Are You Aware About These 5 Hidden Dangers In Your Office?

When people go to work in their office spaces each day, they assume that their day will be mostly uneventful and very predictable.

Office workers have routines that their roles revolve around, and they believe the risk to their health is minimal compared to construction workers or members of the armed forces, for instance.

The truth is that many offices harbour hidden dangers – ones that people seldom realise even if they’re staring them in the face! If you’re a business owner, you have a legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety and security of your employees.

To that end, it’s worth checking that the following top five hidden dangers don’t exist at your offices:

1. Dodgy Desks And Sore Seating

One hidden danger that is actually in plain sight relates to where people sit in your office. If you’ve got cheap and nasty desks and seats, you aren’t doing your staff – or rather their bodies – any favours.

A simple way to determine whether you need to throw your desks and seats into a skip is by surveying your staff and asking them whether their seating arrangements cause them any pain. If the majority answer is yes, now’s the time to invest in ergonomic furniture.

2. Air Pollution

Your office space needs fresh air to help people work productively and minimise workplace sickness. You might not know it’s there, but pollutants like mould and chemical exposure can cause respiratory problems in your teams.

Check that your offices aren’t unknowingly polluting the air and ensure there is sufficient ventilation. In other words:

• Keep all walls and surfaces clean;
• Open some windows (or install air conditioning); and
• Store and seal any chemicals safely.

3. Asbestos

Office buildings constructed during certain periods might contain asbestos. Could the building materials used during the construction of your offices contain asbestos? If so, you must get them checked out to be sure.

Should the news be bad, it’s worth knowing that asbestos won’t harm people if it’s undisturbed. However, any disturbed asbestos should get removed by an asbestos removal firm.

After the inspection, the company will label any areas that contain asbestos so you avoid disturbing the material.

4. Overloaded Electrical Sockets

Something that many folks are guilty of doing at home is overloading electrical sockets by using extension boards. It’s sadly an issue that follows people into the workplace and can be a potential fire hazard.

Are your staff using extension boards under their desks or behind furniture? If so, it’s time to call an electrician and have them install additional wall sockets that safely distribute the extra power required by your equipment and gadgets.

5. Toxic People

Last but not least, toxic people – individuals who are mostly negative about everything – can impact your teams and even the productivity of your business.

Put simply, if folks aren’t happy at work, they won’t do their best at work and will hate having to work for you. Unsurprisingly, such toxicity can harm people’s mental health, so you must address such issues quickly and effectively.

 

*This is a collaborative post.