Employees: Staying Safe in the Workplace
It’s not just construction workers who are at risk of injuring themselves at work. You’re just as likely to slip on the office floor as you are on scaffolding at a building site. Whether it’s down to poor health and safety procedures, a spilled glass of water or simply some rogue carpeting; it’s always best to practice vigilance in staying safe at work.
Office Safety
Working in a business environment is much like working from home; your dangers will be everyday household objects that you won’t necessarily think to consider. The biggest causes of personal injury in an office environment are slips and trips.
Keep an eye out for liquid on the floor. Pay careful attention when you’re getting yourself some water from the fountain and particularly in the bathroom. The ceramic and linoleum floors in office toilets can be extremely slippy with even the slightest moisture. Your employers will undoubtedly be vigilant with the correct signage if they’re cleaning, but it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to identify every spillage in the office.
As for trips, you want to be on the lookout for scuffed flooring. Carpeting can begin to curl and roll after wear, and you may find it sticking up where one piece meets another. You’ll most likely find this on stairs and in thresholds between rooms.
Electrical Risks
Most companies will have this issue tied down, as it’s both common and extremely dangerous. Make sure that you’re only using appliances which have been tested and stamped or stickered with a ‘Pass’ grade by an auditing company. However, don’t take for granted that this means there can’t be an accident. Frayed wires or loose sockets should be reported and avoided, if you ever ‘hear’ a spark when you’re manoeuvring wire or plugging something in, err on the side of caution.
Awareness
A lot of the time, accidents happen through complacency and awareness. If you’ve worked in the same office for five, ten, twenty years; then you’re probably not expecting to hurt yourself. Even if you feel that you can do the walk from your desk to the photocopier with your eyes closed, you need to keep aware that things may have changed. A new installation or a box of papers left out can easily cause a dangerous trip hazard.
Byline: This article has been written by Thompsons Scotland, accident claim solicitors & injury lawyers who offer specialist legal advice for injury compensation claims.
Employees: Staying Safe In The Workplace
