Any ideas on how to start up a safety program in my office?
Asked by Kelly K
I work in an office building and my boss has asked me to put together a short everyday meeting each morning to bring up some keys points of office safety. 1) Any ideas on common office safety or that which is not normally thought of? This is to involve all aspects, not just in the actual work envrionment ie. the parking lot, elevator etc. 2) What do you think that the best way to present this is? 3) Any fun ideas?

Best Answer:
Insurance Loss Control departments are a good place to start, but unless you have a large enough policy,,, their efforts are less than complete. OSHA is a great place,,,, consultative services. You can find stuff here, have them come out, etc. etc. etc. They also have some publications just for office safey. The NC OSHA website is a good one, and you can find the publications. If your company belongs to any trade associations,,, these can also be a wealth of information. Now,,, with an office,,,, you are going to run out of material real fast if you are doing a daily meeting. Let me knock down your work load by about 80%,,, do a WEEKLY topic. Now, let's see if you can come up with 52 topics for office safety. Look over the free publications, look at your OSHA 300 logs to see if you have an accident history, interview your insurance carrier loss control person since they have access to a larger number base for types of office accidents. Once you have the topics,,, let's talk about what you are going to do with them. Start with a nice little sign, poster board or a bulletin board, located where everyone will see it. Time clock, main entrance, etc. This is where you set the tone for the topic. Now,,, let's use some "inescapable messaging" to drive home the topic and the key points you want retained. Single sheets of paper as signs, at the coffee pot, mass daily emails (here is the boss's daily requirement), refridgerator / vending machines, and my personal favorite,,, bathroom stalls and over urinals. (HEY,,, you are paying them to stand there anyway,,, might as well train them while they are at it.) Look into using payroll stuffers, or placing the topic of the week on the home screen for the puters. On Friday,,, have a short meeting. 10 minutes. Go over the key points of the topic for the week. Then,,, pass out index cards for a short test. Each employee must print and sign their name, and the questions will focus on 3 to 5 key points of the topic. Self graded on the spot,,, and if anybody misses any questions, you go over it right then,,,, have them write the correct answer and initial it..... Take up the cards,,, and you are going to use these next week. This week, use the cards from last week to have a drawing. A safety LOTTO. I've seen prizes range from $10 gift cards to Walmart, to just picking out 5 names for chances on a monthly drawing,,,, with a $50 gift card to Walmart. You decide. The point is,,, create something the employees will find value in,,, to keep the program alive and working. Now,,, after you are all done with the cards,,,, YOU FILE THEM,,, as they can all the required OSHA documentation you need for OSHA required training on topics such as Bloodborne Pathogens, Hazard Communication, Basic Electrical Safety (cords and such), Emergency Actions - fire, severe weather, chemical spill, etc., Basic Fire Prevention, Ladder and stool safety, etc. etc. etc. Now,,, couple this program with a monthly workplace safety inspection to look for unsafe conditions, such as bad chairs, extension cords, portable heaters (this one is hard in an office), loose or broken ladders, missing fire extinguishers, working Emergency lighting units, proper storage of light bulbs, toner, cleaners, etc.,,,, and the list goes on and on. The goal is to use the inspection to eliminate physical hazard from the workplace. These are the focus of OSHA complicance,, and most insurance inspections. Then the training and messaging program has the goal of helping employees make safe descions on actions. Unsafe actions are the root cause of over 90% of workplace accidents. This is just a start,,, but from this basic framework,,,, you can spin off a number of ideas and things to do,,,, Good luck,,, and work safe. If you like this answer,,, how about a BEST ANSWER picked by the asker. Want more help,,,, just let me know,,,,
Environmental Health and Safety Director - 30 years
Answered by Bard S

Speak with your insurance broker, between the broker and the insurance company who underwrites your liability and workers compensation programs, you should be able to access a wealth of information
Answered by jwishz