Office Safety

Although generally the office is a safe place to work, accidents can and do happen.

Familiarise yourself with emergency procedures, know how to evacuate the building, know the fire drill etc.

Prevent unnecessary risk from fire by ensuring all unused packaging materials are removed from the office area. Do not store large quantities of flammable liquids in the office (cleaning fluids etc.) and ensure that wastepaper is removed regularly.

Avoid unnecessary tripping hazards (telephone, computers cables etc.).

Remember to lift or carry heavy items correctly, get help if necessary.

Do not place heavy items in positions where retrieval might cause injury, and never allow heavy items to be stored in positions where they put others at risk should they fall.

Ensure that you are correctly positioned for work at a display screen. This is applicable to both your physical position and to ensure that reflections do not cause eye strain.

Make sure that the ambient noise level is not too great and that lighting levels are adequate.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

Personnel using Display Screens should ensure that they are correctly positioned both physically and visually. They should also adopt a work pattern, which allows frequent breaks away from the screen. They are also entitled to an eyesight test on request.