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Office Safety. Health & Safety in the Office Environment. V3.1 Feb 15, 2011. Corporate Occupational Health & Safety September 2012. Corporate Vice President, Occupational Health & Safety J. McDonald . Corporate Safety Director –Bureau M. Castro. Manager HSE – Group Ron Henderson.
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Office Safety Health & Safety in theOffice Environment V3.1 Feb 15, 2011
Corporate Occupational Health & Safety September 2012 Corporate Vice President, Occupational Health & Safety J. McDonald Corporate Safety Director –Bureau M. Castro Manager HSE – Group Ron Henderson See Next Slide Americas Divisional Safety Director China Divisional Safety Director Europe Divisional Safety Director Pacific Divisional Safety Director Americas Safety Improvement Team Europe Safety Improvement Team China Safety Improvement Team Pacific Safety Improvement Team
ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (ABS Group) Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Organizational Structure ABS Group CEOHouston, Texas, USA ABS Group HSE ManagerHouston, Texas, USA ABS Group Americas RegionalHSE Coordinator ABS Group Europe RegionalHSE Coordinator ABS Group Asia Pacific RegionalHSE Coordinator ABS Group Middle East RegionalHSE Coordinator Country Level,HSE Coordinator Country Level,HSE Coordinator Country Level,HSE Coordinator Country Level,HSE Coordinator
Hazards We Encounter in Offices • Ergonomic issues • Fire and evacuation • Electrical cords and equipment • Heat-generating sources • Hand/powered tools and equipment • Office machines (copiers, paper cutters, shredders, jammed machines) • Office chemicals • Slips, trips, falls • Housekeeping • Furniture and layout • Motor vehicle accidents
Slips, Trips & Falls • The #1 cause of office employee injuries • Level surfaces • Elevated surfaces – standing on chairs, falling out of chairs, falling down stairs • Manufacturing areas • Parking lots • Awareness • Keep aisles clear • Use the handrail on stairs • Report deficient conditions to facilities maintenance • Hold onto chair seats/arms when attempting to sit • Approved step stools and ladders only • Wipe up spills • Walk, don’t run • No horseplay!
Office Safety • Store handbags, briefcases and other personal effects out of view • Lock offices and file rooms at end of day • Be aware of allowing people in your building/office that are not authorizedor have an access badge
Office Layout • Emergency exits and passageways established and maintained • Furniture and equipment arranged, so far as possible, to: • Avoid chairs and equipment jutting into walkways • Avoid drawers from opening into walkways or doorways
Lighting • Areas that are not lit adequately, or are lit too much, can cause headache, strain and fatigue • Use adjustable task lighting for tasks that require greater illumination • Take visual “breaks” every 30 minutes • Get regular eye exams…let your eye doctor know if you are working at a computer
Housekeeping • Poor Housekeeping • Storage or placement of objects in aisles, below knee level, or on other office-type floor surfaces • Overflowing, heavy wastebaskets • Dust accumulations • Good Housekeeping • Maintaining condition of office equipment and work area • Orderly arrangement in all areas, especially storage • Storage must be 18” or more below sprinkler heads
Furniture Safety • Chairs should remain squarely on the floor • Casters on all chairs should be secured and all parts of the chair should be sturdy and should not present a hazard to the user • Close drawers when not in use • Open drawers slowly and carefully • Avoid overloading filing cabinets and distribute the weight of materials stored in cabinet to avoid tipping • Furniture should be selected and maintained without sharp edges, points, or burrs
Ergonomics Hit List • Slumped posture • Elbows out • Reach out of easy reach zone • Work outside the comfort zone • Shoulder(s) too high or low • Twisting of neck or back • Wrists outside of neutral position • Squinted eyes • Ergonomic gizmos
Good Posture is Essential • Seated posture puts lots of strain on your body • Exaggerated curves are bad • Stretch frequently • Maintain or build strength
Easy Reach • Items to think about moving into the easy reach zone • Keyboard • Mouse • Telephone • Calculator
Chairs • Some adjustments to check out • Seat height, depth, angle and tilt • Back height, adjustability, angle and tilt • Lumbar support • Arm rest height • Swivel
Your Health & Safety Requires Breaks • Aerobic exercise • Short brisk walk • Use of fitness center • Mini-breaks • Short breaks to relax, restore or re-nourish • Gentle stretching
Material Handling • No lifting over 35 pounds on an occasional basis • Obtain assistance • Avoid lifting objects that are too heavy for you • Plan the lift • Stand with your feet apart, alongside the object to be lifted • Bend at the knees, not the waist • Get a good grip on the object • Keep the object close • Center the weight over your feet • Avoid twisting
Office Equipment Safeguarding • Copiers (sorting trays, moving parts) • Paper cutter guarding to avoid contact with the cutting blade by the opposing hand (hand holding the paper) • When cutters are not in use, cutter should be down and the blade secured • Storage of letter openers and sharp tools (i.e. knives, scissors, etc.) should be appropriate to avoid tools rolling and falling off of desk surfaces
Struck By or Between • Doors • Office machines and equipment dropped on feet • Falling objects (from cabinets and storage locations) • Copy machines • “Addressing” machines and fans • Paper cutters
Lock-out/Tag-out • Office equipment has the potential to cause harm and is included in the Lock-out /Tag-out program • In order to clear a jam of electrically-powered office equipment, power must be turned “off” and disconnected from the power supply • Copiers that become jammed should be cleared in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions • Know the procedures for safely clearing jams • Remain cognizant of areas which may be hot • Remember that power is still connected
Electrical Safety • Shut-off electrical equipment not in use • Electrical cords should be visually inspected on a periodic basis to identify frayed and worn cords • Maintain electrical cords in areas out of walkways and passageways • Avoid extension cords in office areas • Surge protectors may not be overloaded and may not be used as an “extension cord” for other office equipment • Combustible material, such as paper, may not be stored on or in close proximity to electrical outlets and connections
Heat Generating Equipment • Examples • Coffee pot • Toaster oven • Microwave • Mug warmer • Space heaters • Cooling fans • Soldering iron • Heat gun • Make sure: • There is 18” or more of clearance from other combustibles • They are plugged into the outlet directly • Space heaters have tip-over protection • It is shut-it offafter use or when not in use
Chemical Safety • What chemicals do we use in the office? • Read the label and hazard warnings • Read the Material Safety Datasheet (MSDS) on file • Handle and store the material properly, in accordance with the MSDS
Report Injuries & Near Misses • Learn from near misses to prevent serious injuries • Report injuries to your supervisor • Primary goal • Prevent reoccurrence
Emergencies • Report emergencies and get assistance • Know what the alarm sounds like • Know what your primary and secondary exits are • Know where to meet • Know who your safety warden is