The workplace can be a minefield of obstacles and potentially dangerous hazards, causing the potential risk of an accident while people are at work to be higher than you may anticipate. Even a simple task such as sitting at a desk and typing on a computer can cause or contribute towards problems, including eye strain, back and neck problems, wrist and hand pain, if your desk and computer are not setup correctly for you specifically.
So what are the most common accidents in an office, and how do you prevent them from happening?
Slips, trips and falls
The most common accident in offices are slips, trips and falls. These are often caused by wet floors, loose wires and carpets, desks and tripping over open draws, with inadequate lighting also contributing to accidents too.
Having a slip, trip or fall at work can cause a serious and unnecessary injury, that can be prevented. With the risk of tripping being two and a half times greater in the office workplace than any other workplace, it is essential to keep any cause of an accident to a minimum.
If there are loose wires of any kind then these should be addressed immediately, especially if they are also electrical wires. Tidy them or fix them to a wall; otherwise, if someone was to trip over them this could result in accidents severe enough to warrant a hospital admission, with a potentially life-changing injury.
If there is carpet in an office that is fraying or is coming away from the floor this could cause a trip hazard, and again can cause a serious injury, especially if people are in a hurry and not looking where they are going. In a rush, people can easily get their foot caught under the carpet that is lifting up and fall.
If the floors are wet then it is essential to put up a yellow board stating there is a wet floor, to help make employees aware of the risk hazard and to help prevent people from slipping and falling.
Lifting, straining and twisting
The one scenario we all know we should do correctly and should be more aware of is lifting objects. No matter if they are heavy objects or light, we all tend to bend our backs and pick an object up instead of bending our knees and keeping our back straight, which is where the problems start.
Never be afraid to ask for help from a co-worker if you feel the load you are lifting is too heavy. The same is said for straining. If items are piled too high and you are trying to pull out what you need then you could strain yourself. To avoid this, make sure there is adequate storage for all items required in the office and that objects aren’t piled too high, as this can result in objects toppling over and causing head injuries.
We all have a tendency to become more stationary than we should do at work, with swivel chairs with wheels and this can make us more prone to twist and overstretch to get something instead of standing up and moving to reach your object. This can cause injuries with pulled muscles and strains to our backs and necks especially.
For more information and training on health and safety and preventing workplace accidents please take a look at our IOSH Managing Safely courses, as well as the other health and safety courses we currently offer.