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Workplace Safety

My workplace poses some minor safety issues. Some chemical issues include, cleaning supplies, hand soaps, and lotions, which could be substituted with some environmentally and allergy friendly options. Some biological threats include, viruses and other bacteria that my coworkers might bring into the office. Alternatively, my colleagues could also introduce viral or bacterial strains into the office because they all live with young children, active teens, and/or several pets who are either susceptible or are frequently ill. If they or one of their loved ones were to become ill, it’s possible that they could affect individuals at the office who have weakened immune systems. If illness is severe enough, that person would be advised to work remotely or take a sick week to remove the biological hazard. If not severe enough, the staff will be reminded to be more mindful and be hygienic through frequent hand-washing and using hand sanitizers. Ergonomic issues certainly apply in our typical office setting where we’re usually at our desk 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. Given this, we contacted an ergonomist to assess our work environments and requested for recommendations to improve our setup. Through this appointment, we were able to eliminate hazards to our overall health (strains to eye, neck, head, wrists, back, legs) and learn some exercises and other movements to improve our desk stature.

In comparison to other work environments, my workplace setting does not pose many major risks. However, there certainly could be other areas where we could improve. Upon reflection, most of our workplace safety concerns probably pertain to ergonomic issues. I believe there was a great shift in how these concerns are perceived, which have already led to some wonderful improvements like ergonomic keyboards and chairs, as well as standing desks.

Companies and employers have placed importance on workplace safety, but employees still face several barriers to exercising health and safety rights at work. These barriers might include the fear of work reprisals or potential firing, or fears due to their immigration status.

Comments

  1. JudyJudeNovember 2, 2018 at 5:33 PM

    Ergonomic issue can make work unbearable. When I worked in Palo Alto, the company was so progressive and all I had to do is have an evaluation of my workstation and then complete a request for a standing desk. Not many employers can afford these accommodations, so consider yourself lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Antonio SorianoNovember 10, 2018 at 5:50 PM

    It is great to hear that you have had an ergonomist to assess your work stations. This is great for having personal evaluations on your workplace settings. In my previous workplace, we were able to ask for breathing masks if we felt we were sick, but not sick enough to take a full week off of work.

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