered a safe place to work.

  • Comfortable and healthy conditions for employees inside office premises, minimizing risks;
  • Reducing the negative impact on the environment through the rational use of material and energy resources.

Based on these two indicators, we suggest that you consider ways to make your office safer, more comfortable and environmentally friendly.

Prevent Germs and Infections from Circulating the Office

Office staff due to work in a stuffy room and a sedentary lifestyle can get sick up to 6 times a year. At the same time, about 70% of sick workers continue to go to work. Almost half of them do nothing to warn others about their illness.

Often offices are organized in the form of “open space” when a large number of employees work in the same room. This approach has its advantages (the convenience of organizing work and exchanging information, saving space), but also many drawbacks: increased noise level, difficulties in providing comfortable conditions for all employees, as well as an increased risk of infection during seasonal colds.

To minimize these risks in “open space” it is recommended to install devices for disinfection of the room from germs and viruses. It is also a good idea to implement the practice of wet cleaning in the workplace after the end of the working day. If finances allow, then it is possible to hire a cleaner on an ongoing basis.

Or, you can come up with a reward system for employees if they do it themselves. Motivate them to wipe the table and keyboard with a damp cloth – daily at the end of the working day. Regularly ventilate the room, arranging a strong, but the short-lived draft in the office – with it, the bacteria disappear as quickly as possible. Do this with colleagues after each visitor leaves or, if the source of the virus is in the office, at least five times per business day.

Add indoor plants

The biophilia hypothesis states: visual contact with elements of wildlife affects the increase in productivity and labor efficiency. Employees sitting surrounded by white dull walls will work worse than those who have the opportunity to see growing fresh flowers in the office or beautiful views of nature from the windows.

This will help them suppress the stress associated with working moments and continue to work in high spirits. Some companies even have cats in their offices, because as you know, talking with furry pets improves your moral well-being.

Cats are of course an optional idea, but fresh and clean air is necessary for the active work of the brain and keeping the body in good shape. Plants absorb chemical elements and microorganisms that are harmful to humans while producing oxygen. Studies by scientists from Cardiff University have shown that having plants in the office increases productivity by 15% and also reduces stress and tension. This means that your employees will be able to at least partially protect themselves from burnout syndrome, and this is an even more common office disease than acute respiratory infections.

Think of this simple, ecological, and inexpensive idea to make your office more secure and your employees more productive.

Pay Attention to Natural Lighting

It is worthwhile to carefully work with the natural insolation of the room and arrange the workplaces so that the employees receive a lot of sunlight. You may ask, what is the relationship with security? The relationship is completely direct.

Lack of lighting impairs vision, leads to a deficiency of vitamin D and a decrease in immunity. Incorrectly designed light will not only damage eyesight but also increase fatigue. It is all about the safety of your employees in terms of their health and work efficiency for the benefit of your business.

It is possible to control the level of insolation thanks to a special film that protects against ultraviolet radiation and allows indoor air not to heat up. If at some time of the day the sunlight is too active, you can use translucent blinds made from natural materials.

Lighting standards for offices are regulated by building codes. They indicate the necessary minimum illumination for the office. For some offices, this minimum of lighting is recommended to be increased – and sometimes at times (especially when there are few sources of daylight in the office). It is believed that the most favorable lighting environment for the office is soft daylight.

Protect Your Office from Fire

Many managers believe that fire safety measures in the office are needed only to comply with the law and to avoid problems during inspections of regulatory authorities. In this case, it is enough to install an inexpensive alarm system, which formally meets the legal requirements. It will cost 30–40% cheaper than a more technically sophisticated and informative alarm.

However, if you care about your office, employees and their safety within it, then, when choosing a security system, evaluate first of all its functionality. The system and fire safety measures in the office include burglar alarms, fire alarms, warning and evacuation systems for people in case of fire, video surveillance system, access control, and management system. From this set, the regulations oblige to install an automatic fire alarm, as well as a warning and evacuation control system for people in case of a fire in the office. However, we recommend that you not be greedy and choose the most innovative and smart systems. When it comes to the lives of people that a fire can take in a few seconds, money no longer matters.

Reduce the Environmental Impact

Everything that harms the environment harms people in the first place. And this, by the way, is also true concerning the reputation of your company and brand. Modern buyers want to know what environmental missions are implemented in the company whose goods or services they use. Therefore:

  • Do not use household chemicals in the office that contain chlorine and organochlorine compounds, as well as phosphates and phosphonates. Choose environmentally-friendly household chemicals that can be decomposed into safe components in the environment by at least 90% in a short time.
  • Do not buy stationery, home furnishings, and equipment made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) if there are alternative products on the market.
  • When replacing windows, choose modern wooden or metal double-glazed windows, instead of plastic windows made of PVC.
  • Discard disposable tableware in the office. If this is not possible for hygienic reasons, arrange the collection of all disposable tableware and hand it in for processing.
  • Organize the collection and recycling of used cartridges, batteries and office equipment, as well as the collection and safe storage of batteries. The same goes for prudent paper consumption. For example, if you received several options for translating documents from a specialized translation service like The Word Point, print only those copies that you need. Everything else can be emailed.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is not so difficult to make the office safer. It is enough to ensure a healthy and ecological atmosphere in the office, as well as protect yourself from emergencies.

Author Bio

Frank Hamilton has been working as a translator at translation service Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.

General Safety Issues

5 Ways to Make Your Company Office More Secure

Workplace security is the process of protecting employees from injuries, illnesses related to work and intruders. Having a workplace security plan is important because it ensures that important information, equipment, data, networks and other company assets are protected. In the recent years, the rate of cybercrimes and theft has been on the rise.

Generally, a company office that is secure improves productivity and performance in the long run. This is because employees don’t have to work in fear of being intruded or losing their personal belongings. An organization that does not prioritize security will definitely perform poorly and end up with nothing in long run.

According to edubirdie review, a secure company office reduces the turnover rate. Employees will definitely leave a company office that is insecure. No one wants to risk his or her life for a job they can swap whenever they want.

Plus, high turnover rate is a huge expense for the organization because of the interviewing process and training. An organization that retains its employees will attract best candidates which will ultimately lead to improved productivity and performance.

Another important aspect is insurance. A research conducted by college paper review found that insurance is an important aspect of security in your company office. Enhancing security in your company office will reduce the amount of premiums you have to pay every year because the risk of employees being injured will be low.

Employees are the most valuable assets of an organization. An organization is not the office, furniture or equipment. An organization is the people behind it. Without your employees, there’s nothing much you can do to keep your company moving forward. So, isn’t it not wise to protect your employees?

For every company in the world, safety and security are big issues not only for the managers but for the employees and clients as well. All companies should have a security policy in place to avoid wastage of time and money in the long run. Security is a big issue because just like a car accident, you can never see disaster coming. It’s the person who has everything in check that will survive through a security breach.

How can you make your company office more secure? Here are five proven tips that will enhance security in your premises.

  • Organize and lock everything

Before leaving your office, it’s important to take a few minutes to arrange things on your desk. The same also applies to your employees. Ensure you’ve locked your computer to make it harder for intruders to access your files.

Also, lock confidential papers in a cabinet where children and intruders can’t have easy access. You should dispose documents that you don’t need on your table. A paper shredder can do this job for you perfectly. Once everything is organized and locked up, check the windows and doors and lock them if necessary.

  • Protect your data

As bestessayservicereviews reports, your confidential data is just as important as your physical property. It’s important for you to hold confidential information about your employees, clients and yourself on a secure server. You should also consider installing an antivirus, using a firewall and limiting access. There are tons of online software that can help protect your data quickly and easily.

You should keep all the important passwords private or hand them over to someone who you trust. You should avoid giving all your employees passwords because the risk of giving them out goes up higher. Once your security is compromised, it will take some time for you to reach the level you were.

  • Label office equipment

You should always label your office equipment with stickers or ID with your logo or inventory number. Keeping a comprehensive and updated list of all the items in your office will help you keep track of everything and maintain order at the workplace. Your employees will also have an easy time when looking for an equipment.

  • Identity badges

According to australian writing, all your employees should have their names boldly written on their badges. Identity badges are important especially if you have a big organization or hundreds of people coming into your organization every single day. You should also have identity badges for your clients. With these badges, you’ll know who is walking in or out of your premises.

  • Go for alarm systems

Adding alarm systems is one of the most effective ways to enhance security in your office. Installing alarm systems will prevent people with insidious motives to walk away.

People will be careful how they come in or go out of your organization because no one wants to sound an alarm and embarrass himself or herself. The best thing about alarm systems is they alert the authorities anytime criminal activity is traced. Thieves and trespassers will also avoid visiting your premises.

Additional Tip: Emergency plan

As the popular saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. You should always have an emergency plan in case things go haywire. If you notice any suspicious activity in your premises, you should not wait until the alarm goes on or the activity takes place.

Delaying can lead to serious consequences that could be difficult to reverse. You should contact the police or your office security immediately for the investigations to start.

Conclusion

Huge amounts of money are being lost every year due to security breaches. While you cannot be entirely secure or risk free, it’s important to do what you can to reduce the risks as much as possible. The more you protect your employees and other assets, the better your organization will be.

In case of any issue, you can always contact your security company or the police to avoid disaster. With the five tips discussed above, your company will be a safe place to work in. Go for these items today!

Author Bio

Michael Gorman is high skilled freelance writer and proofreader from UK who currently works at academic writing services uk and best assignment writing services. Being interested in everyday development, he writes various blog posts for dissertation writing services and paper writing service and discovers new aspects of human existing every day. He can be reached 24/7 via Facebook and Twitter.

Back Safety, Health Issues

Revolutionary Exercises For Aching Backs

Unfortunately, the daily grind for many of us means sitting in an office chair… maybe getting up for lunch… then sitting in an office chair again. For a really long time. There are many downsides to this, such as the rapidly rising numbers in the obesity crisis due to office workers eating too many calories and not exercising proportionately – or, often times, at all – but there is one unspoken menace that people often don’t consider when they think about this problem. That menace is back pain. Back pain can hinder you in your work life, home life and even while you’re trying to sleep. It can haunt your mornings as you try and get out of bed, and every time you need to straighten your spine. It’s horrible, and an awfully common problem. But there are some things you can do to reduce it; these exercises have been proven to reduce back pain, making life much more bearable day-to-day for sufferers.

Knee-To-Chest Stretch

“Getting into a stretching routine every morning can be difficult, but starting it off with an easy stretch can make all the difference, and keep you motivated to stay in your routine every morning,” Iris Moose, a health writer at Last minute writing and Writinity, says, “and there’s no better example than the knee-to-chest stretch. Simply lie on your back and pull each knee up to your chest, then both. Repeat it two to three times, and you’ve got yourself a warm-up stretch that won’t leave you dreading every morning’s routine – you’ll be pumped up and ready to keep those muscles warm and loose with this stretch!”

Modified Pull Ups

Pull ups are among the more infamous exercises, but you might not have heard of their more easy-going cousin, the modified pull up. While pull ups can be amazing for your back muscles, not everyone has the pre-existing strength and muscle definition to complete them successfully, and certainly not several in a row. So, if you don’t want to break your routine’s flow but still want to include pull ups, modified pull ups are the way to go. You need a sturdy bar, like with a regular pull up, but you’ll want to make a diagonal line with your body going under the bar, before tensing your back and tightening your shoulder blades, and pulling your body up until your chest is only a little way from the bar, think one or two inches. Then, carefully move back to the ground, still in your diagonal line, and repeat – it’s that simple!

Resistance Band

“Resistance bands are great pieces of kit in the gym, and they can do wonders for the start of a workout, when you’re still trying to hit your groove,” states James Beck, a lifestyle blogger at Draft beyond and Research papers UK, “but make sure that you choose the right resistance band for you. Practice with a couple to make sure that you’re challenging yourself without exhausting yourself, and then get started with your workout! Stretch it out horizontally, equally with both arms, pulling it back and forth so that your shoulder muscles have to compress and extend when necessary. It’s great for starting off your workouts and keeping your back in check.”

Quadruped Dumbbell Row

This is a good one for rectifying your posture issues, and any to do with form. Before you attempt any sort of rowing exercises, you should definitely do this first, because it’ll warm up the right muscles and stop you injuring yourself unnecessarily. With a dumbbell in both hands, go on all-fours and pull one dumbbell at a time up towards your stomach. Alternate between the arms that you use, and make sure that you keep all parts of your body straight and in-line – you should be able to do twelve reps on each side for around three cycles, or work yourself up to that level.

Lat Pull-Down

This exercise can be done on one of the widely popular exercise machines with a pull-down option, or with a resistance band of your choice – but, like with the above resistance band exercise, take heed to the type of resistance band you are using and make sure that it’s right for you. Once you’ve got your equipment sorted, pull down the weights towards your chest, but don’t let yourself fall backwards and give in to the demands of your torso – stay strong, and keep that torso straight! Engaging your back, from the upper to the middle, throughout this exercise will make sure that you get the most out of it, and, most importantly, work those back muscles.

Conclusion

On their own, none of these exercises are overnight ‘miracle cures’. They need to be added into existing routines or crafted alongside other exercises into new routines, and they need to be worked on. The exact same exercises don’t work for everyone, so you might need to change things up, and equipment availability will factor into some people’s experiences. That being said, they are all guaranteed to soothe back pain in the long run and improve your back muscles, making future pain and injuries unlikely, so there’s absolutely no harm in slotting them into your workout routine!

Angela J. Bryant writes and edits successfully at Lucky Assignments, as well as Gum Essays, and is a social media and job seeking specialist. She understands the woes of the common worker, and finds pleasure in life when she helps everyday people with their problems.

Back Safety

8 Workplace Safety Concepts Everyone Should Understand

With some types of workplace, safety is at the core of it. If you work in a hospital, on a construction site or in a laboratory it’s pretty likely that workplace safety is something you are already extremely experienced with. However, if you work in an office it’s likely that you aren’t as well-informed as to what exactly you should be doing to stay safe, since the risks tend to be far more hidden than in the other environs. In a counter-intuitive sense, there are also things that people in higher risk workplaces could learn about hidden risks and how to mitigate them. So, without further ado, here are eight tips for workplace safety.

  1. Understand Risks

Every office or worksite ought to have a health and safety manager who should be able to give you a thorough understanding of what the risks in that particular area are. Getting familiar with these is a great start since, if you don’t understand what is at stake you can’t act to address it.

  1. Posture

This is a huge one and universal to all careers. “It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, posture can actually be a n issue which can cause serious life changing damage if not addressed”, says Anthony Allam, marketer at WriteMyx and NextCourseWork. It is particularly important though, if you sit at a desk for long periods of time. So, invest some energy in getting it right.

  1. Monitor Stress

Stress-levels dictate, to some degree, a lot of the way that your body and mind function. Mental safety is just as important, if not more so, than physical safety so it’s worth paying attention to workplace stress levels for that reason alone. However, stress also can affect your body, in your posture, in the way you breathe and move and, across time, can have damaging effects if left unchecked.

  1. Don’t Forgo Procedure

It can often seem painfully dry, but workplace procedure is there for a reason. “Procedures aren’t invented for the sake of torturing you with boring rules. It’s there to ensure that, even with slip-ups, employees will remain safe”, writes Ella Maguire, project manager at BritStudent and Australia2Write. It’s especially important in labs and on construction sites, but it applies in regular offices as well.

  1. Report Accidents And Problems

When something goes wrong, or something breaks or someone gets hurt, the first instinct can be to quickly solve the immediate issue and then try and put the rest of it behind you. Tis is the wrong approach. Incidents have to be reported for your safety and the safety of future employees. If something isn’t working, or there is a dangerous fault in a workplace it must be fixed to ensure safety, which won’t happen if incidents don’t get reported.

 

  1. Emergency Exits

You ought to be able to get out of any workplace with ease and speed. There can be a whole range of reasons why you might want to escape, from a gas leak to a fire drill. Obstructions to an exit are illegal but they are also often difficult to spot, sine it’s not until people are actually hurrying to safety that you realize that there is a problem, by which point it’s too late. That is the benefits of drills and vigilance over this aspect of safety.

  1. Be Careful When Lifting

If you’re on a construction site, then you have already likely done a lot of work on how to lift correctly. If you are in the office, probably not so much. But there are items all around the office which are heavy and can, therefore, damage your back if you lift it incorrectly. So, learn how to lift it well, or leave it to someone else.

  1. Take Breaks

Illness and injury come from over-exertion. Make sure you are always getting enough respite whilst in the workplace.

Conclusion

To conclude, all worksites represent risk and health and safety dangers, and it is your responsibility as someone on the site to establish those risks and do everything you can to ensure that safety is maintained, for yourself and others around you. It can be tough, but with these tips you’re already off to a good start.

Katrina Hatchett, a lifestyle blogger at Academic Brits and writer for Origin Writings, is involved in many business projects. She enjoys identifying project problems and finding solutions for these, and her goal is to improve efficiency of communication within companies. She also writes for the PhDKingdom blog.

 

General Safety Issues

Health & Safety in Office Design

Written by The Advanced Commercial Interiors Team

https://www.aci.uk.net/

With the average office worker spending around 40 hours per week in the office, it is imperative that every office is designed with health and safety in mind! Nowadays, thanks to the likes of Google and Facebook with their fancy office spaces, many companies want to add as much creative flare as possible into their space. However, you must ensure that this new era of creativity does not interfere with the all important health & safety aspect!

It is very easy to get wrapped up in implementing more creative features within your office, but these can sometimes have a detrimental effect on your staff if not done correctly. With this in mind, we have created this blog post to give you some of the key things you need to look out for when designing your office space to ensure that you are complying with all health and safety regulations, as well as designing an amazing space.

Health & Safety Legislation

The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) specifies that it is ‘the duty of every employer to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all his employees’. In layman’s terms, this means it is your responsibility as an employer to ensure that your staff are safe from harm whilst at work. This means you need to be sure of a number of things.

You must ensure that you have the correct seating in place, as this is where your staff spend most of their time whilst at work. Beanbags are great, for short periods of time! However, your staff will spend the majority of their time sat at their desks, so investing in the right office chair for your staff is absolutely crucial.

The same needs to be said for the monitors your employees are using. It is great if you want to place them higher so that they look better. However, the monitors need to be placed in an ergonomic position to ensure your staff are comfortable whilst they are using them.

Lighting

One area that is often forgotten about when designing a new workspace is lighting. Having lighting features that look amazing is great, but they need to be practical as well as good-looking! A lot of office spaces are now choosing to move away from uniform LED lighting as employers think this looks dull and bland. But the reality is that it works, and works well! Besides, there are still areas where you can be creative with your office lighting, meeting rooms are a great way to show off your design flare!

 

Fire Safety

Fire safety is one of the most important things in an office. In the event of a fire, you want to be sure that you are going to be notified about it as soon as possible, but also that you have the available training and equipment to deal with the fire if it is small enough to limit property damage.

This is why investing in both fire detection systems, as well as fire extinguishers, is absolutely crucial! Sure, they don’t look great hanging on the wall of your brand new office space, but they are there to do a job. And in the event that a fire extinguisher is needed, you are going to be so glad that they are there for you!

Layout

The layout of your space is also important. Many employers think that open offices nurture productivity. However, according to a new study, open offices actually reduce face-to-face conversation during work! This study shows that conversation between employees drops significantly, and the amount of instant messenger and email communication is on the rise in an open office. Not only is this bad for productivity, it is bad for your health as well!

If you are using an open office, your employees are going to be spending a lot more time sitting at their desks, sometimes up to 8 hours per day, rather than getting up and moving about to talk to their colleagues. The solution to this may to actually build more walls in your office space to separate departments within your workplace. This will encourage face-to-face conversation, increase productivity and staff wellbeing!

Overall, when you are thinking of creating a new office space, or altering your existing workplace, you need to ensure that you are putting health & safety at the top of your priorities list! Not only will this ensure your staff are happy and healthy when at work, it can also increase productivity! This truly is a win win.

 

Uncategorized

How to Make Your New Office Safe for Employees



For many employers, the safety of your labor force is only considered important if you are in the construction or in the manufacturing industry, where people have to manage giant equipment. Industries need to start understanding that employees want to be reassured that they will be safe in all senses of that word. This means both physically and otherwise.

An employee should be able to feel that their office is not just built well but harbors an environment where they are able to express their opinions safely. It does not matter what the size of your operations are or how many different types of departments work under you. The safety of your employees should be one of the top priorities of running a business.

Here are some of the top ways you can do that.

Evaluate Where the Problem Areas Lie

The first step in making your office more safe and secure is by analyzing where the problem areas in your office really are. Think about how the area is built, and where most likely will people hurt themselves. After this, it helps if you make a list of all the safety procedures that need reviewing. It is very important that your managers get the necessary and constructive input from your workers. This is more efficient and helps cover areas or things that you may have missed. Therefore, always work from the bottom instead of implementing procedures from top down.

Because your employees spend time in an area more than you. Even if it is their first day at a workplace, they know that they are going to be spending most of their time in this place and are likely to examine it keeping in mind everything they will use and space they will venture on a daily basis.

One very important place that most business owners overlook is their emergency protocols. If the place you bought or rented for an office space does not have an evacuation plan, make one. The truth is that many safety plans in office buildings have been outdated for a while. If you have never had to go through an emergency situation before, you are probably not even going to think about this. Therefore, the people who work for you have no idea how to act or where to go in an emergency evacuation. This is why it is so important that you consider holding a yearly review of all safety protocols and equipment in place with your staff.

Secure all Equipment

Currently, the most common ways employees get injured in the workplace is because of equipment. Offices need to list and update the most basic equipment that ensure safety. These include fire alarms, fire extinguishers, gloves, first aid kit, warning signs for wet floors, back braces for those who lift heavy items, ladders or step stools so that your employees can place and reach for things placed on higher shelves.

Furniture can also cause injuries. Sometimes, handles of cabinets may hurt you if they have a nail or some piece sticking out. It may injure you while opening it. Office movers of Florida can set up the furniture in your office safely.

The best way to go about ensuring office safety is to get rid of the cause of these hazards. After all, prevention is better than treating later. The office equipment should help in avoiding the escalation of minor issues.

Train Your Staff

No matter what program you are introducing, training is extremely vital in order to make sure that the people who work for you are on the same page as you. Without this, all the hard work that you have put into making the place safer may not work, if for example, your staff does not know how to work a fire extinguisher.
These tips will help employees stay safe even at home. It’s important to keep your house clean but it’s important to keep your office clean as well.

It works if you hold a brief meeting regarding this topic once a month. It is necessary that the program you have drafted for this training progresses by offering more thorough instructions as time passes on.

These training meetings should also have test runs done to see how your employees act in an emergency, or when another colleague needs assistance. The best part about this is that your employees will not spend precious minutes wondering what they need to do to get to safety, ensuring that things run smoothly and in a productive manner.

Always Review

There is always room for improvement. Here safety programs are no exception. Managers and business owners will always commit to a consistent pattern and review all safety and emergency plans. This should take place at least once a year, owing also to the fact that most safety equipment require to be updated in 12 months’ time.
You should not stop yourself from constantly addressing and at the same time redefining the needs of your company, as they may evolve or change. A good idea would be to get bulletin boards and suggestion boxes which assist the management is staying on top of environmental hazards and impending shortages in equipment.

 Author Bio:
James Crook is a passionate technology and lifestyle blogger. He loves to get engaged with the readers who are seeking for home, lifestyle, and tech-related information on the internet. Currently associated with NYC moving company All Around Moving which specializes in arranging and assembling services of professional and skilled local movers locally in New York City as well as areas in New Jersey, Connecticut and the Miami Dale area in South Florida for their blog operations. Follow @jamescrook911 for more updates.
General Safety Issues

Workplace Updates that Promote Safety

Your office is your daily sanctuary. Sometimes, you even spend more time in the day in your workplace than inside your own home. And because of that, it’s vital that the environment is safe and less prone to accidents. Unfortunately, not all offices are like that. For a variety of reasons, some companies are not able to maintain a safe and peaceful working space for their employees, and this creates tension within the business. If people feel they’re unsafe while doing their job, they’re more like to decrease their productivity or even quit altogether. And if it leads to that, then down goes the company.

It’s actually not that difficult to maintain a safe work environment. You just have to know what steps to take and which part of the office that need sprucing up. Once you’ve fixed what needs fixing and cleaned what needs cleaning, you’re good to go. For a clearer perspective on the matter, here are workplace updates that promote safety.

Polished Floor

The floor can oftentimes be the cause of many workplace accidents. If it’s too cluttered, people might trip over and break their items. When it’s too wet, some will definitely slip and lead to painful injuries. A clean and well-polished floor is a surefire way to ensure safety in the workplace. Brush off any dust, polish with some wax, take out a few unnecessary objects lying around, and it’ll be as good as new. In fact, another way to maintain the floor is to cover them with anti-fatigue mats. Not only will they be easier to clean, but it’ll also be relaxing for your employees and can improve overall productivity.

Wider Spaces

Sometimes, a mark of an old and run down office is how tight and cluttered it all seems. Desks are too close to each other, there’s no more room on the floor, and objects keep on getting lost. and because of such small spaces, employees will keep bumping into each other or to furniture. If your office is like this, it’s time to upgrade into a more spacious one. There isn’t even much need for a lot of storage furniture as a lot of files can now be digital. As for the desks? The sleeker and simpler, the better. Go for ones that can handle you and your equipment, but are still compact and narrow so that people can still walk around freely in the office.

Better Electrical Wiring

Before even starting your company, check first if the electrical wiring is good. Oftentimes, especially with reused office spaces, the wiring in such areas can be too cluttered and messy. This will be more if you’re planning to upgrade the systems with more modern and state-of-the-art technologies. So before upgrading your gadgets, upgrade the wiring systems first. Make sure it has enough spaces and can handle more electricity, cover up all the wires and systems that need covering up, and you’re all set!

Stable Furniture

Is your furniture in the office stable? Are they sturdy enough to hold all the paper files, computers, and other office supplies? At all the wooden desks and chairs nailed in place, with nothing sharp poking out that might scratch anyone? If not, then you need to upgrade your workplace furniture. Find ones that you’ll be able to store all your work in, whether digital or physical files. For the chairs, choose those that are comfortable and light, but strong enough to hold the employees sitting for hours in a day.

Working Sprinkler Systems

Office fires are more common than you think. While they might not be the big ones that would really make the headlines, small fired within the workplace can still cause considerable damage. To avoid such, make sure you installed sprinkler systems that work well. Put in a smoke detector so that even the slightest whiff of smoke will turn on the sprinklers in no time. Also, ensure that the sprinklers are installed in each and every room, especially ones full of electronics as they’re more likely the most prone to starting fires. This is one of the most important workplace updates you’ll need for your company, to prioritize this well.

Undamaged Door Knobs

Ever carried a whole load of work and then you suddenly crash on a closed door? Or when you’re going to get something inside the supply closet and you realized you’re trapped there? These are just some accidents cause by damaged doorknobs, an often overlooked workplace problem. You’d think that since doors are rarely closed or locked during working hours, there’s no need to update them with working knobs, but this shouldn’t be the case. People can get considerably hurt or even injured when faced with damaged doorknobs. And if there’s a need to evacuate the area, what will happen to those people who aren’t able to open the door fast enough because of such? Fix each and every doorknob in the workplace to ensure a safe environment for your employees.

Your workplace doesn’t have to be dangerous, especially if you upgraded it. And once you do, you’ll find that this newer and better office will do wonders for you and the business altogether!
Back Safety, Ergonomics, General Safety Issues

7 TIPS TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY WITH OFFICE WORK

7 TIPS TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY WITH OFFICE WORK

It’s true that some jobs will generally be riskier than others. However, no matter what kind of job you’re doing, you’ll want to stay safe and healthy. Even seemingly innocuous work environments like offices can come with their own occupational hazards. By being fully aware of them, you can mitigate the health hazard and safety risk to yourself. We spoke with Jessica Chen, who works for a cheap essay writing service and spends most of her day sitting in front of a computer screen. She gave us some useful tips to make it easier to stay safe and healthy at work.

Know your Environment

No matter where you work, you need to learn about your work environment. In an office, you need to learn about everything, from where the cleaning supplies can be found to how to correctly use the copier. Most workplaces will provide training to help people stay safe at work. However, it is still upon you to stay mindful of your environment and watch out for any hazards that might be unfamiliar. If you ever have to deal with anything heavy, you’re going to have to try to keep your back straight.

Stay Relaxed

Believe it or not, one of the positions that puts you at the most risk is sitting. If you sit incorrectly then you may actually suffer from injuries to your neck and back. If you can seek audience with your boss then ask them to buy some ergonomic chairs and desks. This will pay off in a big way for you and your colleagues. As for your sitting, make sure you sit with your hips and shoulders aligned to prevent your back from suffering from undue pressure.

Don’t forget about your Eyes

Your eyes are another part of your body that you shouldn’t neglect. When you sit in front of a computer for a prolonged amount of time, then you are posing some serious safety risks for your eyes. They will suffer from long exposure to the screen. In light of this exposure, you need to take regular breaks in order to give your eyes time to recover. Also, don’t sit close to your screen as that can be detrimental for your eyes. Your best bet is to look away from the screen every 20 or 30 minutes. You should also get some screen covers for your laptop to filter most of the blue light that comes through. Blue light is usually the most harmful part of the light that comes from a computer screen.

Know all the Emergency Protocols of your Workplace

Every workplace has an emergency protocol in place and it is your duty to know everything about it. For starters, you need to know where all the emergency exits are. This doesn’t just apply to the floor on which you work, but also the floors that you don’t frequent as much. This will be useful knowledge when there is some kind of emergency at your place of work, such as a fire. Perhaps the most important factor that could save your life is knowing how to get out of a building in the quickest way. So make sure you don’t miss those fire drills.

Speak up when you have to

If you don’t like the conditions at your place of work, or you feel like the safety has been compromised, then do not hesitate to speak up. It is your boss’s duty to make the workplace as safe as possible, from the structural integrity of the building to the air conditioning. So when the air conditioner isn’t working very well and the office is particularly hot, do not hesitate to tell your boss about it. If you have to go to a ton of supplies to get to the photocopier because it happens to be located in the supply closet, then you’ll have to tell your supervisor about it so they can rectify the issue. If your boss does nothing about it, even after you repeatedly tell them about the appalling conditions at your place of your work, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and let them know.

Be Kind to your Body

Try to take care of your body first before having great expectations of your boss to take care of it. It’s not a good idea to binge on junk food or go to work with a hangover. Working in an office is also likely to make you inactive, which means you will have to exercise daily to keep your body in shape and your energy levels high in order to avoid lethargy. Stay hydrated, watch your nutrition, and don’t overdo the sugar.

Do Breathing Exercises

Work can be quite stressful and, if left unchecked, that stress can affect your health in a negative way. As often as you can, stop what you’re doing and take at least 5 deep and slow breaths to let out the stress. Deep breathing exercises are known to help relax and relieve stress.

Know when to give yourself a Break

It’s tempting to keep going at your work even when your body is throwing out all kinds of protests. It’s not, however, a good idea to go to work when you’re ill. It’s not good for your body and it’s certainly not good for your colleagues’ bodies because they might catch whatever you have. If you’re not feeling so well, ask your boss for a break so you can get better. It’s better to have one person gone with the flu than the whole team.

Know your Rights

As a worker in the United States, you’re entitled to healthy and safe working conditions stipulated to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. By knowing your rights and responsibilities, you’re empowered to ensure that you observe your responsibilities and your employer observes your rights.

About the author

Samantha R. Gilbert has been working as a journalist at an online-publishing agency in New York, USA for 2 years. She is also professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, modern art and education. Meet Samantha on Google+.

 

Ergonomics, Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

INTERESTING OFFICE SAFETY TIPS (GUEST POST)

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Ensuring office safety is a serious thing. As an office is a place housing hundreds to thousands of employees, business owners and managers must consider office safety a high priority. They should create a safe workplace for their employees, implementing safety mandates and ensure a hazard-free office environment. 

Ergonomics

Heard about this term before? For those who have no idea what ergonomics is, it is a science which main concern is between workers and their environment. It looks at how employees do their work and ensure body safety of the employees when doing such work. We can basically say that ergonomics protects and prevents employees from strain and injury. 

In a workplace, for example, an employee must be provided with a desk and a chair that he or she can adjust to her body size. He or she should be able to sit straight and comfortably when working. For the flooring, a special padded rubber mat that absorbs shock is needed if a worker must stand while doing his or her work. These things may seem unimportant but provide protection and prevent casualties in a workplace. 

Housekeeping

It is a normal scene in restaurants and fast-food chains to see cleaners put on warning signs when the floor is wet to prevent accidents. This should be done also in offices where a worker could trip or fall. General housekeeping must be safely done both by directing janitorial crews to clearly mark wet floor areas and in-house electricians to prevent damaged cords out in the open. It is recommended that office cleaning be scheduled when most workers are out of the office. 

Fire Hazards

Fire hazards pose a big danger in the workplace. Professional should regularly check both the computer systems, as well as electrical systems.  Workers should be warned about the dangers of overloading single outlets and using too many extension cords. Offices must run regular fire drills and develop  a fire escape plan for employees. 

Lighting

Employees who spend most of their working time in front of a computer are more prone to getting headaches and eyestrain, sometimes caused by either too much lighting from sun or inadequate light fixtures.  This problem can be avoided by placing computer monitors in appropriate positions. Cornell University Ergonomics Web recommends that the computer be positioned directly in front of the user and the lighting isn’t too bright. To block the sun’s rays, shades should be provided by the company. 

Seating

Many employees develop sciatic pain in their backs and legs from hours of sitting. Our bodies were not designed to be in a seated position for a long time. Workers can avoid this problem by taking several break periods though the day. Employees should stand up and move around the office as much as they are permitted. Aside from using ergonomic chairs, employees can do arm and neck stretching and other simple exercises while in the workplace. 

AUTHOR BIO 

Shiela Flakes works as a Research Associate for help.plagtracker.com. Aside from doing research, she also does writing and editing consultations to many different people. Reach Shiela through her Google+.ele

Ergonomics, Fall Safety, First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

TAMING THE WORKPLACE HAZARDS OF AN OFFICE (GUEST POST)

Sent by Jay Akers, from Safety Services, whose team works diligently writing and preparting safety programs, training, posters, and other safety information.

The average office setting may not seem like a place where accidents ever happen, but the truth is there are few places in which you’ll find as wide a range of ways to sustain an injury. Don’t let a safety hazard catch you off guard by assuming that it won’t happen to you. We’ve put together some ways you can stay safe at work.

Begin by arriving to work safely. It’s not unusual for office hours to begin at very early hours, and the roadways can be dangerous and dense with traffic. Among the thousands of sleepy drivers who just got out of bed, you’ll want to be as alert as possible. Maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of sleep. If you have the option to take public transportation, you can save yourself the trouble altogether.

Some of the most common workplace injuries are the result of slips, trips, and falls. Evaluate the entire work area for possible trips like computer cords, slips like work surfaces that can be slick when wet and falls, especially in the more dimly lit places.

Copy and fax machines, computers, overhead projectors – there are a lot of sources for loose electrical cords in your office. Keep them organized and out of the way. In a situation where there are many cords bundled in the same location, tie them together with a band or twist tie. Try not to position electrical equipment across a walkway from the outlet. If it’s unavoidable, run the cords under a rug. Check your hands to ensure they’re thoroughly dry before handling electrical cords and equipment.

Always use an approved ladder if you need to reach an upper shelving unit. Don’t climb on the shelving or create makeshift ladders (such as stacked boxes or an office chair). Stock the shelves with larger, heavier items on the bottom to address the risk of items falling on you. If you can anchor the shelving to the wall behind it, do so.

Watch out for puddles. Large or small, they’re just a slip and a fall waiting to happen. Keep an eye on the break room and the communal water cooler where spilled coffee or water is more likely. Immediately clean up spills, and make sure to put out a sign to let your coworkers know that the floor is wet, if the spill requires a mop.

Keep your office supplies contained and organized. Don’t leave papers lying around on the floor, and maintain smaller items such as pins, paper clips, and rubber bands in a container on your desk. Move items away from the desk’s edge so that you don’t accidentally knock them off.

Office furniture poses threats of its own. Make sure garbage cans are out of the walkways. Filing cabinet drawers left open are a good way to get a nasty gash. Before you sit down, check that your chair (especially if it has rollers) is in position so you don’t take a nasty spill on your rear. When you’re carrying a load down a walkway, ensure that the way ahead is clear and that you can see over the load.

Make sure everyone knows company procedures in the event of a fire, from attacking the fire to evacuation. Locate fire extinguishers in your building and take the time to learn how to use them. Keep in mind that not all fire extinguishers are designed to eliminate the same kind of fire – read labels, get training, and make it a habit to regularly check that the fire extinguishers inspections are up to date. If there isn’t one already, consider assembling a fire safety team in your office that can monitor the environment for potential fire hazards as well as take point in the organization of emergency evacuations.

Your surrounding environment isn’t the only source of safety hazards in an office. Because an office job often involves long periods of sitting, standing, lifting, and repetitive movements, your body is just a hazard waiting to turn against you.

Know your personal physical capacity before you lift or move a load. Get a buddy if it’s beyond that rather than putting your back at risk. Make sure you’re using proper lifting techniques.

Implement appropriate equipment and controls that address individual work requirements. Use anti-fatigue mats for shifts involving a lot of standing, ergonomically designed chairs and computer equipment for working at your desk, and safety gearsuch as gloves or back braces if your day involves a lot of lifting. Remember to mix it up throughout the day – get up, sit down, stretch, and shake your hands out. Try to rotate through different sorts of asks throughout the day so that musculoskeletal injuries don’t have the chance to build.

Stay safe at work by knowing what to watch for and how to disarm hazards before they surface. Your body and your wallet, free from overwhelming medical bills, will thank you.