The last thing anyone wants is to be injured at work. There are many things to do, places to go and people to see when we are not at work.

Whatever you may think, workplace accidents can, and do happen every day. Our aim from this article is to help employers think about the workplace and safety to prevent accidents before any employee has to file a claim.

Offices

Are offices dangerous? Yes. Do they need to be dangerous? No, but all too often we take safety as someone else’s responsibility and fail to act to prevent accidents happening today. Another bad excuse is that safety is always a problem for tomorrow and not for today. If we act in a safe manner today then we will prevent accidents rather than encourage them.

What sorts of dangers exist in your office? The temptation is to rush to this meeting and then to the next and you fall over something carelessly left lying around. Bad posture or trying to lift something too heavy can result in back strain or pulled muscles. RSI injury faces those who are not careful about how they organize their workspace. Regular breaks away from the computer monitor can help prevent eye strain and stiff necks. As you see there are many ways we can get injuries and we all face these days every day at the office.

Where do the employers need to be extra vigilant? Fire exits need to be clearly marked even when they are being obscured by smoke. Fire exit routes must never be blocked or constricted. Fire doors should always open, even for the smallest and weakest member of staff. Smoke doors should close behind people to prevent the spread of smoke. When was the last time you had a fire drill in your offices and how long did it take to clear your office? People in the twin towers were unsure of what to do and where to go. A full evacuation of your area of the building can familiarize your employees, and help them survive.

Shops

It does not matter if you sell food and drink or clothes and games, shops are dangerous. What could be dangerous about food? Anything hot or cold that spills onto you may cause pain and damage to clothing. In all shops there is a demand by management to change the layout and the look of the sales area. If the employees do not or cannot create a protected working environment, making sure that nothing falls onto someone, you will find there is a danger for shoppers and workers alike. I don’t know about your shop but most of the time the managers and supervisors disappear when work has to be done. We need to be careful for our fellow employees as well as the general public. When anything is happening that is out of the ordinary (such as early morning opening on Black Friday, be safe not sorry – we must never forget the young man who was trampled when the doors opened) think before the time comes so that everyone is safe.

Factories and work sites

Maintenance, new equipment, erection and demolition often are major parts of the work at factories and work sites. It doesn’t matter how new or old the factory is preventative maintenance and day-to-day repairs and renewals are part of every day life. We must take care of ourselves, our fellow workers and other bystanders. If something looks or feels unsafe then put it in writing to the management before someone gets hurt. Work sites could be construction or demolition. Keep your hard hat on. Be careful with chemicals like propane, and oxyacetylene. Electricity can kill if used unwisely. We must never get blasé about our safety.

Finally

A culture of safety must start from the directors and owners of a business and go right down to the most junior employee and even the cleaners. Remember that each employee contributes to the effective running of the organization. Each one has received training and investment of time in the particular task they are responsible for. “An ounce of prevention is far better than a pound of cure” (is a quote from an ancient proverb first recorded in Latin in Henry de Bracton’s “De Legibus” (c. 1240)) but remember that the pound of cure for a work injury may involve a trip to court to settle a claim by one of your employees.

Never have the words “Be careful out there” been more apt in our daily lives.