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Welcome to the Workplace Hazards website. Here you will find a one stop shop to help your company comply with workplace health and safety regulations, guidance and best practice.

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The list below details a number of hazards that may be present in an office environment. This is not an exhaustive list but only a starting point to help risk assessors for the purpose of risk assessment.

Slips, Trips and Falls
The most common cause of major injuries at work.

Slips - Clean up spillages immediately. Cordon off the area and use safety signage until completely dry.

Trips - Keep walkways clear and unobstructed. Beware of trailing cables.

Manual Handling
Lifting and carrying of heavy objects in the office (e.g. office furniture, computer equipment, stationery, etc).

Harmful Substances
Exposure to harmful substances in the office (solvent based correction fluid, toner powder, cleaning chemicals, tobacco smoke, etc).

Electricity
The use of portable appliances (electrical) in the office i.e. computers, printers, photocopiers, shredders, franking machines etc.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
The specific hazards associated with the use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE).

Other Work Equipment
Hazards may be present with the use of other work equipment (non electrical). i.e. office furniture (filing cabinets, desks, pedestals), stationery (scissors, staplers), etc.

Noise
Distracting noise from phones, printers, photocopiers, franking machines, shredding machines etc.

Call centre worker may be at risk from the effects of acoustic shock and noise interference from their headsets.

Acoustic shock is a random frequency surge delivered via a headset, caused by a sudden spike of noise that will damage the human ear.

Falling, Moving or Flying Objects

Falling – Storage of files above head height i.e. on top of tall cupboards. Unstable loads may fall and causing injury to the handler.

Moving – Risk of injury from motor vehicles when walking across the site car park.

Working At Height
Risk of falling when working from ladders, steps and other similar equipment.

Fire
Protecting employees and members of the public from the risks associated from a fire occurring in the workplace.

Lone Working
The risks associated with working alone or unsupervised for significant periods of time.

Violence
Protect employees from violence and abuse distributed by the general public.

Call centre workers may be at risk from verbal abuse whilst using the telephone.

Criminals may target employees carrying laptop computers.

Other high value equipment and cash held in the office is an obvious target for criminals.

Security personnel may be a particular group of people at risk

Construction Work
The risks from construction works in any form and including installations, servicing and maintenance being carried out in the office environment.

Note – The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) apply generally to all construction works when the construction phase is longer than 30 days or involve more than 500 person days of construction work. For a full interpretation of the term construction refer to the regulations.

Other
The following list of factors may also contribute if not properly managed.

Asbestos, building plant, business continuity, gas, legionnaires disease, physical security, window cleaning.

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