How to make your office space safe
If you’re an employer or manager, you already understand the importance of safety at your workplace, including in the office.
You can refresh your knowledge and pick up some tips on keeping your staff safe by reading our article.
We’ll take a look at some of the most common hazards and show you what you can do to improve safety in the office.
Common safety hazards in the office
Look around a typical office with a trained eye, and you will be able to identify a number of safety hazards. These include physical things like:
- Badly designed workstations
- A cluttered environment
- Trip hazards
- Poor lighting
- Poor ventilation
You can also find hazards in communal areas like kitchens – for example:
- Badly maintained electrical equipment
- Hot water from kettles or the tap
- Dirty refrigerators and food storage areas
- Food or liquids that have not been cleaned up properly
Safety at work also concerns the things you can’t see, such as:
- The effect of working for long periods of time in front of a computer screen
- Lone working
- Workplace stress
- Bullying
Fortunately, there are lots of actions you can take to identify and reduce or remove these hazards, making the office a safer place to work.
How to improve safety in the office
To improve safety at your workplace, start by knowing or refreshing your understanding of your obligations as an employer. You can do this by studying the Work Health and Safety Act. Its aim is to ensure the health and safety of workers and workplaces.
You can also carry out an office risk assessment. This will involve completing a form with the following details:
- Location of office
- Who works there and may be at risk
- Hazards identified
- The harm they may cause
- The current controls
- Any additional controls needed
You will also need to assess the risks of hazards such as stress and bullying. You can use one or several methods combined to identify these risks – for example:
- Asking staff to complete a survey to describe their experiences – this can be made anonymous
- Forming a focus group to investigate and prioritise the health and wellbeing of employees
- Getting an external consultant to perform an assessment
Examples of making the office safer
Once you’ve carried out your assessment, you can get started on making your office a safer place to work. Let’s look at some examples of how you can do this.
Combatting clutter
If your risk assessment has identified a cluttered workplace, here’s what you can do:
- Make sure cables are secure and are away from aisles and walkways.
- Ensure that shelves and cupboards aren’t overloaded with items.
- Create an additional storage area to move clutter out of the office.
- Rearrange the office furniture to create more space.
- Consider using smaller workstations to free up space.
Tackling stress
When employees can’t keep up with the demands of work, it’s inevitable that they will feel stressed. This impacts on staff retention, productivity and wellbeing. Here’s what you can do to combat stress in the workplace:
- Help employees recognise the signs of stress.
- Offer relaxation and wellbeing sessions at work.
- Make sure your staff take the breaks they are entitled to.
- Review the goals set for your team.
- Encourage flexible working.
- Set up a workplace recognition programme so staff feel valued.
First aid to the rescue
Maybe you’ve carried out a staff survey and found that no one is trained in basic first aid. What can you do to make the office safer? Let’s take a look:
- Book first aid training for all staff.
- Ensure that first aid training is refreshed on a regular basis.
- Appoint a first aid leader from your staff. They can take responsibility for coordinating training and encouraging staff to practise their skills. They can also put together a first aid kit office checklist to ensure supplies are refreshed.
- Make sure you have a first aid kit at the office. A wall-mounted kit is a great option, as it’s easy to find and access. Or, you could opt for a portable first aid kit with a handle, making it easy to grab and take to a different location in your building.
- You should also check that your first aid kit for the office has contents that are topped up regularly. You can do this easily by selecting items from our first aid supplies collection.
Creating a safe environment for your staff
As you can see, making your office space safe covers a wide range of areas. Hazards range from emotional stress through to poorly designed workspaces that may cause accidents.
At MediBC, our mission is to help you live, work and play more safely. As one of Australia’s premier suppliers of first aid kits, we can help you create a safe and pleasant environment for your staff.
Browse our collection of quality first aid kits in a variety of sizes to find one that’s perfect for your office – big or small!
Office & Workplace First Aid Kits
From small offices to multi-floor warehouses, our compliant kits cover every workplace risk.
