Safety guidelines to work safe in the office

1. Office Safety
By: John Alvarez
johnsafetyfirst10@yahoo.com

2. What are some of the hazards
in the office?
• Slip, Trip and Falls
• Ergonomic issues
• Electrical cords & equipment
• Hand & powered tools &
equipment
• Fire & evacuation

3. What are some of the hazards
in the office?
• Slips, trips, falls
• Housekeeping
• Office machines (copiers, paper cutters,
shredders, jammed machines)
• Office chemicals
• Furniture/layout

4. Dress for success safely
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing to allow
free movement of hips & to maintain
natural spinal curves.
• Avoid open-toed shoes and sandals,
whenever possible.
• Wear comfortable footwear with a low heel
to reduce leg and back strain & to help
prevent slips and falls.

5. Slips, Trips & Falls
• The #1 cause of office employee injuries!
Slips, Trips and Falls
Unleveled surfaces,
Elevated surfaces - standing on chairs,
falling out of chairs
Wet surfaces.

6. Slips, Trips & Falls
• Don’t run walk slowly
• Report deficient conditions to Maintenance department
• Don’t read, send or write on your phone while walking.
• Watch out for clutter in the floor or hallways
• Watch out for cabinets left open
• Watch out for computer cables, power cords that are under
• your feet.
• Watch out Torn carpet or loose flooring
• Watch out for wet and slippery floors or slippery

7. Slips, Trips & Falls
• Be careful of Ice and slippery surface, wipe your feet
• when you come in the workplace
• Look for spills like beverage in the break room
• if you spill something clean it up immediately

8. Slips, Trips & Falls
• Sitting
• Hold onto chair seats/arms when attempting to sit.
• Never place your feet on top of your desk
• All chair legs must on the floor don’t tilt your chair
backwards
• Don’t stand on a chair to reach something is too dangers
• Use approved step stools & ladders only
• Inspect you r chair for any loose or damage
part if damage tag it and remove it
from service

9. Miss Using Office Tools
• Pounding on a stapler is a bad idea
• Paper cutters
• Over load paper cutters could injure you
• Watch out for the blade can cut your fingers or hand keep out
of your way
• Scissors
• Scissors push pin can hide in clutter in your desk and could
injure you
• Store them separate from other supplies
• Paper
• Can cut you use finger guards, don’t lick the envelopes could
cut your lips or tongue

10. Work Station/Ergonomics
• If don’t fit you could cause and injury in your neck, hands or
eyes
• Adjust the height of your chair so that your forearms are flat
on your work surface at 90-120 degrees
• Better support you have on your back and thighs the last
chance of you getting injure your knees should be the same
height of your hips.
• Your feet should be flat on the floor after you sit in the chair if
they are dangling then you need a foot rest for proper support
• Keyboard should be flat it will help of you getting carpal
tunnel syndrome, you might need to raise you chair

12. Computer vision syndrome
• When working on a computer your eyes
blink half of twice as you should make a
habit to blink more or use eye drops
if your eyes get really dry.
• Another way to get the strain of your eyes and of you
neck and shoulders is to position your computer monitor
correctly.
• Should be 16-27 inches away from you the top of the
screen should be at 5-20 degrees below your eye level

13. Computer vision syndrome
• Clean the screen of your monitor electrical charge attracts
dust the images get harder to see.
• Power down your monitor and use wipes specifically to clean
computer screens your eyes will appreciate it .
• Take occasion breaks of looking at the screen switch to
different task like filling

14. Lighting:
• Areas that are not lit adequately, or are lit too
much, can cause headache, strain, and fatigue.
• Color plays a big role in eye fatigue.
• Use adjustable task lighting for tasks that require
greater illumination.
• Get regular eye exams…let your eye doc know if
you are working at a computer!

15. Electric power tools
• Can be dangerous keep clear of any moving parts don’t
remove any guards or open any access panels when the
machine is running
• Loose clothing hair or jewelry could get caught if you are
careless
• The lamps of copy machines could cause damage to your
eyes keep the document cover down when the machine
is operating or look away and close your eyes.

16. Electric power tools
• Toner cartridges
• The liquid can irritate your skin or eyes handle them
carefully
• If on hands wash your hands right away
• Fray or bad cord could give you a severe shock or even
start a fire
• Check the wires on your equipment you use if you
discover any problems don’t plug them in take the
equipment out of service and call repair person.
• Over loading an outlet could can over heat the wires
inside the wall causing and electrical fire
• Avoid overloading

17. Furniture Safety:
• Chairs should remain squarely on the floor.
• Casters on all chairs should be secured and all parts of the
chair should be sturdy & should not present a hazard to the
user.
• Close drawers when not in use.
• Open drawers slowly and carefully.
• Avoid overloading filing cabinets, and distribute
the weight of materials stored in cabinet to avoid tipping.
• Furniture should be selected and maintained without sharp
edges, points, or burrs.

18. Good posture is essential to
your health & safety!
• 3 natural curves.
• Seated posture puts lots of strain on
your body!
• Exaggerated curves are bad.
• Stretch frequently.
• Maintain or build strength.

19. Office supplies
• Picking up and moving office supplies, stacking material on
shelves and filing
• Lifting the wrong way can hurt your back
• Think before you lift if to heavy ask for help when lifting get
close to the object and bend at your knees keep your back
straight and lift with your legs.
• When placing it down bend at your knees and lower it down
keeping your back straight.

20. Office supplies
• Placing heavy objects on top of the shelves could make the
shelf to tip over and might fall or collapse on you or your
coworker can seriously get hurt.
• Start loading the bottom shelves first and then work your way
up don’t overload any shelf and never put heavy items in
upper shelves the same goes when filing.
• Don’t open two or more drawers at once because they could
tip over
• Never leave drawers open they could cause someone to trip
and fall

21. Fire Safety
• Offices are loaded with flammable materials like paper, plastic
and furniture and carpeting they could burn.
• THERE ARE ABOUT 800,000 fires on commercial building every
year.
• Don’t let paper or boxes in front of electrical connections and
take care when using flammable liquids and aerosols.
• Keep flammable materials store and away from any sparks
smoke only in designated areas dispose of cigarettes butts and
matches properly so they don’t ignite.

22. Fire Safety
• In case of a fire follow the company evacuation plan make
sure where you two nearest exits are, just in case one of the
route is block
• If you hear a fire alarm proceed to exit the building
immediately walk don’t run
• Never use an elevator
• Once outside go to the evacuation assembly area

23. Office Safety
• Remember you could work safer in your office if you pay
attention to the risks and take steps to avoid them.