Contrary to popular belief, office work does not necessarily have to be light work, not requiring much effort. Administrative and office work can involve a significant physical and mental burden on a given employee. It also happens that it is a source of threat to health and life. Therefore, both employees and employers should make every effort to guarantee safe and hygienic working conditions for every person in the office space. However, in order to counteract the risk, it is first necessary to define it.

Hazards in office work can be divided into those that may result in an accident in the workplace, or those which, as a result of long-term impact, may adversely affect the employee’s health.

In office work, as well as in other types of professions, there may be a number of hazards that can directly contribute to the occurrence of accidents at the place of performance of official duties.

As in most workplaces, there are physical factors in office work that can result in accidents. Such factors include, for example:

• dangerous flat surfaces (slippery floors, uneven floors, etc.);
• stairs/thresholds;
• unstable ladders;
• opened doors, windows, wardrobes, drawers, etc.;
• sharp instruments;
• electrical appliances, etc.

All the above-mentioned factors occurring in specific activities can result in serious consequences, such as: sprains; fractures of limbs; concussion; bruising;

Burns; paralysis, etc.

Accidents and their consequences listed above may consequently lead to long-term inability of the employee to work. The longer the employee’s sick leave, the higher the costs should be taken into account by the employer, who finances the first 33 days of the employee’s illness, bears additional costs of employing new employees and their training as a replacement for the sick or the costs of overtime for other employees. The consequence of accidents in workplaces may also be an increase in the company’s accident insurance rate.

Other potential sources of hazards in workplaces are chemical agents and dust. Administrative and office work usually requires the employee to contact numerous devices and objects, the efficiency of which depends on various types of liquids, inks, toners, etc. In addition, there is also the issue of keeping the office clean – it is not uncommon for the company not to employ an additional person to clean office space, but the employees together with the employer try to maintain cleanliness in the environment, usually using numerous chemicals. All this, in a sufficiently high concentration, can lead to the emergence of dangers to humans:

• skin irritations;
• burns of the respiratory tract;
• poison;
• allergic reactions, etc.

Many factors posing a threat to health and life are not ad hoc and only their long-term impact can expose a person and result in health consequences.

By law, every employee whose duties involve computer use should take a 5-minute break from looking at the screen every hour. Importantly, the employee is entitled to this break only if the work at the display monitor is performed continuously for an hour. If the employee in the meantime leaves the computer and performs other duties entrusted to him, in this case this break is not entitled. In this situation, however, the employer may grant the employee a break – it is only his free will.

It is permissible for the employer to assign another task to the employee after an hour of work at the computer and thus he will be released from the obligation to give a 5-minute break.

It is the employer’s responsibility to organize office work at the computer in such a way that it is safe and meets all the conditions required by law.

Threats in office work, contrary to appearances, may not be obvious. One of the most common factors harmful to health is exposure to noise. The source of noise in the office can be other people: employees, clients or clients, but also office equipment, especially if there are several or even a dozen of them in the room.

Regular presence in a space where certain types of noise occur can result in hearing problems, nausea, balance disorders, stress, cardiovascular problems. In order to determine whether the noise level has been exceeded, appropriate measures must be taken: the entrepreneur can carry out noise measurements. However, it is worth remembering that for office work they are not mandatory.

The source of danger in office work may also be improper lighting, ventilation or heating of the room in which administrative and office employees work.

The most pathogenic factor in this case may be – contrary to appearances – the lack of proper lighting. Too weak or poorly chosen lighting tires not only the eyes, but can also cause a general feeling of fatigue or a decrease in employee concentration.

Lighting in an office room should have its source not only in lamps – natural and solar lighting is also important in this case.

Effects of long-term work in a poorly lit room: faster fatigue; Headaches; tearing and redness of the eyelids and conjunctiva; decrease in visual acuity; deterioration of well-being, increased accident rate, reduction of work efficiency.

All elements of the administrative and office position are important – both the chair and desk at which we work, as well as the monitor, keyboard or footrest.

Chronic work in a bad position forced by inappropriate equipment, e.g. a chair or desk, can result in a number of posture-related diseases, such as scoliosis, kyphosis, flat back, lordosis, etc.

The office chair should be equipped with at least a five-support base, adjustable seat, height and backrest tilt adjustment, the possibility of rotation around the vertical axis, armrests and wheels.

On the other hand, the desk should be large enough, i.e. wide and deep, so that the employee can set his equipment at the right distance from each other. The desk should allow you to freely perform the work entrusted to you.

Risks in office work, as presented in the article, are unfortunately numerous and should be taken into account in order to provide everyone in the company with a comfortable, safe and hygienic workplace.

Source: https://poradnikprzedsiebiorcy.pl/-jakie-wystepuja-zagrozenia-w-pracy-biurowej

Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.