Is your safety at risk at your workplace?

The pragmatic answer lies in the type of industry one works in.

Most people look at industries that are into manufacturing and construction as more susceptible to accidents compared to a typical office job.

This is not exactly true.

Collective studies reveal that office workers are as likely to sustain injuries due to random incidents that can happen to anyone at any time.

The severity of some of these injuries may vary, yet the prognosis is still the same, treatment needs to be doled out to the individual on the receiving end and immediate countermeasures should be placed to avoid further incidents.

Safety regulations at workplaces often serve its purpose in diminishing health hazards, yet it is often left to an individual itself to find the cure.

There is no threshold limit to pain, every fall or trip however small or big can entice physical and emotional damage that can be easily avoided.

Let’s take a closer look at 5 common occupational hazards and remedies to overcome them.

1. Slip, Trips and falls:

The most common workplace-related injury that is mostly due to small hazardous conditions like wet floors, open desk drawers, or some random article lying on the floor.

Falls in workplaces can lead to even more serious consequences due to the height factor.

How do I avoid such situations?

Know your surroundings:

Always keep your eyes open for any anomaly at your workplace, be it a wet floor, objects that are out of place, open drawers, electrical cords and more.

Record incidents:

It is important to report every incident that you find to concerned authorities in order for them to take the required countermeasures. For better efficiency, ditch the traditional paper or spreadsheet based reporting to a digital incident management software.

Brighten up your workspace:

Always make sure that your office space is brightly lit up, making sure every object or path-way is easily visible.

2. Aggressive Behaviour:

Erratic behavior, Mood Swings, arguments or just plain old-fashioned fistfights among workers has sadly become a common sight in the work-place.

We are bound to face pressure in our goal to reach the top of the corporate ladder. Our anxiety turns to stress and sooner or later this continuous influx of stress is bound to burst.

I’m no psychologist, how do I foresee aggressive behavior?

Pay due-diligence to your colleagues; do not hide comments or remarks that pave the way for an impending attack. Read distress signals amongst your workers and report any erratic behavioral pattern to your superiors

Employers’ should encourage a positive work environment, where people come together collectively to synergize all their energy into reaching a common goal.

Sounds perfect, but an ideology that may never pass into fruition in a vastly competitive workplace.

The better option is to learn how to fight stress.

3.Body Postures:

Being still while working on your system, Looks like there’s no harm in it whatsoever.

Yet science proves that every repetitive movement you do in typing and positioning your posture to the screen can invariably cause strain to your fingers, neck, back, muscles and eyes

What is ergonomics? How does it relate to my safety?

Ergonomics is the science of arranging things people use so that the people and things interact more efficiently and safely.

It is important to know the ideal distance and posture one should follow while being seated next to a computer.

This is a commonly ignored work-related injury. The impact of ergonomics can only be seen in the long run.

4.Occupational Hygiene:

In a deteriorating Global environment, it is of primary importance to make sure that we are able to breathe easy and clean in our work-space in order for us to increase our productivity during work hours.

Cleanliness may not always be tangible; our attention is mostly focused on impurities we can see, feel or smell.

We look past the finer details like air pollutants and toxic substances and infectious pathogens that often cause severe work-place ailments.

Simple remedies are all that is needed to promote clean hygiene in your workspace

At your workspace, check to see if the source of ventilation is always serviced and in prime condition, keep your space devoid of garbage and clutter, Stay home if you are infected by a virus or bacteria that is infectious, and more.

5.Reckless Negligence:

There are times when employees resort to brain-fade techniques that cause damage that can and should be avoided at all costs.

From falling off swivel chairs (instead of using ladders) while fixing bulbs to getting breezed-off the edge of railings of a multi-stored office building while sitting on them just to enjoy the fine air.

The most common display of this rare intelligence is seen when people multitask on their smartphones when on the move either when walking or driving.

Impact related injury has the highest number of fatalities.

Though there is no prognosis for stupidity, yet it is important for people in the surroundings to immediately alert or report any incident that can develop into a dangerous situation

 

Better Solutions:

Most countries make it mandatory for companies to enforce safety and health parameters that is periodically checked for compliance and other safety measures related to employee’s health and safety.

Developed countries often follow a stricter regiment to structuring and implementing health and safety regulations for the workplace. This leads to a significantly lesser number of casualties.

For example, India has more than 48,000 workplace-related fatal accidents that occur in a year. This is more than 20 times the number of fatal accidents in Briton.

Is there a better solution to creating a hazard-free office space?

Technological advancements in the field of Safety and health in the office have paved the way for a unified system where every report, audit, compliance is stored and retrieved with ease.

Most companies opt for EHS software to easily track any hazardous incident and eliminate it – creating a safer workspace.

Creating a congenial work environment not only facilitates productivity but also looks into every minute aspect of the health and safety of the people working.

According to the world health organization (WHO), workplaces designed on good principles of occupational health and safety are also the most sustainable and productive.

The bottom line is a healthier office space is good for you. But it’s best that you do it yourself!

To read more EHS related blog posts, visit the Safetymint blog.

Read our exhaustive guide on Permit To Work System.