Keep workplaces safe with an office risk assessment checklist

What Is an Office Risk Assessment Checklist?

A risk assessment for the office is a systematic process carried out by office managers and safety officers to ensure that the working environment is free from health and safety risks. This involves regular checks of the site’s facilities and equipment using a template.

The office – risks assessment checklist makes it easier to sensitize employees to safety rules and to check that safety measures are being observed. Performing an office risk assessment can help companies create a safer, more comfortable, and cost-effective office environment.

These topics are covered in this article:

1. The 7 most common risks in the office

2. The 5 basic steps for a risk assessment in the office

3. A mobile solution for an office risk assessment checklist

The 7 Most Common Office Risks and How to Deal With Them

An office environment, just like other work environments, has many hazards that can affect ongoing business and harm workers. The following are the most common risks that can occur in office work and should be considered by office managers and safety representatives in any office risk assessment:

1. Slips and trips over spilled liquids and objects
   This problem can be solved by good housekeeping. Care should be taken to ensure that laid cables do not create tripping hazards. In addition, all rooms and corridors should be well lit, and paths and corridors should be free of obstacles.
2. Manual handling of heavy materials
   Responsible persons should judge for themselves whether they can lift heavy materials or not. If necessary, employees should know that they can get help from others.
3. Poorly designed workstations
   Staff ergonomic practices when sitting and using computers should be closely monitored. Ergonomic sitting posture is important to avoid absenteeism due to illness. Every employee should receive instruction on ergonomics at the workplace.
4. Falls from height
   Falls from any height can cause bruises and fractures. Therefore, chairs and ladders must be checked regularly for their condition.
5. Stress-related hazards
   

   Stress at work can be caused by high workloads, an unbalanced work-life balance or even bullying. Therefore, every company should develop guidelines on working hours, holidays and workload, as well as provide training on stress and stress management.

6. Electrical and fire hazards
   These two hazards are often associated with faulty equipment and machine explosions that can cause burns, fires and even fatalities. All employees must be trained to immediately report hazards that may pose a danger
7. Working alone
   Certain office activities require individual employees to work alone. Managers should carry out risk assessments and check the health status of lone workers before they start work.

5 Basic Steps for an Office Risk Assessment

To ensure the health and safety of the company, it is the responsibility of employers to control and keep low the risks in the workplace. Safety managers need to think about what could harm people in the office and decide whether the controls in place will help prevent harm to workers. The following 5 basic steps have been developed to make an office risk assessment more effective:

1. Identify hazards
   

   Conduct a risk assessment in the office by conducting walk-throughs and site visits. This also includes arranging work equipment correctly in the room and designing lighting conditions and illumination sensibly.

2. Record
   Document who could be injured by the identified hazards. Where is there a high risk of accidents?
3. Document controls
   All existing controls should be documented and identified. What could possibly be improved? Can work surfaces, e.g. work tables be better aligned?
4. Set priorities
   

   Often, a comprehensive hazard analysis reveals various hazards or weak points. Here it is important to prioritise correctly. In doing so, you should make a precise plan.

5. Document all results
   In the last step of the risk assessment in the office, the results have to be checked. It is also important to constantly monitor all the risks entered into and, if necessary, make adjustments by taking appropriate measures.

A Mobile Solution for an Office Risk Assessment Checklist

Regularly carrying out an office risk assessment is one of the key tasks to reduce hazards for the company and the employees. If a paper-based method is used, the process can be lengthy and inefficient. This in turn leads to delays when it comes to prioritizing hazard reduction. Time off work due to sick or injured employees is very costly.

Protect your teammates and yourself by regularly checking compliance with all internal standards via mobile app. By regularly checking and easily analyzing the data, you can avoid lost productivity and lost wages. The digital solution brings you the following advantages:

• Generate real-time data about your processes. This makes quality and safety measurable for the first time and you can use the data to continuously improve processes.
• All results, images and comments are automatically bundled in a digital report.
• Continuous increase in quality and safety: The flexible checklist toolbox allows you to continuously optimise internal audits and processes. Since Lumiform guides the auditor through the audit, no training is required.
• The very simple operation offers no room for error for auditors on site. The app offers less complexity in documenting or completing checklists than complicated paper or Excel lists.