1. Office Safety & Ergonomics
Clark Safety & Loss Control
Billings, MT.

2. Office Safety & Ergonomics
Office Related Illness and Injury
Falls
Common Causes of Office Falls
Fall Prevention Checklist
Strains & Overexertion
Techniques for Safe Lifting
Lifting Basics
Ergonomic Solutions to Back
Back at Your Desk
Struck By or Striking Objects
Caught in Between
Material Storage
Good Storage Practices
Work Station Ergonomics
Reducing the Stress of Sitting
Applying Good Work Practices
Lighting
Eye Strain
Office Electrical Safety
Ungrounded Equipment
Electrical and Extension Cords
Office Fire Prevention Strategies
Emergency Preparedness

3. Introduction
Office related injuries that can happen in office settings.
What we can do, to prevent this type of accidents and injuries.
Relevant office background.

4. Office Related Illness and Injury
The office may contain hazards such as;
Poor lighting, noise, poorly designed furniture, & equipment and machines
The nature of office work itself can produce a whole host of stress related symptoms and musculoskeletal strains.

5. Office Related Illness and Injury
The leading types of disabling accidents that occur within the office are the result of;
Falls.
Strains & over-exertions.
Falling objects.
Striking against objects.
Being caught in or between
objects.

6. Falls
Falls are the most common office accident, accounting for the greatest number of disabling injuries.
The disabling injury rate of falls among office workers is 2 to 2.5 times higher than the rate for non-office employees.
2-2.5 x higher

7. Common Causes of Office Falls
Tripping over an open desk or file drawer
Bending while seated in an unstable chair
Tripping over electrical cords or wires
Using a chair or boxes in place of a ladder
Slipping on wet floors
Loose carpeting

8. Common Causes of Office Falls
Objects stored in halls or walkways
Inadequate lighting
Fortunately, all of these
fall hazards are preventable

9. Fall Prevention Checklist
Clear the pathway before you walk
Close drawers after use
Avoid excessive bending, twisting and leaning backward while seated
Secure electrical cords and wires away from walkways
Use a stepladder for overhead reaching
Chairs should never be used

10. Fall Prevention Checklist
Clean up spills immediately
Pick up objects co-workers may have left on the floor
Report loose carpeting or damaged flooring
Never carry anything that obscures your vision
Wear stable shoes with non-slip soles

11. Injury Prevention on Falls
If you find yourself heading for a fall, remember:
Roll
Don’t reach
By letting your body crumple and roll, you are more likely to absorb the impact and momentum of a fall without injury
Reaching an arm or leg out to break your fall may result in a broken limb instead

12. Strains & Overexertion
Typical office job may not involve lifting large or especially heavy objects. It is important to follow the principles of safe lifting
Even small light loads can wreak havoc on your back, neck and shoulders if you use your body incorrectly when you lift them
Backs are especially vulnerable. Most back injuries result from improper lifting

13. The Principal’s of Safe Lifting
10 to 1 ratio on your back when you lift,
when standing or sitting

14. Strains and Overexertion
Before you pick up a carton or load, ask yourself these questions:
Is this too heavy to lift and carry alone ?
How high do I have to lift it ?
How far do I have to carry it ?
Am I trying to impress anyone by lifting this ?
If you feel that the lift is beyond your ability, ask another employee to assist you.

15. Techniques for Safe Lifting
Take a balanced stance, feet placed shoulder-width apart.
When lifting from the floor, squat close to the load.
Keep the back in neutral or straight position.
Grip object with whole hand.
Draw the object close to your body.
Holding elbows close to your body
Keep the load and your body weight centered

16. Techniques for Safe Lifting
Lift by straightening your legs. Save your back
Tighten your stomach muscles to help support your back
Maintain the neutral back position as you lift
Never twist when lifting
turn your whole body, feet first

17. Techniques for Safe Lifting
Never carry a load that blocks your vision.
When setting something down,
use the same body mechanics
designed for lifting.
Reverse the lifting techniques.

18. Lifting Basics Bend your knees, not your waist. This
lets the strong muscles in your legs do the lifting.
“Hug the Load” - Try to hold the object as
close to your body as possible, as you
gradually stand.
Avoid twisting - Make sure your feet, knees
and torso are pointed in the same direction
you are lifting.

19. Lifting From a Seated Position
Bending from a seated position and coming back up places a tremendous strain on your back;
Your chair could be unstable and slip out from under you
Stand and move your chair out of the way.
Squat & stand whenever you have
to retrieve something from the
floor.

20. Ergonomic Solutions to Back Stressing Tasks
Avoid twisting while lifting;
Rearrange the work space
People who have to twist under load are more likely to suffer back injury
Rotate through tasks;
Rotate periods of standing and alternate periods of moving and sitting
Use stools for footrests for stationary jobs
Store materials at knee level whenever possible instead of on the floor

21. Storage

22. Ergonomic Solutions to Back Stressing Tasks
Make shelves shallower (12”-18’’)
Refrain from reaching forward to lift the object
Break up loads so each weighs less
If you must carry a heavy object some distance, consider storing it
Closer to workstation
Request a table to rest it on
Use a hand truck or cart to transport it

23. Back at your Desk Avoid sudden, jerky movements.
Take the time to plan your actions and move
cautiously.
Avoid twisting your torso. Move your
Whole body when you turn, with feet and hips facing your destination.

24. Back at Your Desk Turn toward things you need instead of
reaching off to the side or pulling things
toward you.
To pick up objects that have fallen to the
floor, place a hand on your knee or your
desk to support your back.
Take a few minutes to walk around the
office or do some stretches to relieve
muscle tension.

25. Struck By or Striking Objects
Striking against objects is another cause of office injuries.
Incidents include:
Bumping into doors, desks, file cabinets and open drawers
Bumping into other people while walking
Striking open file drawers while bending down or straightening up
Striking against sharp objects such as office machines, spindle files, staples and pins

26. Struck By or Striking Objects
Pay attention to your surroundings at all times
The work area may have periodic changes
Properly store materials in your work area
Never carry objects that
prevent you from seeing
ahead of you

27. Struck By or Striking Objects
Objects striking employees occur as a result of:
Office supplies sliding from shelves or cabinet
Overbalanced file cabinets
Two or more drawers opened at the same time
Heavy drawers should be at the base of the file cabinet
Machines that are dropped
Doors that were opened suddenly from the other side
Proper material storage and use of storage devices can avoid accidents

28. Caught in Between Objects
Fingers caught in a drawer, door or window
Fingers, hair or article of clothing or jewelry caught in office machines
Fingers caught under the knife of a paper cutter
While working on office equipment, concentrate on what function you are performing

29. Material Storage
Improperly stored office material can lead to objects falling on workers
Poor visibility
Fire hazard’s
A good housekeeping program will reduce or eliminate hazards

30. Material Storage Improper storage include: Disorderly piling
Piling materials too high
Obstruction of door, aisles, fire exits and fire-fighting equipment

31. Good Storage Practices
Boxes & cartons that are stacked should be of the same uniform size
Aisles, & passageways must remain unobstructed (life safety & fire code)
Store heavy objects on lower shelves
Store material in, not on

32. Good Storage Practices
Storage areas should be designated and used ONLY for that purpose
Store heavy material so you do not have to reach across something to retrieve them
Fire equipment, extinguishers, fire door exits and sprinkler heads shall remain unobstructed
Materials shall be at least 18 inches minimum away from sprinkler heads

33. Work Station Ergonomics
Ergonomics means fitting the workplace to the workers by modifying or redesigning:
The job
The workstation
The tool or environment
Workstation design can have a big impact on office workers’ health and well-being
Ergonomically incorrect workstations can add to the discomfort of office workers

34. Workstation Ergonomics
The most common complaints relate to the neck, shoulders and back
Other concerns are the arms, hands & the eyes

35. Workstation Ergonomics
Common characteristics of VDT jobs have been identified and associated with increased risk of musculoskeletal problems
These include:
Design of the workstation
Nature of the task
Repetitiveness of the job
Degree of postural constraint
Work pace
Work/rest schedules
Personal attributes of individual workers

36. Workstation Ergonomics
The key to comfort is in maintaining the body in a relaxed, neutral position
The ideal work position
Have the arms hanging relaxed from the shoulders
Avoid crossing your legs, this interferes with blood circulation to your legs and throws your spine out of balance

37. Workstation Ergonomics
If a keyboard is used:
Arms bent at right angles at the elbow
Adjust the height/position of the chair armrests to support the forearms
Hands held in a straight line with forearms and elbows close to the body
The head should be lined with the body and slightly forward

38. Reducing the Stress of Sitting
Sitting puts more strain on your back than standing or lifting
The stress of leaning over printouts and paperwork
Slouching in an uncomfortable chair
Spending long hours in one position leaves many office workers with aching, tired backs
Beating back stress is simple & it is up to you

39. Applying Good Work Practices
Take mini-breaks to rest the eyes and muscles.
It could be a different style of physical activity as changing from keyboarding to using the telephone or filing
Neutralize distracting noise by using ear plugs, playing soft music or turning on fan
Maintain a comfortable work place temperature

40. Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important factors affecting personal comfort on the job:
The best lighting system is one which the light level is geared to the task, ceilings, walls & floors and are chosen to minimize glare
Glare may be; direct - from lights or sunshine, or
indirect - from a reflected surface
Vision problems are one of the leading sources of complaints among office workers

41. You Can Do Something About Eye Strain
To lessen eye strain, keep your VDT screen inches from your eyes.
VDT should be no higher than eye level when seated in your chair.
If you use a document holder, keep it at the same height as your screen.
Document holder should be on the same side as your dominant eye. (test)

42. Simple Exercises

43. Eye Strain
If you experience chronic eye problems, have your eyes examined.
If you work with a VDT, be sure to tell the doctor.
Anyone who works regularly on VDT’s should have an annual eye exam.
If you are over 40 years of age, you may need more frequent checkups

44. Office Electrical Safety
Electricity is essential to the operations of a modern automated office as a source of power.
Electrical equipment used in an office is potentially hazardous and can
cause serious shock & burn
injuries if improperly
used or maintained.

45. Electrical Hazards
Types of electrical hazards found in the office environment include:
Ungrounded equipment
Overloaded outlets
Unsafe/non-approved equipment
Electrical and extension cords

46. Ungrounded Equipment
Grounding is a method of protecting from electrical shock.
Most newer office equipment is manufactured with grounded plugs (three prong plugs) as a precaution. Equipment used in accordance to manufacturer’s instructions.
In any case, never remove the third (grounding) prong from any three prong piece of equipment.

47. Electrical and Extension Cords
Check for defective, frayed or improperly installed cords for electrically-operated office equipment. Damaged cords should be corrected and replaced.
Electrical cords across walkways and work areas.
Extension cords should only be used in situations where fixed wiring is not feasible.

48. Office Fire Prevention Strategies
Have posted evacuation plans.
Learn the location of fire escape routes, exits & how to activate the fire alarm.
Practice fire drills on a regular basis.
A program of scheduled inspections, unsafe conditions can be recognized & corrected before they lead to a serious injury.

49. Emergency Preparedness
Know and use your company’s policy & procedure for emergency preparedness and evacuation
Which exits to utilize and a location where everyone should meet once outside the building
Identify the individuals responsible for various aspects of the plan (chain of command)--this will minimize confusion

50. Office Safety Questions ???

51. Office Safety Quiz
1. Falls are the most common accident accounting for the greatest number of disabling injuries
True False
2. When lifting any load the proper method is to bend over and lift the objective using your back muscles
3. The top of the VDT screen should be above eye level

52. Office Safety Quiz
4.The height of the keyboard should be at elbow height (25’ to 32”) from the floor
True False
5.You can reduced tension by alternating your different tasks throughout the work day
6.Storing boxes, paper, and other materials on top of lockers and file cabinets is good use of space

53. Office Safety Quiz 7. Ergonomics means:
A. Fitting the workplace to the worker
B. Modifying or redesigning the job
C. Modifying the workstation, tool, or environment
D. All of the above
8.The wrist should be straight when using a keyboard and the elbows bent at 90 degrees
True False

54. Office Safety Quiz
9.Vision problems are one of the leading sources of complaints among office workers
True False
10.It is not necessary for every office worker to know the emergency evacuation plan.

55. Office Safety Quiz Answers
7. D
8. T
9. T
10. F