Workplace Health Review

Your place of employment has a certain responsibility for preventing any harm coming to you and keep you healthy while engaged in a task that has to do with your job role. OK, so they might not be handing out fitness trackers. But they do have a basic standard to live up to. But how much does the average employee really know about this? Probably not as much as they should, so read on to find out more, if you are concerned about health and safety at your place of work.

Office jobs

You may not think that there is much that is a risk to your health if you work in an office job. It’s not like you are working with heavy machinery or plant equipment, is it? But you would actually be wrong! There is a quite a bit to deal with in the area of health and safety when working in an office.

For example, did you know that your workstation needs to be ergonomic so working there doesn’t cause you any long term posture problems? Your monitor screen should be able to level with the top of your head. You should also be given enough space to rest your wrists on the table when typing, as well as additional pads to prevent RSI problems over time.

Even the lighting and temperature need to be monitored, as there are specific rules about what is acceptable at work in and what is not. Remember, too that if you use your computer for long stretches of time, you can ask for a screen shade which will reduce flicker and glare. As well as an addition backrest to improve your posture while sitting down.

Manual handling is also as much of an issue in the office environment as it is anywhere else. If you don’t know how much a box weights and the right way to pick it up you can easily damage you back. So it is your employer’s responsibility to train you in this before you do this sort of task.

Dangerous sites

Sometimes is not just the jobs that you are doing, but the environment that you are doing them in that causes a risk to your health. For example, construction workers often come across asbestos-laden buildings, and being exposed to this substance in the air, can result in a fatal disease.

Therefore employers are required tell employees when they are the situation. They also need to provide them with current and working safety equipment. This is common practice now but wasn’t for a long time. So if you have been in a situation with asbestos where your were not properly provided for, and got ill as a result, it can be a useful to step to contact a mesothelioma attorney.

Heavy machinery roles

Of course, most people realize that roles that include working with heavy machinery such as plant are inherently dangerous. But that doesn’t mean that you employer is not responsible for your safety in these cases.

In fact, they are required to train you adequately on how to use each piece of equipment, including what to do in the event of an emergency. They are also required to display reminders signs to protect your health which covers things like wearing protective clothing.