Six ways to manage workplace risks
Risk assessment is part of any advisory process when dealing with clients, but sometimes it's easy to overlook checking if our own workplace is up to par. A busy business can let things slide, so through courses available in the Suncorp Learning Campus, we've identified some of the key risks you should double check for yourself as well as your clients.
Injury risks
The biggest overall assessment will always come back to potential injury risks around the workplace. Are filing cabinets secured and loaded correctly? Are walkways clear? Are staff members using chairs to prop open doors? It's the classic list of general risks that has existed as long as people have worked in offices. Maintaining regular assessments to ensure no lazy habits creep in is important on this front.
Cable hazards
A more modern problem is cable hazards, with power and networking often added to office spaces well after their original design dates. Ensuring appropriate cable management schemes are being utilised and that cable safety mats are used when cables must run across a floor are very important to remove tripping risks from around the office.
“Cables can be fussy to redress effectively, so it’s easy for people to let stray cables lie around for the sake of convenience,” says Dale Garbett, Manager of Risk Engineering Capability, at Suncorp. “But this quickly becomes one of the biggest hazards around a busy office as people rush between meetings with laptops still open, not looking at what might be underfoot. This hazard should not be underestimated.”
Cables should all be tagged with inspection tags to ensure they are safe, and any signs of wear should be attended to quickly.
Office ergonomics
With our screen-centric work lives we need to ensure every staff member is feeling comfortable in their desk setup and that their eyes, backs, wrists and shoulders are all following best practice ergonomic positioning. Sit-stand desks are also a big proactive step toward great office health arrangements. Learn more about the latest research and best practice for office ergonomics via the courses available in the Suncorp Learning Campus mentioned below.
Office security
With so much important client information, critical company intelligence, and valuable office hardware kept onsite, keeping your office physically secure is paramount. This is about both systems and processes; ensuring that locks and access systems are performing as they should and that every member of staff is following procedures.
Cyber attacks
What goes for doors and locks also goes for accounts and passwords in the modern era, but many businesses take the digital domain less seriously, even though it is where so much sensitive information now lives. Security audits and testing staff adherence to policies can be a good way to ensure the whole team remains vigilant. Because, as we’ve all seen from news headlines on cybersecurity breaches, one slip up could cost a business dearly.
If you are looking to get deeper insights into managing health and safety risks in your workplace or to advise your clients - here are some of the courses available through the Suncorp Learning Campus.
- Information Security & Cyber Risk Awareness Global
Insight and guidance on how you can protect your firm from information security breaches and to recognise the warning signs of cybercrime.
- Hazard Identification & Risk Control
This course walks you through best practice processes to identify potential hazards in an office environment and then explains how to manage them. From what to do when a hazard is first identified through to more strategic questions of how to proactively reduce risks.
- Workplace Health and Safety
Uncovering the importance of health and safety responsibilities at work, spotting common risks and hazards and managing them appropriately. The course is tailored to Australian workplaces.
- Office Safety
A video that offers direct advice on a number of health and safety risks, including exercises to reduce ergonomic risk factors.
