Accident prevention in offices
In leisure time, especially during sports, people expose themselves - more or less consciously - to various accident risks. But many accidents also happen in everyday situations that at first glance seem less dangerous. Even the office is by no means an accident-free zone.
Construction workers protect themselves from injury with technical safety precautions, by observing safety rules and with personal protective equipment. In accordance with the regulations, because the dangers on construction sites are obvious. The risk of an accident in an office in the service sector, on the other hand, is often underestimated. In the economic sectors and industries where office work is the predominant activity, the SSUV accident insurance statistics collection centre identified around 15,000 recognised occupational accidents per year between 2005 and 2014. Of these, one third are trip and fall accidents.
The ongoing insurance costs amount to around CHF 74 million per year. What is often forgotten are the direct costs, e.g. for overtime worked by other employees or problems with customers, etc. Experience shows that the lost day of an employee in the service sector causes costs of between 600 and 1000 francs for the company. This is a major burden for SMEs in particular.
Avoiding accidents - with the right working conditions and the necessary attention
In order to prevent accidents, it is first necessary to know which factors lead to absences due to accidents or illness. These include technical and structural defects such as tripping hazards, wear and tear, confined spaces or inadequate traffic and escape routes. Other, often underestimated causes of accidents are organisational deficiencies such as imprecise work processes, time pressure, excessive demands or lack of communication. In addition to technology, building defects or deficits in work organisation, the awareness and appropriate behaviour of each individual is also decisive. If the eyes are absorbed in the mobile phone screen while climbing stairs or if the office is hastily left at the last minute for a meeting, a flight of stairs can easily become a tripping hazard. Human factors therefore play an important role in the prevention of accidents.
Occupational health and safety benefits everyone
From a legal point of view, the responsibility for providing the framework conditions for safety and health protection at the workplace lies with the employer. In order to prevent occupational accidents and illnesses and to protect health, the employer must take all measures that are necessary according to experience, applicable according to the state of the art and appropriate to the circumstances. Coordinated measures can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and illness. Beyond the economic interests and legal obligations of a company, the "Prevention in the Office" campaign also pursues other objectives. It provides recommendations on how a healthy and productive working environment can promote the health, motivation and performance of employees. This benefits employees and employers, but also the economy and society in equal measure.
Further tips and free tools for improving occupational safety and health protection in the office are available from the EKAS at www.prävention-im-büro.ch.
