13+ Sample Office Safety Inspection Checklist

What Is an Office Safety Inspection Checklist?

To answer that question, an office safety inspection checklist is a business document that is used to address any form of responsibilities that the office workers may have and also to address any possible safety hazards which may be present in any kind of workplace. This inspection checklist must be performed and completed by qualified personnel (an example would be employees who have received proper safety training and can perform inspections effectively).

Whenever office safety inspections are performed, every employee will be interviewed regarding their experiences and safety concerns about the entire workplace. A thorough review of the office’s safety records will also take place. After the inspection is completed, the managers and supervisors of the workplace will receive a copy of the checklist. Most importantly, an additional copy of this document will also be passed on to the appropriate safety coordinator of the office.

Tips For Maintaining the Safety of an Office

Here are some of the tips that one can follow if they want to keep the safety levels of the office at an optimum level:

Reporting any unsafe conditions. Workers may be hesitant to report particular harmful circumstances and risks to their supervisors for fear of putting themselves or others into trouble. This kind of practice is not suitable for a safe work environment since it increases the possibility of an accident or injury occurring on-site. To help safeguard their coworkers and themselves, all members of the workforce must report harmful circumstances promptly.Keeping their workstations clean. Employees should keep useless objects away from or on their desks. They must also remember to wipe up any spills on their desks and fully disinfect the space if it is shared with other coworkers. Slips, trips, and falls can be prevented by having a clean workstation, averting a lot of occupational injuries or even deaths. As a result, it is always a good idea to urge staff to follow this safety guideline carefully.When doing something hazardous, wear protective equipment. Even if it might appear straightforward, it is crucial to remind workers to always wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) anytime they are working on something hazardous. Workers may forget or refuse to wear a certain piece of equipment, such as protective goggles or a hard hat because they believe it is completely pointless or that they can complete the task swiftly without it. Personal protection equipment is allocated to keep workers safe and prevent them from harm or sickness, so constantly remind them to wear the appropriate PPE for the task.Encouraging employees to rest. Employees that are fatigued and overworked can be a risk to the office. Breaks are necessary (and even encouraged) to allow workers time to relax and refresh before resuming their tasks. Tired team members may represent a danger since they are unable to completely concentrate on the work at hand, which may result in a serious incident or mishap, potentially causing injury to themselves or others.No shortcuts. What exactly does this mean? Well, some workers may be in a hurry to accomplish a task, thus they may skip steps in order to do it faster. They may also fail to use specific equipment or tools effectively in order to complete the work fast. In all circumstances, this must be avoided. It is important to remind team members that processes and workflows are meticulously designed to eliminate risk, therefore following them is the best option.Keeping everything updated. It is also a good idea to maintain everything in the office up to date. New processes, methods, or even equipment may be brought into the workplace, therefore it is good practice to ensure that employees are always informed of and up to speed on these new features. Proper education and awareness must be offered to personnel in order for them to understand what has to be done in order to avert a potential mishap. Encourage employees to ask inquiries and communicate with their supervisor if they require more assistance by cultivating a supportive atmosphere.Maintaining good ergonomics. Maintaining proper ergonomics in the workplace is also a good tip, as it is crucial to do occupational activities with good posture. This safety precaution is easy to overlook while you are absorbed in an activity, such as carrying heavy goods or sitting at your workstation staring at a screen for long hours. Employees must maintain good posture to avoid any form of aches, pains, and potential long-term impairment to their neck, back, or shoulders.Guiding any newcomers. Established and knowledgeable team members should constantly provide rookie staff with any form of advice they can give. It is critical to educate them about the organization’s safety culture and the standards it supports in order to maintain a strong foundation of safety. If all team members completely believe in the value that safety provides to not just the business, but also their own selves, they may work together to establish a safe and healthy work environment and an improved safety culture.

Some Examples of Hazards in the Office

Here are examples of the various hazards that one can encounter inside an office setting:

Slips and falls. This may seem absurd, yet these are evident hazards in an office. Workers employing incorrect methods to access items in high areas is one of the leading causes of this sort of harm. They frequently climb on workplace chairs that have rolled out from under them. Stepladders should be used by employees who need to reach things on high shelves or in tall cabinets. Another significant concern is wiring that goes through or near busy areas. Any non-permanent wiring should be shielded so that employees’ feet do not become entangled which can lead to serious trouble.Stressors. While there is no denying that technological innovation has improved workplace productivity, it has also resulted in a significant increase in injuries linked to repetitive movement and other ergonomic concerns. Complicating matters is the fact that many of these injuries accumulate over time and are difficult to notice on a daily basis.Improper lighting. Although office lighting may not appear to be a danger in and of itself, it may play a key role in a variety of risks and diseases, such as insufficient lighting that obscures hazards. One example is insufficient lights in corridors and storage areas. Poor office lighting can also be a hazard in places where tasks are being completed. This is due to the fact that inadequate lighting in offices can cause vision abnormalities such as eyestrain and headaches in the short term, as well as a compromised vision if the condition is not remedied. It can also contribute to increased workplace stress, which can lower productivity and make people more prone to disease. descriptionFire Hazards. Offices include more fire hazards than most managers know, which may go unreported by the untrained eye. Furthermore, in addition to the risk of injury and death, office fires have the potential to damage vital papers and equipment, therefore fire prevention should be a top concern. Many office products are very flammable, and some can even give off dangerous gases when burned.Blocked routes. Blocked emergency routes are also considered an office hazard because the workers must be able to leave the office quickly and safely in the case of an emergency. That is why it is critical to ensure that fire doors and escape routes are not obstructed by furniture or boxes. Emergency exits should also be well marked, and all personnel should be aware of the location of the nearest possible escape.

Steps in Making an Effective Office Safety Inspection Checklist

The responsibility of making sure that the office environment is safe to work at lies at the shoulders of the managers and safety officers. If they fail to do so, the hazards that show up as a result of negligence can cause unnecessary harm to everyone inside the office. With that being said, here are the steps to follow in making an office safety inspection checklist:

  • 1. Start With the Basic Details

    As you start writing the office inspection checklist, it is important to begin with the basic details first. This includes the name of the establishment, the address, and the date that the workplace inspection is to be conducted. You can also include here the names of the office manager and the designated safety officer who will conduct the office inspection.

  • 2. List Down the Items Concerning the Overall Safety

    After writing the basic information, now it is time to write the main parts of the inspection checklist. An ideal method to be followed here is to divide the areas of safety into categories to avoid being all over the place. For this step, we will begin writing down the items concerning the general safety of the office. This includes the floors, stairways, lightings, proper warning signs near potential hazards, presence of emergency evacuation plans, presence of proper health and safety information, and updated emergency contact numbers to the nearest police station, the nearest hospital, the local security, and most of all, the front desk of the building.

  • 3. List Down the Items Concerning Electrical Safety

    When you’re done with items regarding basic safety, you can now proceed to write down the items relating to electrical safety. This includes enough clearance between electrical panels, the good condition of all the electrical plugs that are present in the office, and the proper routing of any extension cords that are in use in the office space.

  • 4. List Down the Items Concerning Fire Protection

    Since fires are one of the most dangerous hazards that can be found in the office, this category of items should not be skipped when making the inspection checklist. For this step, include the items regarding fire safety, such as the presence of working fire alarms, the presence of fully working, properly maintained, and easily accessible fire extinguishers, and the presence of well-lit and easily identifiable emergency exit or fire exit signs.

  • 5. List Down the Items Concerning Furniture and Office Equipment

    The hazards that office furniture can pose can be so easily overlooked in an office setting since they are well unnoticeable for an untrained eye. For this step, you want to list down the items regarding the furniture and office equipment, such as secured heavy and large items, neat and orderly storage rooms, secured cabinets and bookshelves, and making sure that the desks and any file drawers present do not prove to be an obstruction in the workplace.

  • 6. List Down the Items Concerning Ergonomics and Conclude the Checklist

    Ergonomical safety is also one of the safety issues that are heavily overlooked in an office setting. For this step, start by listing down the items concerning ergonomics, such as the presence of fully adjustable chairs in the employee’s respective desks, availability of footrests, and properly adjusted monitors according to an employee’s height.

    Now that every category in the checklist has been completed, you can now conclude the checklist by giving it a simple verification process. You may have any duplicate items listed or any items that are totally omitted which can result in the inspection process going all over the place. When you are absolutely sure of the created checklist, the inspection can begin.

FAQs

What are examples of fire hazards in the office?

The fire hazards that can be found in the workplace include damaged power cords, the presence of any combustible materials in the office, blocked escape routes that can hamper evacuation in the event of a fire, overloaded extension sockets and overheating extension leads, and any kinds of faulty computer equipment.  These fire hazards have a great risk of leading to loss of data and even loss of lives when neglected.

What is a Hazard?

A hazard can be classified as a factor or a circumstance that has the potential to cause harm in the form of human injury or illness, property damage, or environmental damage. Hazards that are found in the workplace can come from a variety of different sources, which can include loud machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity, working at heights, a repetitious task, or improper behavior, all of which can jeopardize a worker’s safety and health.

What is a Safety Inspection?

A safety inspection is a structured and adequately documented procedure for identifying workplace dangers. This is frequently performed by an accredited safety officer. Safety inspections can take many various forms depending on the environment being tested, but they all compare results to approved criteria to verify that a particular environment is safe. As stated in this article, one of the most effective ways to conduct a safety inspection is through the use of an inspection checklist. A safety inspection can also be referred to as a safety audit.

Is risk different from a hazard?

Yes, it is entirely different from a hazard. Though these two terms are thrown around interchangeably, risk refers to the likelihood or probability that a person would be injured or suffer an undesirable health outcome if exposed to a particular hazard. Risk may also apply to instances involving the loss of property or equipment, as well as negative environmental repercussions.

Having an effective office safety inspection checklist in hand will prove to be a massive help whenever an office inspection is being conducted. Making sure that the procedure is done effectively and efficiently is one of the biggest reasons why one should resort to using this document. When office safety is valued, it ensures that all the employees are always motivated to go to work every day and it also helps ensure that they return home safely at the end of their shift. In this article, examples of an office safety inspection checklist can be easily acquired for personal use.