Common workplace hazards in the office
The physical workplace hazards are often obvious, for example, a box of stationery left on the floor in a walkway poses a trip hazard, or a wet floor cleaned after coffee was spilled on it presents a risk of slipping.
While employees may not lift heavy objects or operate machinery on a daily basis when they work in an office, it may still be something they come across during their working week, month or year. In many situations, injury may occur due to something innocuous, such as an employee trying to be helpful by moving something out of the way for another employee. Still, the act can cause injury.
There are many other physical workplace hazards that are being identified by work health and safety experts as they arise over time.
For example, the ergonomics of an employee’s workstation can lead to repetitive strain injury. If the employee’s chair, computer, keyboard and mouse are set up in the wrong position for the employee, who then uses this equipment repeatedly during the day, it can cause wrist, shoulder or back pain and injury.
If the employee sits at their desk for long periods of time without movement, health issues such as deep vein thrombosis can develop. This kind of sedentary work over time has also been found to lead to longer-term health issues, ranging from heart disease to diabetes.
Eye strain is an emerging issue, caused by poor lighting, glare or continued use of a computer screen. In some cases, it can lead to health issues such as glaucoma.
Other hazards may be emotional as well as physical. For example, bullying, harassment and violence unfortunately can occur in any workplace and can cause long-term psychological and physical effects on employees who are victims.
Stress is another emotional issue that can have long-term consequences, including those that become physical. Stress may be caused by having to deal with a difficult workload, whether it is over a sustained period or not, long hours, job insecurity, or conflict with colleagues and managers. Symptoms may include a decline in an employee’s performance, depression, anxiety and headaches, which can be felt immediately or lead to long-term health issues.
Why it is important for employers to reduce hazards in the office
Every employer knows that when an employee is injured, they cannot perform to the best of their ability. It may even cause them to be absent. When the injury is not obvious or the effects are not apparent until long after the employee has left the organisation, for example in heart disease, employers may not feel as inclined to act, as their employee’s performance is not immediately affected.
However, employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their employees – physically and emotionally – while they are at work. Each state has different work health and safety laws and a regulator that enforces them.
At the least, being a proactive employer who addresses what may seem to be minor or imperceptible workplace hazards will improve employee morale and retention, which can help save costs to the business in other ways.
How employers can prevent hazards
Every employer should have a workplace health and safety policy that outlines expected behaviours of employees as well as any rules, instructions and procedures that may apply to them. Employees should be provided with the policy when they start work at the organisation, and be reminded of it regularly during their employment, especially when it is updated. If unsure on how to draft a policy, employers can access templates through their state’s work health and safety regulator.
Investing in new workstations for employees may be a significant upfront cost that employers have to bear, but it will pay off for their workers long-term. For example, sit-stand workstations have become available lately, and employees can use these to bring movement into their day while performing their role. Providing each staff member with a headset to use when talking on the telephone may not be as substantial a cost to the employer but it can significantly help prevent neck injuries.
However, there are other ways to immediately provide movement to those with a sedentary job in the office. Walking meetings, encouraging staff to take regular breaks away from their computers and their desks, and implementing a workplace culture in which staff get up and talk to each other rather than emailing are all free methods that employers can implement to reduce workplace hazards. Furthermore, these activities can reduce the risk of eye strain.
To minimise the risk of injury by lifting objects, employers can designate certain staff to the tasks, such as a delivery person trained in appropriate lifting techniques or who may have access to appropriate equipment to do so. Ensuring staff are aware of the location of equipment, such as trolleys, and making it accessible to them is a simple measure that employers can take to reduce the risk of injury. Providing building access to external workers, such as allowing a courier into the office, can prevent employees from being put in a situation where they need to move things themselves.
To deal with stress, having a work environment in which open communication is encouraged is the first step, so employees feel comfortable addressing issues related to workload or long hours when they arise. However, other measures such as ensuring employees are trained appropriately for the work they are performing, addressing employee grievances when they arise, and providing access to counselling services can also help.
A workplace health and safety consultant can advise on measures that employers can take to improve safety in the workplace, from conducting individual assessments of employees’ workstations to implementing a code of behaviour. Employers may not need to employ a permanent human resources officer, but depending on the size of the workforce and the hazards being experienced, even a part-time HR employee may be useful.
Employers should also consult their employees regularly to determine the types of hazards that exist, if new hazards have arisen, and to get their input and feedback on measures to avoid workplace hazards in future. Holding regular health and safety training programs and information sessions, whether in person or online, can be a good way for employers to keep their employees up to date on recurring and emerging hazards as well as provide an opportunity for them to raise issues or seek clarification.
What to do when office workers work from home
Whether an employee works from home full-time or part-time, work health and safety laws still apply and employers are still required to ensure they are not exposed to workplace hazards.
Employers may need to provide staff with ergonomic equipment, or allow them to borrow it, to use in their home office. For example, a headset or an appropriate office chair can be provided. Increased communication may need to occur to ensure staff take regular breaks. For example, managers may need to specifically remind staff to take regular breaks, as their employees are working in an unsupervised environment and do not have other colleagues modelling this behaviour in front of them.
It may be necessary for an employer or an HR representative to inspect the worker’s home working environment to ensure it meets health and safety requirements, either in person or by using photos or video. In most cases, an inspection will not be required, but employers should still provide guidance, or even require employees to complete a workstation and health and safety checklist to ensure employees meet their work health and safety obligations.
A safe work environment will benefit employers as much as employees and ensure the business operates at its highest level.
