Office Environment Safety Checklist

Hazards lurk throughout every business office. Some risks are visible, such as overloaded electrical outlets and stacks of clutter piled onto filing cabinets. Other workplace dangers are less obvious, like ongoing exposure to chemical emissions from commonly used office equipment. Health and safety officials recommend that employees analyze their surroundings and identify trouble spots. An office environment safety checklist guides supervisors and staff members in their ongoing efforts to prevent workplace injuries.

Falls

• Slips and tumbles cause a majority of office injuries, according to the EHS Today website. Keep walkways clear by bundling computer cables and electrical wires through cord protectors. This prevents an employee from catching her foot on a loose cable and stumbling upon or toppling equipment. Areas with heavy pedestrian traffic require traction floor mats with beveled edges to safeguard against causing someone to lose her footing.

Fire

• Small steps mitigate risks of office fires. For example, avoid using space heaters near flammable items or with extension cords. Discard electrical cords that are frayed or have broken third prongs. Ensure that fire doors remain closed after employees exit through those doorways because an open fire door allows flames to spread. Keep clutter off top shelves or cabinets that are within 18 inches of a sprinkler head, according to the Office of Compliance that oversees workplace safety for the U.S. Congress.

Storage

• Stored items cause office injuries. Overstuffed boxes or heavy equipment that exceed shelving capacity can easily topple onto an employee. Instead, store bulky articles as close to the floor as possible. Filing cabinets jeopardize office safety because a worker might trip over an open drawer that is close to floor level. Storage units also must be kept away from emergency exits.

Toner

• Toner particles from laser printers represent a relatively new office environmental risk, according to a 2007 study by Australian researchers that was published by the American Chemical Society. Forty percent of the printers used in tests emitted particle concentrations into the immediate surroundings during short print jobs. They concluded that laser printers released the highest levels of particle emissions when new toner cartridges were used and during print jobs that involved a lot of graphics instead of text. Researchers recommend operating printers in well-ventilated open areas.

Drills

• Every office needs an emergency response plan that is shared with employees so they know how to react during a disaster. For example, each worker must be familiar with activating a fire alarm and extinguisher, in addition to knowing the fire department's phone number. Employees also require advanced instructions on evacuating a burning structure through marked stairways instead of elevators. An emergency readiness plan outlines meeting places for employees so that supervisors can take headcounts to ensure all of their team members have exited the building.