So one way to help increase safety in your office is to cut down on the use of paper by going as paperless as possible. True, in some contexts your business may be unable to achieve this, and in some cases all you need is a little creativity to get results.

For example, one company who supply reports to property investors was printing out and posting numerous paper reports each week. To avoid use of paper (and to cut down on the expenses of printing) the company decided to offer electronic reports that they could email to the individuals. Assuming that only a few people would opt for the electronic version, the company was pleasantly suprised that 90% of their customers supported the paperless option.
 
Are there ways you can offer a product or the paperwork associated with it in an electronic format?

Here are some ways to save on paper and get those work desks cleared:

• type up phone messages and ‘notes to yourself’ on a computer
• use a small whiteboard for phone messages (and then add details to your computer later)
• arrange to receive your bills electronically
• send your invoices electronically
• arrange to receive your magazine subscriptions, notifications, etc. via the web
• use an electronic diary
• arrange to receive your bank statements electronically
• use the old ‘handle it once’ system, ie. don’t pick up a piece of paper and then shove it somewhere else on your desk, and then a week later pick it the same piece of paper and put it on the other side of your desk! Deal with the paper a.s.a.p. and as soon as you have, either file it or throw it in the recycle bin (shredding it first if it is of a confidential nature)
• use handtowels and teatowels instead of paper towels. In one medium-sized business (22 employees and 6 managers/supervisors) each staff member has their own handtowel. One cheery soul volunteered to take the towels home twice a week and wash them. Everyone seems happy with the arrangement – even the washing person!

If you can’t find a way to avoid using paper, buy unbleached, 100% recycled paper (one sure way to save the environment and encourage recycling of the masses of wasted paper – yet another fire hazard!)

And REMEMBER… back up your computer, electronic diary, etc. regularly!

The truth is, daily trips, slips, falls, cuts, and grazes are often outcomes from poor House Keeping. And the scarey thing is the statistic that slips and falls rank as the second leading cause of accidental deaths of 45 to 75 year olds. Not only is House Keeping important to you and your workmates, but also to your family, friends, and clients who visit your workplace.

Recently in an email I received from one of the Safety Concepts Subscribers, Les Hunter put the role of House Keeping in relation to Safety in the most straightfoward fashion:

“House Keeping is the benchmark for Safety:
Poor Housekeeping = Poor Safety.
Moderate Housekeeping = Moderate Safety
Good Housekeeping = Good Safety.”

Thank you Les, you said it perfectly.

With all of the rain we’ve had in the South East recently (and we need more!) wet surfaces are a major House Keeping hazard, and need to be addressed immediately.

Let’s consider the scenario: After a particularly heavy downpour, water has leaked through the ceiling creating a miniature swimming pool in the foyer of the shop/factory/office where you work. You’ve arrived early at your work before too much ‘people traffic’ begins only to discover the mess.

Being a Safety Conscious Individual you remember the steps involved with dealing with a hazard:

1. Assess the hazard.
   Which you have; there is water on the floor in an area where people will walk and more than likely slip. There are lights in that part of the ceiling and therefore quite possibly wet wiring. 
2. Find and implement solutions to those hazards.
   You switch off the lights to avoid any possible electrical damage. With no one about to help you, but aware that someone may come in at any moment, you throw a towel down over the puddle to highlight it’s existance, while you go find a mop and bucket to clean up.

   As you mop up the water and dry the floor, other work colleagues begin to arrive. Thankfully, one offers to contact the appropriate person to deal with the possible damaged ceiling and wiring (whether that be the building supervisor, an electrician, maintenance person, etc.)

3. Assess whether the solutions have eliminated or reduced the hazard.
   You are happy that the floor is now dry and that someone who is qualified to deal with the ceiling and electrical wiring is on their way. However, you notice there is still a slow drip wetting the floor.
4. If a risk to health and safety still remains, implement sound work procedures, in depth training, and use personal protective equipment to further reduce the hazard.
   You put an appropriate sign up notifying everyone that the floor is wet and slippery, and even send a memo round to staff asking them to take care. A bucket with a towel underneath is set up to catch the drips.
5. Conduct regular inspections for other hazards and for further improving existing solutions.
   You keep a copy of the maintenance report after the ceiling has been fixed, and electrical wiring given the ok. You decide that a thick, course mat would be a great idea to put at that particular entrance, as it often becomes slippery when people enter from outside with wet shoes. You forward your suggestion onto management. You also keep a record of all the steps that were taken to fix the hazard and suggestions to reduce any future risk.

Pat yourself on the back – job well done, and hazard efficiently dealt with.

Bathrooms too are notorious places for slips. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people who wash their hands, and then flick the water from their hands all over the basin, mirror… and floor. As this accumulates, you now have a hazard. Even worse is the need to walk two metres across from the basins to the hand-dryer or towel dispenser, dripping water all the way.

Make towels available closer to the sinks, and ask other staff to wipe up any spills or drips immediately.

Even a request printed up, laminated and stuck to the mirror is a great reminder. We are all responsible for House Keeping and maintaining a safe workspace. If staff leave a hazard for the ‘cleaner or janitor’ to fix, it could escalate to a situation that may just ruin someone’s life. If you are under strict rules not to deal with a particular hazard (whether due to hygiene or other safety issues) then report the hazard immediately. Don’t wait for someone else to report it.

For more weight behind hazard identification and getting it fixed, put the details in writing and hand it to the appropriate person. Don’t think you’re being a nuisance or whinger – you might just save the company a lot of money in the future, as well as someone’s life. And I can almost assure you that you’re not the only person who is aware of the risk.

One work place’s bathroom was an accident waiting to happen. The bathroom floor was constantly wet due to poor design, and staff often grumbled about how slippery it was. A couple of comments were made to management ‘on the fly’ but nothing was put in writing and the WHSO (who overlooked several different outlets of this nation-wide company) was not notified of the extent of the danger. When someone did eventually slip and break their arm – who could have helped to prevent it?

I’d like to finish with another comment Les made in his email:

“The Definition of an accident: an avoidable occurence.
It puts every one involved on the same level as far as what to keep an eye out for.”

Thanks Les, I couldn’t agree more.

No matter who we are: Management, Staff, or Junior…

No matter what our jobs are: IT Department, Janitor, Construction Engineer, Receptionist…

We are still responsible for a safe workplace, and House Keeping is a major part of that.

Myrian Gear, Chris Gear’s widow, attended the rally. You may recall Chris’ terrible accident back in June on the Gold Coast, where he fell from swing scaffolding.

Mrs Gear stated, “If the unions were allowed to do their jobs and go on-site, Chris wouldn’t have died.”

Spokesperson for the CFMEU, Michael Ravbar, said that before John Howard came in, when sites were deemed dangerous they were shut down and the problems fixed. But now there is a time delay before any action takes place. Ravbar also said that workers were under pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines. These were contributing to unsafe work environments due to fatigue and ‘dangerous corner-cutting’.

With deaths increasing by 35% on Qld building sites, and now after 3 deaths on Qld building sites in the last fortnight, as well as 18 worksite fatalities this year it sounds like the CFMEU and every construction site worker has cause for alarm…

And after yesterday’s shocking incident they may well have even more to add to their arsenal…

Tom Takurau, 25 years of age, who was working in a cherry picker on a construction site died at the Princess Alexandra Hospital after a concrete beam fell from a road project, crushing him.

The incident is currently being investigated and the CFMEU spokesperson says the concrete beam responsible for crushing Tom Takurau had not been tethered properly.

Our heart-felt condolences go out to Mr Takurau’s family and those of the other unfortunate workers. We can only hope their deaths will shake up the safety industry and changes will be made.

Sometimes these hazard checks aren’t as efficient as they could be, as many people are so accustomed to seeing the same thing day after day, they don’t recognize potential threats. They just blend in with the rest of the workplace. 

So, how can you see things differently? Put some time aside to go into the office or workshop when no one else is around, so you are not distracted, and…

Look Down:

There are likely some things you automatically step over or weave around every day as you make your way through the office or shop. While you may reflexively step over them, that doesn’t mean they should be there. If you have to make an effort to step over or around something, that means it is a hazard that someone who is not as used to the environment may trip over.

Look Up:

If you are like many businesses, you use every available space for storage and the items you need for your daily operations.  If your office has an abundance of shelves and other items stacked high, it’s time to give them a closer look. Check how sturdy shelves are. You should be able to bump into those shelves or stacks of items without them moving too much and definitely without them tumbling over. If your shelves are not bracketed to the wall, they should be.

Check light fittings. One office that specialised in glamour photography had an array of photographs spread over a work table under one of the overhead lights that was covered by a large plastic light shade. When the shade melted through and fell on the table, dribbling melted plastic over prints and a store of negatives, there was silence of regret in the office. Why regret? Because no one had bothered to investigate where that burning smell was coming from over the previous few hours, and then address the hazard.

Look Around:

Other work cubicles may pose risks, but the worker within them just ‘grins and bears’. It could be anything from sharp edges on furniture, a ‘trumpety chair’, a rip in the floor covering, cleaning chemicals and photocopy toners stored nearby, and so on. Just because the other worker is prepared to put up with the hazard, as perhaps they don’t want to ’cause waves’, that doesn’t mean that potential accident or health risk won’t ever take place.

Get Fresh Eyes:

If you are having a tough time seeing all the threats in your own workspace simply because you are so accustomed to your surroundings, perhaps a fresh pair of eyes could help. Maybe someone who doesn’t work with you could accompany you and point out anything they think could be a workplace hazard.