Office Hazards
Session Objectives
You will be able to:
• Recognize office hazards
• Know what to do in emergencies
• Take proper precautions to avoid accidents
• Reduce ergonomic risk factors
• Use proper lifting techniques
• Manage stress effectively
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What You Need to Know
• Emergency procedures
• Fire prevention
• Preventing common office injuries
• Ergonomic safety
• Back safety
• Stress management
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Office Hazards
• Fires
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Electrical shocks and fires
• Falling objects
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Office Hazards (cont.)
• Cuts and bruises
• Musculoskeletal
disorders
• Back injuries
• Stress
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Emergency Procedures:
Evacuation
• Evacuation signal
• Location of emergency
exits
• Evacuation routes
• Emergency exits and
access to exits
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Emergency Procedures:
Evacuation (cont.)
• Emergency duties
• Designated meeting
area
• Drills
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Emergency Procedures:
Fire Response
• Activate the fire alarm
• Call the fire
department
• Use an extinguisher on
small fires
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Emergency Procedures:
Medical Emergencies
• Call for an ambulance
if necessary
• Apply first aid
• Use gloves to protect
against bloodborne
pathogens
• Know the location of
first-aid kits
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Emergency Procedures:
Natural Disasters
• Be prepared
• Have a survival kit
• Listen for warnings and
instructions
• Shelter in place or
evacuate
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Fire Hazards
• Flammable or
•
•
•
•
combustible liquids
Storage of combustible
materials
Electrical cords and
plugs
Space heaters
Smoking
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Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Spills and wet floors
• Torn carpet or
•
•
•
•
damaged flooring
Cords in walkways
Improperly stored
items
Open drawers
Standing on chairs
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Electrical Hazards
• Outlets and circuits
• Electrical cords and
plugs
• Electrical equipment
• Electrical repairs
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Safe Stacking and Storing
• Store items in a safe
•
•
•
•
place
Stack evenly and
carefully
Don’t stack too high
Make sure shelves can
hold the weight
Inspect your work
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Preventing Cuts
and Bruises
• Box knives
• Scissors
• Paper cutters
• Pinch points
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Office Hazards
And Precautions
• Do you understand the
information presented
in the previous slides?
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Office Ergonomics:
Risk Factors
• Repetition
• Posture
• Force
• Other factors
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Office Ergonomics:
Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Injury to nervous
system or soft tissue
• Pain in hands, wrists,
fingers, forearms,
elbows, or joints
• How it feels
• Report any MSD
symptoms immediately
and seek medical
treatment
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Office Ergonomics:
Proper Posture
• Head facing straight
ahead
• Knees bent 90 degrees
• Feet flat on the floor or
footrest
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Office Ergonomics:
Proper Posture (cont.)
• Wrists in line with
forearms
• Shoulders not hunched
• Elbows close to the
side
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Office Ergonomics:
Reduce Repetition
• Alternate work
activities
• Minibreaks
• Eye breaks
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Office Ergonomics:
Reduce Repetition (cont.)
Stretching exercises
• Hands
• Wrists and forearms
• Shoulders
• Neck
• Back
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Back Safety
• Maintain good back
posture when sitting,
standing, or lifting
• Do not lift more than
you can handle
• Use material-handling
aids
• Make sure you can see
over and around loads
you are carrying
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Safe Lifting
• Establish a wide and
stable stance
• Bend at your knees
and hips and squat
down next to the object
• Grip the object firmly
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Safe Lifting (cont.)
• Pull the object close
• Tighten your stomach
muscles
• Keep your back
straight
• Rise up using your leg
muscles, not your back
muscles
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Ergonomic Hazards
• Do you understand the
information presented
in the previous slides?
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Workplace Stress
• Stress factors
• Symptoms of stress
• Episodic stress
• Benefits of stress
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Stress Management
• Control your reaction
•
•
•
•
to stress
Exercise, eat right, and
get enough sleep
Avoid stressful
situations
Get organized
Laugh, relax, and take
quiet time
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Key Points to Remember
• Offices have many hazards
• Keep alert and take precautions
• Know how to respond to emergencies
• Reduce exposure to ergonomic risk factors
• Always lift safely
• Manage stress effectively
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0612