Workplace hazards don’t just happen in industries like oil rigs, mines, or factories, they could take place even in a corporate industry. Statistics have shown that over 70,000 workers sustain workplace injuries each year. In this article, we would be looking at some of the most common workplace hazards.
These hazards range from slips to electrocution to sprains due to stair falls. Understanding these workplace hazards and how to avoid them is critical to the security of employees in a company.
Below are some of the workplace hazards most startups and fortune 500 companies need to consider.
- Ventilation
- Physical Layout
- Lighting
- Atmosphere integrity
- Environmental Noise
- Electrical Component
- Storage
Ventilation
One of the major causes of nausea and dizziness is poor access to good ventilation. This is one of the most common workplace hazards in modern industries.
These companies build their structure without the consideration of ventilating it appropriately. When your employees don’t have enough ventilation when working, this could drastically reduce the efficiency of their services.
You can avoid this by opening more patches for windows or installing a device that regulates the Carbon dioxide levels in the office.
Physical Layout
The physical layout of a company can be a deciding factor in how effective your employees are at their jobs. Poor office layout can distort the work of an employee, and decrease productivity and mindset of the employees.
Taking into account the physical layout of a company is making sure all the tools and equipment including stationeries are in the right order.
The ventilation duct should be at the right place and height and employees shouldn’t be directly under an air duct that is opened or uncovered.
Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important tools that the company should focus on. Too much lighting or too little lighting can be detrimental to your employees.
Employees’ workstations shouldn’t be too close to the windows; this could affect the clarity of your computer screen.
At the same time, an office space that is too dark can affect the productivity of your employees. To resolve this, light and lambs can provide supplementary lights.
Atmosphere integrity
Just like anyone wouldn’t want to stay in a place that is smoky or has an offensive odor, atmosphere or air integrity can be a major workplace hazard if not treated accordingly.
You should make sure areas like the kitchen and toilet are always kept clean and free from dirt. Employees need to be sensitized on the importance of flushing the toilet after use.
Improving the atmosphere or air quality would help employees focus on their tasks effectively.
Environmental Noise
This workplace hazard is known to be one of the leading factors of distractions in an office or industry. This is why corporations like the banks have been known to seal off their windows and doors, and have supplemented them with adequate air conditions.
In a company plagued with environmental noise, employees would not be able to concentrate on their tasks effectively. In order to prevent this, adequate feasibility studies should be done before choosing the location for constructing your company.
When a company is suited close to a noisy environment, steps should be taken to mitigate such noise.
Where this is not the case, employees can be required to make use of headphones when interacting with customers to block out the surrounding noise.
Electrical Component
Based on research, office disasters have been known to be caused mostly by bad electrical wiring. Setting up an office’s electrical components and devices should be done using professionals in the field who have the necessary experience. They should come highly recommended.
And also, routine checks should be done bi-monthly to ensure all electrical devices and components are in good order.
Employees should also be notified of all safety measures to take when making use of any electrical devices. This is because overloading a circuit could cause the circuit to burn out.
Certain specialists within the company should also be kept in place in the event of an electrical hazard.
Storage
The storage facility within the company should be kept in an isolated sector of the company. The setting of your storage facility where books, files, and other important documents of the company should not be close to an ignition source or fireplace.
In the event this is not taken into consideration, this could lead to workplace hazards and eventually loss of vital documents of the company.
Consider placing storage shelves on the wall and securing them in order to prevent them from tipping over and falling down.