Watching out for health and safety is always important, but that’s especially true at the workplace. It can prevent injuries, boost morale and productivity and with the right health and safety regulations the employer can avoid fines and complaints, and also make a good impression on customers and clients. Here are the most important office safety tips for a truly safe, healthy workplace.
Watch your step
To avoid injuries caused by slipping, tripping and falling, you have to keep your workplace clean, clutter-free and dry. Pay extra attention to hallways, storerooms and service rooms. Smart thing you can do is install drains to avoid flooding, and keep floors dry and clean.
Educate workers on how important it is to pick up after themselves, carefully stack boxes, and leave tools and equipment in their proper place. Anyone can easily trip on misplaced things and injure themselves or their co-workers. Make sure electrical cords are properly covered, to avoid tripping and causing shortages.
Always close the drawers
If you work at an office with many cabinets and drawers, always close them to avoid cuts, bruises or falls. Incorrectly stacked and stored supplies are another safety hazard. Pay extra attention to properly stacking tools and heavy equipment. Store heavier tools and equipment closet to the floor and make sure to not overfill shelves and cabinets.
Provide adequate tools and equipment
The importance of right equipment, supplies and tools cannot be stressed enough. Provide your employees with adjustable chairs, movable furniture, and appropriate electronic equipment. Chairs and desks are especially important if your workers spend a lot of time in front of the computer. Getting your employees ergonomic furniture can boost morale and keep them healthy.
For an employer, the expenses of purchasing the right equipment are much smaller than lawsuits, medical bills or loss of productivity, so keep that in mind. If you’re an employee, don’t cheap out on high quality furniture that can save your health. Take little breaks and do some light back and neck stretches.
Pest busters
Clean and pest-free workspace means healthy and satisfied workers, so regular pest control is an absolute must. Termites, ants or rodents are not strangers in the workplace, especially in Gold Coast and the rest of Australia. Experts say pests spread many types of diseases and germs and it can result in many sick-leave days. They can also do material damage to your workspace, especially to your computers and other electric appliances.
There are many methods you can fight pests. For instance, these Gold Coast pest control experts use physical, environmental and biological methods to keep pests under control. So, don’t let pests take over your office, because once the problem gets serious, it can get hard to exterminate them.
Train workers in office health and safety
This is maybe the best thing a responsible employer can do to minimize injuries and maximize health and safety in the workplace. It’s important to train workers on safety and emergency procedures, how to respond in crisis and to get them familiar with evacuation plans. Employees can get trained in identifying safety hazards and irresponsible behavior, so that they can appropriately react in those situations.
It’s important that every person in the workplace knows that they are responsible not only for their safety but for the safety of their colleagues. Put safety in the context of their and the company’s financial gain and point out the losses everyone involved can suffer if safety and health are not taken seriously.
Education on health and safety in the workplace can be beneficial both for the employers and the employees. Safe and healthy work environment means happier workers and less trouble for the employer, so don’t take it for granted. People don’t say “safety first” for nothing.