Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and Arcata California)
According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), most general industry incidents involve slips, trips, and falls.
We’ve all had our clumsy spills in the office, but it’s important to understand that cleaning a spill is serious business. It may be tempting to leave the small spill for the janitor to find, but that small spill could lead to a major slip and fall injury.
According to the National Safety Council (2011), “research finds that ‘fall from the same level injury’ is one of the highest injury causes” in the workplace.
Stay proactive at the office
Always clean up spills that you see, even if it wasn’t
your fault. Stay proactive, clean all spills immediately, and
post proper hazard signs on wet surfaces that are being cleaned to prevent
slips.
Also, be mindful that not all slips will come from spilt beverages, so
it is important to keep an eye out for them while you walk around the office.
For example, wet floors from rain, exposed cords, unstable work
surfaces, uneven floors, loose rugs, cluttered areas, or even dusty areas may
cause employees to slip and injure themselves.
To prevent tripping, be sure not to allow any
clutter (like boxes) to enter any walking paths of the office. Be sure that all
tripping hazards like phone or electrical cables are properly installed and
tucked away.
Make
sure your HR Department has an office safety plan
OSHA mandates that employers shall provide a training program
for each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards, so make
sure your Human Resources department has developed an office safety plan.
Every office safety plan should be reviewed annually and updated whenever changes in procedures or the office environment could create new hazards or impact existing ones.
Additionally, posting reminders near food and drink stations is a great idea.
In conclusion, stay educated.
Stay educated by researching common office safety hazards to help prevent work related injuries. To learn more about work safety issues, visit us at SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.
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