A health and safety lawsuit spells trouble for any business, but for a start-up, it could mean folding completely. You are unlikely to have the cash to pay a huge settlement and so your only option will be to go into liquidation completely. It would be such a huge shame if your successful business was forced to close for such a stupid reason. You probably don’t think that it will ever happen to you though, you’ve sorted all of the fire safety drills and made sure that everything in the office was installed safely. Well, that may be, but there are still plenty of hidden dangers around the office that you might not have thought of. Here’s a handy checklist to help you make sure you don’t get caught out.
Falls
Although you might associate the danger of falls with the elderly, it is, in fact one of the biggest causes of office injury. If it is purely an accident then you’ve got nothing to worry about, it happens after all. However, if it is your fault, then you could be in some serious legal trouble for not looking after your employees. Making sure that you keep any walkway free of clutter is very important. You should also keep a step-ladder handy in case employees need to reach something high for any reason. You would be surprised how many people think it’s a good idea to stand on an office chair with wheels on. Also, try to use carpets and other non-slip surfaces wherever you can, this can avoid slips and falls.
Ergonomic Injuries
Another very common injury that people sustain in the office is ergonomic injuries. These are not something that is going to occur because of a single event, instead they will gradually develop over time. Back problems plague office workers because they sit all day and a lot of them have bad posture. Using heavy duty office chairs can force employees into a more comfortable, and healthy sitting position, to ensure that they don’t develop and back problems.
Repetitive Strain Injury from using computers is the most common problem that people experience. Taking regular breaks and using an ergonomic mouse and keyboard, designed to reduce the strain, is the only way to avoid it, unfortunately. Repetitive strain injury can also be caused in the neck by repeatedly looking back and forth when typing up a document that is on the desk. Providing document holders allows your employees to type things up without having to constantly move their neck.
Vision Problems
This is another one that is linked to excessive computer use. Staring at a monitor from close range for eight hours a day can put a lot of strain on your eyes. There are ways around this but again, if people are using a computer for extended periods then they need to take regular breaks. Beyond this, try dimming the lights and using lamps at desks instead. You can also invert the colors on the screen so the background is black and the text is white. This puts far less strain on the eyes.