Let’s face it. Working in an office is pretty safe. If your employees stay all day behind a computer or glued to a telephone, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for disabling injuries. Nevertheless, day after day office accidents happen, office workers lose days to workplace injuries and employers find themselves slapped with compensation claims!
In fact, the latest statistics from Labour Force Survey show 4.5 million working days were lost in 2015/16 due to workplace injury that excludes the 25.9 million days lost due to work-related illness. On average, each person suffering took around 7.2 days off for injuries.
Here is our 6 Top Tips for you to share with your employees today – print them out, put them on the wall of the staff room or send out as an email as a gentle reminder!
Remember – by keeping your workforce safe you are minimising staff sickness and ultimately increasing productivity with your office fully staffed plus reducing worker’s compensation claims against injury at work!
Top Tip 1 – LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING
It seems like a no-brainer to watch your step while moving through the office. Still, how many times has an engaging conversation grasped your attention just well enough to send you stumbling over a curb? How many times have you tripped over an office chair while reading a memo fresh off the printer?
Top Tip 2 – CLOSE THAT DESK DRAW
You might be in the middle of a project where it’s easier to leave the bottom drawer open while you shuttle between the file cabinet and your desk. The problem is another person may try to walk where that drawer is and trip.
Top Tip 3 – USE A LADDER
In an office – especially if you aren’t that tall – some things are out of reach. Your office chair, however, is almost never one of those things. You don’t have to walk across the office. You don’t have to ask someone to unlock a supply closet.
Top Tip 4 – SIT UP STRAIGHT
In an office environment, so much work happens while sitting, your office chair starts to feel like an extension of your person. You might bend, stretch and twist your body into contortions to reach things pens, pencils or coffee without ever lifting your bottom from its seat. You might spin and twirl and whizz across the floor to reach the filing cabinet.
Top Tip 5 – YOU’RE NOT AT HOME
Whether you run a tidy house at home or not, it is often easy to forget to tidy up after yourself at work. But realistically, this is the most important place to be tidy as it isn’t just about housekeeping and keeping things looking nice. It is also about keeping the workplace safe. Don’t leave things lying around on the ground, and clean up messes – especially liquid spills right away. Falls are the second deadliest type of workplace accident and have a profound impact on people’s lives and the business. Most falls are caused by somebody slipping on liquid or tripping over something so be mindful of hazards and aware of how to avoid them.
Top Tip 6 – BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN COMPUTER CLEANLINESS
Did you know that your keyboard and mouse are likely to be 20000 times dirtier than your toilet seat! So if you are worried about falling ill, wash your hands. You can clean your keyboard and mouse with antibacterial wipes and be sure to tip your keyboard upside down to remove debris.
You can get more information on how to keep your employers safe by downloading the HSE Brochure here.
About EndeavourUK
We are a UK-based Training Company focused on delivering bespoke Safety Solutions to a variety of different Industry Sectors. Our Accredited Training is delivered by engaging and knowledgeable team of consultants from the Security, Health & Safety, and Employability environment.
Talk to us today about how we can deliver a tailored Safety Solution for your business taking into account UK Legislation, Company requirements and your budget!