8 Things That Should Be in Your Office Safety Inspection Checklist

Your employees get to work early and are willing to stay late. The handle the tough calls that you don’t want to, they work to get your business’s profits up, and they’re always eager to go the extra mile for your customers.

You need to extend that same level of care and attention to detail when it comes to their safety at work.

Still, with so many different threats and dangers to worry about, it can sometimes be tough to know what to prioritize.

In this post, we’ll tell you all about the most crucial items that you need to include on your office safety inspection checklist.

Read on to learn how to keep everyone on your team out of harm’s way.

1. Your Emergency Equipment :

Over 3,000 fires occur in an office environment within a single year.

Even if you’ve perfectly mapped out an exit route and make it a point to always turn off and unplug larger appliances and electronics, accidents can still happen.

If the worst happens, you want to be sure that your equipment is in good working order. Make sure that you run regular tests on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and that your fire extinguishers are currently up to date.

The same goes for any sprinklers that you have in your building.

Also routinely monitor to ensure that your building is in line with the current fire code regulations.

This is essential in order to be sure that your equipment can handle fires of any size.

2. Overall Security :

Whether you’re dealing with a disgruntled former employee, a potential terrorist threat, or just a suspicious character, you need to make sure your office safety inspection checklist includes an examination of your security.

The reality is that it is your responsibility to keep your employees safe while they’re at the office.

You need to ensure that your parking lot’s lighting is in place, particularly if workers are entering or exiting your building late at night.

You should also make sure that you have a security system in place to monitor entry and access to your building. Depending on the type of industry you work within, you may even want to consider hiring a security guard.

You should also consider having video/camera equipment in place, as well as security systems and other types of alarms designed to prevent break-ins.

3. Clear Aisles and Stairways :

The next item you should cover on your office safety inspection checklist?

Ensure that your stairways, stairwells, and any aisles leading to an emergency exit are completely clear.

You should also ensure that your stairwells have appropriate lighting and that the handrails are securely in place.

Do a routine walk-through to inspect whether or not the stairways are clear. You should also be sure that you have a system in place for notifying employees when a floor is slippery or wet.

This means that you also need to ensure that cleaning supplies are always on hand and that the office is spotless. If you feel like you can’t maintain this on your own, then maybe you could try a professional cleaning service. Most professional cleaning companies should provide their own supplies so that you don’t have to. An example can be seen through Ideal Cleaning in the UK who outline on their office cleaning page that they supply and maintain all equipment/chemicals needed for the job.

Above all, make sure that you instruct your employees to refrain from storing anything in your stairway or in the office aisles.

Not only will this help to prevent slip and fall accidents, it will also allow everyone to quickly leave the building in the event of an emergency.

4. Your Indoor Air Quality :

Testing your building’s air quality is one of the most important items on your office inspection safety checklist.

While you can read more here to understand what’s causing hazardous or unhealthy indoor air quality within your commercial space, you mainly need to understand how to monitor it.

First of all, do a visual inspection of your air conditioning ducts, vents, and unit. Can you spot any debris collecting around it? What about mold or mildew on your ceilings?

For best results, we suggest having your vents/HVAC units cleaned at the start of every season. If your office building works with chemicals or other hazardous substances, you may need to have your air quality tested and HVAC units cleaned more often.

This testing will help you to identify dangers like asbestos, dust, allergens, and much more. You should also be sure to test the overall humidity levels within your office.

This won’t just tell you that there might be an issue with your air conditioning. It will also ensure that your office environment isn’t conducive to mold growth.

5. Look out for Electrical Hazards :

You should also include your overall electrical systems and their maintenance on your office safety inspection checklist.

Be sure that your outlets are at least 6 feet away from any source of water in your office. Also routinely test your outlets to prevent them from becoming overloaded. When possible, use fixed wiring instead of extension cords.

If you must use a power strip, try to limit it to one.

Test the electrical cords in your office to ensure that they’re not fraying in any way.

If your office includes any sort of electrical closet or equipment, make sure that nothing else is stored in it that could potentially become a fire hazard.

Follow this Office Safety Inspection Checklist :

Your employees do so much for you every day.

It’s your responsibility to implement proper safety measures, tests, and more to keep them safe on the job.

A good checklist examines your office’s air quality, emergency equipment, electrical wiring, and much more. Don’t wait until it’s too late to identify a serious gap in your office’s safety plan.

Looking for more advice on how to effectively run your business in a way that keeps your entire team happy and healthy?

Read our blog to learn how you can make it happen — starting today.

Read Also : 

• Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Office Organized
• Is Your Office Making You Sick? 10 Things to Consider