How much do you know?

You may already have a reasonable amount of knowledge about

office health and safety. Use the following slide to test your

knowledge. Remember to make a note of your answers.

Questions

Office environment

A. There are laid down legal limits regarding upper and lower

working temperatures. True or false?

Fire

B. The fire triangle is made up of ignition, oxygen and carbon

dioxide. Is this statement correct?

Accidents

C. What are the most common causes of accidents in offices?

Quick question answers

A. The answer is false. There is no upper legal limit.

B. No. Carbon dioxide in the statement is incorrect, it should read

fuel.

C. The most common causes of accidents in offices are slips,

trips and falls.

How did you do?

Hopefully you will have answered all three questions correctly. If

not, don’t worry - you will find the following slides cover the items

raised in more detail. Work your way though the remainder of this

unit to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.

Electrical hazards and problems

The most common are:

• an insufficient number of sockets

• an extension lead plugged into another extension lead

• damaged cables

• damaged plugs

• taped joints on wiring

• no visual checks on plugs and leads

• no portable appliance testing (PAT)

There should be a label on the plugs or equipment you use to

show it has been tested.

Housekeeping

Working environments need good housekeeping. The following

should be monitored and maintained:

• correct temperature

• good ventilation

• adequate lighting

• ergonomic seating and workstations

• sufficient space

Housekeeping continued

For safety these standards should be met at all times:

• traffic routes between desks and access to cupboards etc

should be clear of obstructions and trip hazards

• doors should operate and be easy to open

• floors should be free from trip hazards

• equipment/steps should be provided to prevent falls when

accessing high cupboards

• cupboards should not be overstocked to prevent the risk

of objects falling when the doors are opened

Housekeeping continued

Facilities should have acceptable standards in the following:

• toilets - clean and usable

• washing facilities - soap and hand drying equipment

• eating and changing facilities

• clothing storage – somewhere to hang your coat

• seating in rest areas

• facilities for pregnant women

• first aid room or similar

Housekeeping continued

Your office should have:

• regular maintenance with general repairs being

carried out promptly

• properly maintained equipment

• regular cleaning and rubbish removal

Accidents

The most common accidents occurring in office environments are:

• slips – from wet floors, kitchen areas and toilets

• trips – from carpets, baggage, boxes

• falls – from standing on chairs and desks!

These hazards can be identified and dealt with.

Lighting

Your office should have suitable lighting for the type

of work you do.

It’s better to have more lower power lights than fewer higher

power lights.

All lights should have shade or glare shields.

Office temperature

As a guide:

• winter 20 – 21 C

• summer 20 – 24 C

• humidity no lower than 30% in winter, between 40% - 60% in

summer

As the law stands there is no upper legal temperature limit.

Storage

Guidance for safe storage on shelves:

You should be able to see the back of the shelf, ideal height:

• 150 – 160 cm men

• 140 – 150 cm women

Maximum height to grasp:

• 260 cm men

• 190 cm women

Fire safety

The following slides deal with the issue of fire safety.

Fire safety – the fire triangle

Source of ignition.

Fuel.

Oxygen.

If all of these three elements are present in the same location

you have a potential fire risk. Remove an element and you

remove the risk.

Sources of ignition

These may be present in your work area:

• smokers’ materials

• naked flame

• engines, boilers

• electrical equipment

• lighting equipment

• hot processes

• static electricity

Sources of fuel

These may be present in your work area:

• flammable liquids

• flammable chemicals

• wood

• paper

• gases

• plastics

Fire safety

You should have had a tour of the fire exits.

You should know existing fire precautions.

You should know how to identify the correct type of fire

extinguisher and know how to operate it.

Fire extinguisher types

Water extinguisher

Safe for paper, wood and textiles fires only.

Carbon dioxide extinguisher

Safe for use on flammable liquid and electrical equipment fires only.

Extinguisher type/contents should be clearly marked on the body of

the extinguisher.

Emergency procedures

You should know:

• the position of extinguishers and signs

• how to use extinguishers

• the designated fire marshals

• the evacuation (fire drill) procedure

• where the emergency exit route signs are situated

Fire safety maintenance

Fire exit routes and doors should be kept clear.

Equipment

Should consist of smoke detection/warning equipment such as

smoke alarms. Alarms should be subject to a weekly test and

regular checks.

Emergency lighting and fire fighting equipment should be subject

to regular servicing.

Accidents and injuries

The next few slides deal with the most common causes of

accidents resulting in an injury.

Accidents and injuries

Indirect causes:

• lack of awareness

• lack of job knowledge

• lack of particular skills

• physical and/or mental problems/issues

• contractors

• abnormal wear and tear on building or equipment

• design flaws

• poor maintenance

Accidents and injuries

Direct causes:

• unsafe acts

• lack of training

• fooling around

• defective equipment

• operating at unsafe speeds

• use of equipment without consent

• unsafe conditions

• poor housekeeping

• protruding hazards

• hazardous atmosphere/environment

Help and requirements

You can ask your office first aider.

You can find information at your local NHS drop in centre.

You should be aware of accident reporting and the accident book.

You can refer to the ‘Health and safety law - what you should

know’ poster.

Test yourself

Having gone though this training unit please use the following

questions to test how much you have learned from the previous

slides.

Again, remember to make a note of your answers.

Test your knowledge

1. Taped electrical joints are acceptable providing you use the

correct insulating tape. True or False?

2. What do the initials PAT stand for?

3. Name three items that should be monitored and maintained in

the working environment.

4. Name three sources of fuel.

5. Name three indirect causes of accidents.

6. Name three direct causes of accidents.

Answers

1. False (taped joints are not acceptable).

2. PAT stands for Portable Appliance Testing.

3. Temperature, ventilation, lighting, seating, workstations, space.

4. Sources of fuel could be: flammable liquid, flammable chemicals,

wood, paper, gases, plastics.

5. Indirect causes of accidents could be: lack of awareness, poor job

knowledge or lack of particular skills, physical and/or mental issues,

contractors, abnormal wear and tear in buildings or equipment, design

flaws, poor maintenance.

6. Direct causes of accidents could be: fooling around, defective

equipment, operating at unsafe speeds, use of equipment without

consent, unsafe conditions, poor housekeeping, protruding or

atmospheric/environmental hazards.

How did you do? If you failed to correctly answer any of the

questions please take the opportunity to go back over the slides

to refresh your memory.

Please consider what your responsibilities are, we all have

responsibilities no matter what position we hold.

Have a look at your own work area and make sure you don’t

become a cause or a statistic!

Thank you for completing this short training session. If you have

any questions following completion of this unit please discuss with

your staff contact.