Office Interior Design Blog |

Potential Office Safety Hazards part #3

Continuing on with my blog about the potential office hazards let me give you a few more tips that can benefit your office area.

Potential Trip Hazards

         Loose debris or spills on the floor

         Electrical wire or cables in walkway

         Torn or loose carpeting

         Missing floor tiles

         Broken stair tread edges

         Uneven walking surfaces

Slips, Trips and Falls

         Pick up debris and loose objects (waste paper, pencils, paper clips, etc.)

         Wipe up spills immediately

         Report floor defects to Facilities Services

         Wear “sensible” shoes (sturdy heels and non-slip soles)

         Use a ladder or step stool when necessary

         Walk, don’t run!

Stairs

         Avoid distractions

         Take one step at a time

         Don’t load your arms so full of materials that you can’t see

         Keep one hand on the  handrail

         Don’t congregate on the stairs or landings

         Watch where you’re going

Stay tuned to my blog to learn more about Potential Office Safety Hazards at SPACE, Inc.

Have you been wondering what to do with your windows and just can’t decide what to do?   Now there is a tax credit you may qualify for that will make your decision a little easier.  You may be able to qualify for up to $1500 in tax savings with certain window treatments. 
 

Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Drinking & Driving Facts

1.  The law in all 50 U.S. states, defines a driver to be legally drunk when his/her blood alcohol content (BAC) level is at or above .08

2.  Drunk driving causes approximately one-third of all traffic fatalities in the United States.

3.  During the year 2007, alcohol-impaired driving was involved in the deaths of nearly 13,000 Americans.

4.  On average, someone in the U.S. is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes.

5.  Roughly three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related collision at some point in their life.

6.  Approximately 75% of fatal crashes occurring between midnight and 3 a.m. involve alcohol.

7.  Men are about twice as likely as women to drive under the influence of alcohol and to be involved in a fatal collision.

8.  According to one study, a first-time drunk-driving offender has already driven drunk more than 80 times before being arrested.

9.  Nearly 75% of drunk drivers involved in fatal collisions are not wearing their safety belts.

10.  It takes approximately six hours after drinking for the body to completely eliminate alcohol from its system with a BAC level of .08

Does the cost of new office furniture seem overwhelming?  SPACE Inc now has an option for our clients to lease furniture.  Americore Capital handles all of the leasing paperwork for the client.  With the financing portion resolved, SPACE Inc does what we do best, provide great interior solutions for your projects.

Call us to find out how leasing leaves your credit lines open.  There is also a 2009 tax credit that allows a 100% depreciation of the furniture this year only.  This tax credit alone is a great incentive to make a purchase or lease for 2009.

Winter Driving Safety Tips

Road and weather conditions can change very rapidly- so take the time to note the local forecast and plan accordingly.

Here are some tips that you should note prior to entering the Winter Season:

• Check that fluid levels are adequate- washer fluid and anti-freeze
• Make sure that your wiper blades adequately clear your windshield of snow, rain, sand and salt
• Be sure that your car has plenty of gas to get you safely to your destination- remember that during bad weather conditions- your journey may take longer than expected
• Make sure that you clear your car of all snow prior to heading out on your journey
• Remember to buckle up for safety
• Remember when stopping – allow extra space between the next vehicle

Be prepared in the event that you may become disabled. Check emergency equipment: spare tire, jumper cables, shovel, flashlight, flares, ice scraper, brush and blanket. Travel with additional warm clothing, hat, coat, gloves and warm footwear. In an emergency situation should arise that requires use of the breakdown land, pull over as far to the right as possible in the breakdown land and activate your car’s hazard lights. Use extreme care whenever exiting your vehicle- checking your mirrors for oncoming traffic before opening your door.

Keep this in mind- if you can stay home- stay home….. Don’t put yourself and others at risk.

 The following was recently sent to me and I thought it worth sharing.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Safety

1. Taking shortcuts

Some people think that by doing the job quicker it will help prevent an accident.  Does taking a shortcut actually enhance the chance of an injury to yourself or a fellow worker?  The answer is a resounding YES.  You will find that shortcuts with safety increase the chance of an accident.
A shortcut in safety is a shortcut to hospital.

2. Over confidence 

Having confidence in your abilities is a good thing.  But over confidence can lead you to think injury will never happen to you.  This can lead to misuse of tools and thinking of ways to make processes quicker increasing the chance of an accident.  Chance takers are accident makers.

3. Starting a task with incomplete instructions

To do a task safely and right the first time, you need to be sure about what is required of you.  Don’t be shy about asking for more information on safety precautions and procedures.  It isn’t dumb to question, it’s dumb not to!

4. Poor Housekeeping 

When visitors walk through our facility, they can get an accurate indicator of how much we feel that safety is a value by the state of the housekeeping.  A well-maintained area speaks volumes about how we value our safety.  As we know this ties in well with quality as well as production.  Good housekeeping gives people a sense of pride in their facility.

5. Ignoring Safety Procedures 

When people purposely ignore safety procedures they are breaking the site cardinal rules.  They endanger the health of not only themselves but ever other person on site.  Remember that being casual about safety could result in casualties.

6. Distraction at work  

If someone is distracting you while you are doing a complex task, firmly - but politely - tell them to be quiet.  They may be offended but this can mean the difference between going home in one piece or not.  Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic due to distraction.

7. Failure to plan your work  

Being hasty when starting a task, or not giving a task enough thought could be putting you in harms way.  Instead you should plan your work and work your plan.  Daily safety talks or check sheet may help us with our planning.

The following complies a number of safety no-no’s and misconceptions we probably see everyday.

• Workplace safety is only the responsibility of the person(s) wearing the Safety hat.

• People have different work styles. Workers who work best with piles of materials about their areas are just as safe from accident and injury as workers who have a clean and well organized office.

• A sloppy worker is only a danger to himself.

• Safety is just common sense. The Company doesn’t need to waste time training people not to put their hands in a shredder.

• Workers should walk around spilled liquid on the floor and leave it up to the cleaning crew to clean up.

• All we can afford is the furniture we’ve been given. If the chairs don’t adjust and we use tables instead of fancy desks, it won’t hurt anyone.

• Chairs or stools can be substituted for a ladder to get items out-of-reach as long as an employee “spots” the person using the chair or stool.

• No one needs instructions on how to use a ladder.

• Anyone can safely pick up a fire extinguisher to put out a fire.

Remember to be observant and do not safety for granted. Remember what you could be missing as a result of not living your daily life safely.

If you ask four different people what company culture is, likely, you will get four different responses.  Our culture includes our values, personality and practices of SPACE Inc. The culture determines how our teams interact, problem solve, provide client satisfaction and solve problems.

A company with a strong culture may find they have mutual trust and cooperation, open communication, efficient decision making processes and fewer internal disagreements. Creating and maintaining a vibrant culture is what SPACE Inc. strives to do year in and year out. Building relationships and encouraging teamwork help to enhance and grow company culture. Communicating and empowering team members solidify a strong culture.

SPACE Inc. values its team members viewpoints and styles and this makes our growing company attractive to potential employees and is why our current employees stay!

With today being the first day of school here in Michigan, we all need a refresher course on Safety as it relates to the start of the school year. It’s been 9 months since we have dealt with the school year.

It’s estimated that 24 million students nationwide start their school day with a trip on the school bus. The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. School buses are nearly 8 times safer than passenger vehicles. But children must take care when boarding or leaving the bus. While an average of 7 school-age passengers are killed in school bus crashes each year, 19 are killed getting on and off the bus.

Most of those killed are children, five to seven years old.

Young children are often in a hurry to get on or off the bus.

Sometimes they act before they think and have little experience with traffic. They assume motorists will see them and will wait for them to cross.

Let’s make sure we look out for our childeren as well as those of others. Take a minute, it is worth every bit of it.

The attached link is a checklist that you can use in your workplace that has been designed to help you evaluate what is needed for a good ergonomic workstation arrangement.  It is to provide guidance.  Review the checklist and see if you have an ergonomic workstation, and see what you can do to improve your current workstation. Ergo Checklist