Office

An non-exhaustive list of some of the common hazards and risks found in nursing home offices.

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Chemical Agents

Risk of:

  • Health effects such as dermatitis and respiratory problems.

Possible causes:

  • Exposure to cleaning chemicals and toners.

Electricity

Risk of:

  • Burns.
  • Electric shock.
  • Death.
  • Fire.

Possible causes:

  • Faulty or poorly maintained equipment.
  • Overloading of sockets.

Equipment

Risk of:

  • Cuts.
  • Electric shock.
  • Being struck by an object.

Possible causes:

  • Faulty equipment.
  • No or poor maintenance of equipment.
  • Unsecured filing cabinets or unstable shelving.

Ergonomic Hazards

Risk of:

  • Pains in back, neck or arms.
  • Musculoskeletal disorders.

Possible causes:

  • Poorly set up computer or office workstations.
  • Inappropriate seating.
  • Over reaching or stretching e.g. to reach objects above shoulder height or below shoulder height.
  • Prolonged or intense keyboard or mouse use.
  • Supporting the telephone on the shoulder whilst using a computer or writing.
  • Poor ergonomics of software.

Fire

Risk of:

  • Smoke inhalation.
  • Burns.
  • Death.

Possible causes:

  • Overloaded sockets or extension leads.
  • Faulty or unmaintained equipment.

Manual Handling

Risk of:

  • Musculoskeletal disorders.

Possible causes:

  • Lifting heavy items such as boxes of photocopy paper.

Noise

Risk of:

  • Fatigue and inefficiency.
  • Impaired concentration.
  • Increased mental and emotional strain.

Possible causes:

  • Exposure to low level noise such as ringing phones or equipment generated noise

Slips, Trips and Falls

Risk of:

  • Minor injuries such as cuts to major injuries such as broken bones, concussion and even death.

Possible causes:

  • Uneven surfaces.
  • Worn or torn carpets.
  • Cluttered or poorly maintained office areas.
  • Loose phone cords or computer cables.
  • Trailing cables.

Working at Height

Risk of:

  • Fall resulting in minor injuries such as bruises and cuts to major injuries such as concussion or broken limbs.

Possible causes:

  • Lack of access equipment such as footstools to access material stored at height.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of hazards and risks.