Business owners and managers have many responsibilities. There are responsibilities to please customers, create accurate accounting records for the IRS, deliver profits to shareholders and more. However, the most important responsibility of any employer is to provide a safe and secure work environment for employees. Not doing so can be disastrous. If you think your employees are safe just because they work in an office, you are incorrect. Office injuries are more common than you may think. If you want to prevent them, you need to take action. Below are four safety tips for cleaning up office accidents.
Be Aware of Repetitive Motion Injuries
Not every serious office injury occurs in one dramatic incident. Instead, certain injuries slowly develop over time. This includes repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. If you want to prevent these injuries from developing, make sure employee tasks are varied enough. It may be dangerous, for example, to have employees typing for hours on end.
Put up Caution Signs When and Where Needed
The floor of an office has to be cleaned to retain a productive and safe workspace. However, the cleaning itself can lead to danger if someone were to slip and fall on a wet floor. This is one of the most common and dangerous workplace injuries. Make sure you place yellow caution signs on floors anytime they are wet to alert employees of the danger.
Be Careful with Shelves and Stacked Objects
Another common workplace injury occurs when a heavy object falls onto an employee from above. Make sure this does not happen in your office. Do not stack objects on top of each other above five feet off the ground. Make sure objects placed on shelves are secure, and the shelves themselves are study. Be even more careful if your office is near a fault line that could experience and earthquake.
Fire Safety
A fire in the building is another serious danger that could occur at any time. If one occurs, your employees need to know how to safely and quickly evacuate the building. This requires training and having fire exits clearly marked. Preventing fires takes more work including inspecting the office for fire hazards. This is especially the case for cords, outlets and your office’s entire electrical system.
Timely
If an accident or spill happens in your office then cleaning up the mess in a timely manner can mean all the difference. Leaving a mess, like broken glass, can lead to injuries and possible issues with increased accidents or injuries at work. Calling a company like Ken Caryl Glass, Inc. can be a smart route to go for your replacement needs after fixing up messes in the office. Things like spills or clutter can really make the workplace a more dangerous area and a liability for owners and employees alike.
As a business owner or office manager, your number one priority should be ensuring that your employees have a safe work environment. This means taking precautions to prevent accidents. It also means removing hazards from the office as they appear. Take this responsibility seriously.