Rick Barton, CSP, ARM September 12, 2016 5 min read

Office Safety: Is There Really a Risk?

Do you ever see a utility worker on top of a telephone pole or a construction worker balancing on a steel beam high above you, and think that you could never work in such hazardous conditions? While those workers do have more dangerous jobs than you, they may actually be safer than you are in the office.

hazards in the office

This is because of their awareness of the hazards that come with the job and their knowledge of the safety procedures that they must follow. It is this safety awareness that is their best defense against accidents. On the other hand, many office workers can’t see why they should be concerned with safety at all.

However, there are plenty of hazards in an office setting. It is true that office accidents seem less severe than those that occur in a manufacturing plant or among construction workers, but they can be just as painful and just as much of a financial setback to the injured worker.

Office Hazards

Slip and fall accidents account for the majority of disabling injuries in the office. Common causes include:

Walking on slippery floors or uneven surfaces, especially when wearing high heels.
Going up or down stairs and not using the handrail.
Using chairs with casters that may roll away from you when you try to sit on them, lean back too far, or lean forward to pick up something off the floor.

Poor housekeeping and floors littered with tangled cords, discarded papers, spilled liquids and small items such as paper clips can also cause slips and falls. Always keep the area around you free from debris or other items that do not belong on the floor, and clean up any spills or messes as soon as you discover them.

Office machines also cause their share of accidents. Electric machines should always be unplugged when being cleaned and they should not be used if any sparking or smoking occurs.

Carrying supplies to and from the storeroom can be dangerous if done incorrectly. Be sure that the pile is light enough to handle easily and low enough to see over. If lifting a heavy box, bend your knees and lift with your legs, and ask a co-worker for help if it is too heavy to handle alone.

Desks and file cabinets present special hazards. Drawers should have safety stops to prevent the contents and drawer from tumbling onto the user, and drawers should be closed when you’re finished with them. It’s easy to trip over or bump into an open drawer or cabinet.

Be Prepared!

Look around the office and identify the possible safety hazards. If you find any hazards that you think need attention, talk to your supervisor. If you develop a safety conscious attitude, you can become aware of office hazards and take the appropriate precautions to avoid them.

Rick Barton, CSP, ARM

Rick has over 20 years of experience in safety and risk control, working with clients in many industries including Construction, Mining, Trucking, Manufacturing, and Hospitality. He specializes in assessing risk for the clients of Hausmann Group to reduce loss potential. Through safety assessments and loss analysis, Rick develops solutions which include safety management techniques, training, and engineering. Additionally, he has been asked to speak at local and national safety conferences on topics such as "How to Manage Safety on a Jobsite", and "What it takes to be a Safety Leader”. Rick is an Authorized Instructor of OSHA Regulations Construction and General Industry Regulations. He is an active member of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA), Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), the Wisconsin chapter of The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), and the Association of General Contractors (AGC). He is also on the Advisory Board of the Safety Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Rick is an avid boater and enjoys sharing time on the water with family and friends. His children are spread across 4 U.S. states and Japan, so he and his wife are often traveling to visit them. He also has attended more than 150 games in the last 15 years to see his beloved Green Bay Packers play.