So you finally got the job… congrats! You’ll be so excited to get started, and will have so much to learn about your company, position, and industry. However, one thing that’s often forgotten when starting a new job is office safety. Ugh, the boring stuff, right?
It doesn’t have to be boring, especially if you’re Michael Scott, fictional, self-proclaimed “World’s Best Boss” from the hit NBC Show, The Office. Katherman Briggs & Greenberg put together the infographic below, which takes a humorous look at office safety. In addition to all the laughs, it does have a lot of great advice.
You’re Not As Safe As You Think You Are
The top ten most dangerous jobs in America are:
- logging workers
- fishermen
- pilots
- roofers
- truck drivers
- refuse material collectors
- structural iron/steel workers
- farmers/ranchers
- construction workers
- electrical power-line workers
You may think that you’re safe if you have a office job where you sit at your computer all day, but that’s not completely true. The top ten most common workplace injuries occur because of:
- lifting
- slips
- stress
- muscle strains
- workplace violence
- toppling objects
- tendon injury
- carpal tunnel
- hazardous materials
- trips/falls
More than likely, you’re going to go into your new job without thinking about any of those things. Sure, you’d be aware of the proper techniques if you were doing hard labor that had you lifting every day. The real chance for injury is when your co-worker says “Hey, can you grab that old printer and put it on top of this bookshelf?” Many people have thrown out their back doing similar activities, which is exactly what you don’t want to do during your first week (or anytime, really).
How to Stay Safe
The main thing you can do to stay safe in the office is to be aware. Stay alert, especially when walking through the office, as you never know when someone may have spilled their coffee or mindlessly let their coat fall on the floor in the walkway. If you’re reading a report while walking briskly to the conference room, you’re putting yourself and others around you at risk.
Just sitting at your computer all day isn’t the answer either. Looking at a screen all day can have serious effects on your eyeballs. Try the 20-20-20 rule. It states that to reduce the risk of straining your eyes, every 20 minutes you need to gaze 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You’ll save yourself a headache, and can use the time to think about what you’re doing next.
As for the lifting, always ask for help. Don’t be the macho guy, even if you want to impress the cute receptionist. It won’t be impressive to be hobbling around on crutches for a week after you fall.
An added bonus of taking safety seriously is that your boss might notice as well. If you care enough about the company to keep everyone safe, you’re probably a keeper.
It’s nice to have a little bit of fun with office safety, and this infographic is pretty humorous. It also gives some great tips on how you can stay safe at your first job.
