Even if you rarely think about it, safety in the workplace is very important.

Hardly anyone suspects that dangers can also lurk in office jobs. But it is precisely this false sense of security that repeatedly causes accidents in the office. Even hazardous substances can be found in the office and can affect the health of employees if stored incorrectly. In fact, several thousand employees are injured in the office every year - but many of these accidents could have been avoided.

False sense of security

It is precisely the false sense of security in the office that leads to accidents. Hardly anyone perceives a sharp corner or a sharp edge as a problem: only when something has happened are such places perceived as a danger. Slippery thresholds in offices are a major potential hazard. The floors themselves are often less of a problem, but door thresholds are often made of other materials that can be slippery, especially on rainy days. However, such areas can easily be made less slippery with suitable non-slip coverings. Cables that have been laid incorrectly are also often a trip hazard in the office. However, such problems can be solved in no time at all, as the cables can be laid safely in cable ducts mounted on the wall. This also has the pleasant effect of making the office look tidy. Danger comes from the devices themselves if they are not running properly or if there are open points in the cabling, for example. Exposed cables can lead to electric shocks and, in the worst case, defective electrical appliances can even cause fires.

Hazardous substances in the office

A range of hazardous substances are stored in offices. This starts with adhesives and ends with toners and ink cartridges. Although such office materials pose a low risk when viewed individually, they can become a danger when stored in bulk. In the office, not only are adhesives or Tipp-Ex used, but large quantities are also bought in stock. These boxes with many individual bottles must then be stored accordingly. This also applies to toner and ink cartridges, where proper disposal is particularly important. Toners and cartridges are often refilled to save costs, which makes perfect sense, but this work should be left to professionals. The substances in toner in particular should not be released into the air, as they have not been classified as hazardous by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, but they are not harmless either. In any case, the hazard warnings on the individual office materials should be observed, as there are also instructions for disposal.

Keep escape routes clear

Regardless of whether there is a fire or other hazardous substances have been released in the office, the premises must be evacuated quickly in an emergency. To this end, escape routes and emergency exits should always be well marked and an emergency drill should be carried out at least once a year. It makes sense if there are several people in charge who can be contacted in an emergency and are also visually recognizable with high-visibility vests. Anyone who is still thinking about buying such vests and protective clothing will find suitable products at gaerner. Especially for cleaning staff, who come into contact with hazardous substances in the form of cleaning materials much more frequently, gloves, for example, are indispensable and are also offered there.