Office Hazards
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Massachusetts Healthcare Self-Insurance Group, Inc.
Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources
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 duties– Designated meeting
area– Drills
Emergency Procedures:Evacuation (cont.)
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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
Massachusetts Healthcare Self-Insurance Group, Inc.
Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services
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