Dangers In The Office Workplace You Are Not Even Aware Of

What can be dangerous in office life? One could wonder if anything can be threatening for a white-collar worker. It may be surprising to hear, but there are four dangers every office employee can encounter.

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Top-4 Office Threats

The health and safety of personnel can be compromised when there is no awareness of injury risk. Below is a list of four dangers that exist in every office.

1. Ergonomic Injuries

Ergonomic injuries are one of the main dangers employees face daily. Office workers spend 8 to 10 hours a day sitting at a computer. This results in ergonomic stress and other injuries associated with poor posture. Therefore, it is so crucial to pay attention to this problem and look for solutions provided by Soter Analytics that can help overcome numerous occupational diseases caused by incorrect body position during work:

• carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS);
• herniated discs of the cervical or lumbar spine;
• thoracic outlet syndrome;
• pinching of the shoulder.

How to create the right ergonomics for the workplace? The first thing an employer should do is provide employees with all the necessary equipment, specialized office furniture, and also create appropriate lighting and temperature conditions. The employee needs to maintain a relaxed posture, the shoulders should be soft, and the neck straight. When typing, it is essential to keep the elbows at a 90-degree angle.

2. Eyestrain

Spending so much of the day in front of a screen can strain the eyes. They become dry and irritated, the clarity of vision and ability to focus are lost. In some serious cases, this tension develops into headaches and discomfort in the neck and shoulders.

To prevent such health problems that are susceptible to any specialist  working at a computer, it is important to:

• Monitor humidity (it should not go beyond the norm of 40-60%).
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: To relieve fatigue in the eyes, focus on a specific subject 20 feet (ca. 6 meters) every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds. Reminders or a preset alarm will help to take such breaks.
• Customize screen: The best position for the screen is below eye level. Also, adjust the screen brightness to a comfortable level. Matching the brightness of the room is the best practice.

3. Fire Safety

In winter, special attention should be paid to fire safety rules. It is crucial to consider the issue of additional space heating. Remember to follow these rules:

• do not overload the outlets;
• do not use the cord plug if it is damaged;
• make sure the heaters you use in your office have a breaker that will trip if they fall;
• do not place appliances near flammable materials or cover them;
• do not forget to turn off the equipment when leaving the office.

4. Indoor Air Quality

Poor quality office air is the cause of allergic reactions and the spread of viruses. This problem is not visible, but for everyone who works for a long time in a room with bad air, it becomes more acute.

The reasons are:

• broken ventilation system;
• overcrowding of rooms;
• layouts that make it difficult for fresh air to access workplaces;
• inadequate or insufficient cleaning.

Take care of your health now to avoid even more significant problems in the future. If necessary, ask an HR director or management to contribute.

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