What Are Some Classroom & Office Hazards?

Working with combustible material isn't the only hazard faced in classrooms or offices today. Regulatory attention has been called to classrooms and offices across the world due to the extreme end of the workplace hazard like coal mining accidents. Recent studies show work assessments are important for classrooms and offices with five or more employees. Whether it's a virus going around the classroom or failure to safeguard when cleaning up spills, there are several potential hazards lurking in the classroom and office today.

Communicable Disease

• The flu is spread through classrooms and offices every year. There are several steps to stay healthy during the cold winter months. Teach students to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash afterward. Wash hands often with soap and water. If there is no sink in the class or office, provide nonalcohol antibacterial hand gel.

  Try to avoid close contact with sick people. This means sending students and employees home if they are sick or letting them know to avoid coming in if they have flu or cold symptoms. "If you are sick with flu-like illness, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine."

Fire or Chemical Hazards

• Chemicals aren't just for cleaning. Some schools and offices are located near chemical manufacturing plants and tire manufacturers that can be prone to explosions or fire. Beyond having a first-aid kit in your classroom or office, have an evacuation procedure. Map out the route to your meeting place and post it for everyone to see. Prepare to evacuate, shelter in place, and contact emergency services from your class or office by testing phones daily, keeping a list of important phone numbers on hand, and having duct tape for sealing doors. Be prepared to handle any emergency by holding monthly drills; that way everyone knows the route or routine.

Office Practices

• Try not to store items on top of tall cabinets or furniture; this invites falls and injuries. A good idea is to designate a storage area in a lower cabinet or workroom. Locating file cabinets near entrances or heavily walked areas is another hazard. Also opening more than one file drawer at a time can cause the cabinet to tip over.

  Always have a safe place for storage of sharp items such as scissors or letter openers so that they cannot fall or stab someone. In a classroom it always useful to use safety scissors with children. Chairs can be a hazard as well, and should be secured or structurally sound to prevent falls or trips.

Violence

• Workplace violence and classroom bullying are on the rise. Nonemployees are the most common cause of fatal incidents. Educate yourself on the signs of bullying and what you can do to prevent others from being bullied. Help educate others by talking to people in your community who have the power to stop bullying or violence.

  If you have kids, teach them that bullying is wrong. Have a way for people who want to talk, but want to be discrete, do so with someone they can trust. Take a few minutes to share this bullying information with people in your neighborhood or office. Offer an anonymous bully reporting program such as Bully Stoppers from Bullying.org. Be sure the area around your school or office is well-lit and has security cameras. This can prevent violence at night and deter future occurrences.