Office Health & Safety Checklist Considerations

Key Considerations for Your Office Safety Checklist 2020/21

There are many important health and safety checks to complete in an office. This includes conducting a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and implementing solutions. If an organisation can do this, they will ensure the safety of all staff and visitors in their office.

Risk assessments can be carried out by employers, or by an independent third-party, and are the first step towards creating a safe workplace whatever industry your organisation is in. It doesn’t matter who conducts your office’s risk assessment but there are a few important factors to check.

1. Fire Safety

There are two questions to consider when assessing fire risks in your office:

What procedures are in place to prevent a fire from occurring and/or escalating?
What measures are there to help employees get out of the building in event of a fire?

To put in place procedures to prevent a fire from occurring or escalating, you first need to identify fire hazards during a risk assessment. Hazards could be electrical equipment overheating, ovens in office kitchens, and fuel sources like paper or other packaging that catch alight and spread fire easily. Once all of these risks are spotted, it’s time to plan how to stop them from being the source of a fire in your office.

Common Fire Hazards and Considerations

Overheated Electrical Equipment

When equipment is not in use, switch it off at the plug socket. Ensure water is kept away from electrical equipment and monitor it throughout the day. This means listening for any whirring sounds coming from electrical devices, checking if your equipment is hot to touch, and noticing the smell of burning.

Unclear Fire Exit Signs

If a fire occurs in your office, everyone inside the building needs to be able to leave quickly and safely. Install fire exit signs that are easily identifiable and inform your staff of all fire exits. It’s also a good idea to run an annual fire drill so everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. You could also ask guests and staff to sign in to give you a record of who is inside the building, which allows you to check if everyone has left your office if there is a fire.

Potential Fuel Sources

Every fire has to start somewhere, these fire sources are all risks that need to be mitigated against. Cardboard, paper, packaging, and textiles are all materials that need to be monitored to avoid a fire starting. Ensure there are safe places to store these materials where there isn’t a chance of ignition occurring, for example, in a cabinet away from electrical equipment.

Common Floor Hazards and Considerations

Tripping Hazards

Any loose cables, carpets, rugs, or doormats must be identified in your risk assessment. From there, you can ensure these objects are no longer a hazard to staff. You could tie cables together and remove them from high-traffic areas, while for loose floor mats you will need to secure them to the ground.

Other tripping hazards such as objects in doorways and high-foot traffic areas are simple to deal with. Remove the blockage and place the objects in a safe place where people will not trip over them, against a wall away from doorways for example. Uneven walkways, steps, and ramps may need to be rebuilt if they are uneven and unsafe. However, clear signs warning people of steps and ramps are a good way to alert people and reduce the number of accidents.

Wet Floors

One of the main reasons for water on floors is when they’ve been cleaned. To prevent them from becoming use clear signage to warn staff and potentially cordon off the area until it’s safe to walk on.

Another common reason for wet floors is spillages. The solution to this is to make all employees aware they need to clean up after themselves. Although this may seem obvious, it’s important to encourage good habits and for employees to clean thoroughly not partially.

For example, if someone spills tea, water, or soup on the floor they need to deal with it straight away and ensure all slipping hazards are removed. Potentially they may need to place a wet floor sign next to the area after they’ve done this.

Finally, outdoor debris is a big slipping hazard especially in winter months when rain, snow, and leaves can be spread across the floor. To avoid this make staff aware that they should wipe their shoes on a doormat as soon as they enter the office. It may also be necessary to clean the floor spaces in front of an entrance to remove any outdoor debris.

Inadequate Lighting

Many people believe poor lighting is a tripping hazard when there is an object involved too. However, an area in an office that has bad lighting can cause people to trip by itself. If someone can’t see where they’re going, they’re more likely to fall. Once you’ve spotted an area with poor lighting, install new lights, or remove any objects blocking sources of light.

2. Floor Hazards

One of the most common risks offices face is floor hazards that cause staff to slip, trip, or fall. A study by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found they accounted for an estimated 31% of workplace injuries. Although they’re common, these accidents are preventable and are often a result of an untidy workplace.

Here some of the floor hazards that can cause staff to injure themselves:

Mud, leaves, or other outdoor debris that has been spread across the floor by shoes.
Wet floors, from cleaning or spillages, that are not clearly signed or cordoned off.
Loose doormats, rugs, or carpets.
Uneven walkways, steps, and ramps.
Poor or inadequate lighting.
Objects in doorways and high-foot traffic areas.
Loose cables from electrical equipment.

3. Electrical Safety

In any office, there are going to be many electrical devices, such as computers, phone systems, and kitchen appliances. Even when staff are not working with electricity as a direct part of their roles, using electrical equipment can still pose risks. For example, if someone spills water on electrical cables this can be very dangerous, so always ensure fluids are kept away from the equipment.

Here are some ways to ensure employees’ safety when they’re using electrical devices:

Good Practices for Electrical Safety

Replace Damaged Equipment or Cables

If your equipment is damaged this could cause an electric shock, which could seriously injure a member of staff. Exposed wiring, such as fraying cables, are also an example of an electric shock hazard.

To avoid these hazards, it’s vital to regularly maintain equipment to ensure it’s in working order. This includes cables and wiring, which when damaged, can cause harm to staff.

Prevent Equipment From Overheating

There are many reasons why electrical devices overheat, they could be old, have an internal issue, or are not being switched off at the close of business. If you notice signs of equipment overheating, such as the device being hot or the smell of burning, switch it off immediately. Once it has cooled off you can identify the issue so it doesn’t escalate and hurt someone.

Overloading plug sockets and extension cables are another reason for overheating. For example, do not plug an extension cable into another as this could overload the electrical supply. Just like with equipment, monitor plug sockets for signs of overheating and be careful when plugging and unplugging devices.

Potential Fuel Sources

Every fire has to start somewhere, these fire sources are all risks that need to be mitigated against. Cardboard, paper, packaging, and textiles are all materials that need to be monitored to avoid a fire starting. Ensure there are safe places to store these materials where there isn’t a chance of ignition occurring, for example, in a cabinet away from electrical equipment.

Store Devices Safely

Make sure electrical cables, extension leads, and equipment are stored safely. This protects electrical systems from water exposure which acts as a conductor and could lead to electric shock injuries, but also protects people as they’re less likely to accidentally touch any wires.

Contact Us Today

At SEC Interiors, we have over 20 years of experience in the design and installation of bespoke office interiors and every office design we create has health and safety at its forefront.

The first step of our process is to arrange a consultation where we discuss your requirements, this could be safety features or design details, which allows us to deliver the ideal office fit out for your organisation. To find out more call us on 01438 731990, fill in our enquiry form, or send a message through our Live Chat today.

Key Considerations for Your Office Safety Checklist 2020/21

1. Fire Safety

Common Fire Hazards and Considerations

Common Floor Hazards and Considerations

2. Floor Hazards

3. Electrical Safety

Good Practices for Electrical Safety

Contact Us Today

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Legal

Locations

Our Office Hours

Workplace Health & Safety: Key Considerations

Key Considerations for Your Office Safety Checklist 2020/21

1. Fire Safety

Common Fire Hazards and Considerations

Common Floor Hazards and Considerations

2. Floor Hazards

3. Electrical Safety

Good Practices for Electrical Safety

Contact Us Today

Our links

Legal

Locations

Our Office Hours