A safety checklist for building and property managers.
Compared to many labor-intensive jobs, office workers have it pretty easy—at least when it comes to taking rigorous safety precautions. While a spilled cup of coffee or an open file drawer can certainly cause harm, the dangers involved in office settings often pale in comparison to those present in industrial or manufacturing worksite environments.
But that doesn’t mean that commercial building and property managers are off the hook on the safety front. Even though office buildings aren’t typically equipped with heavy machinery, complicated equipment, and dangerous chemicals, there are still a number of hazards that tenants can face. Not only should you take action to keep those on your property safe, you also will want to take precautions against a potential lawsuit.
Here, we’ve put together a quick checklist to help those in charge of property maintenance keep their buildings, grounds, and tenants safe and sound.
Keep Parking Lots and Sidewalks Clear
To keep your walkways clear of snow and ice in the winter months, we can’t reiterate enough the importance of using ice melt. But even as the ground begins to thaw, you’ll need to be on the lookout for cracking pavement, potholes, and other structural issues that could pose a trip hazard. Year-round, be sure you’re regularly monitoring the condition of your grounds—patch up any problem areas, pick up trash, and make sure that traffic markers are clearly visible.
Prevent Indoor Falls
Falls are the #1 cause of office injury, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In fact, employees are 2.5x more likely to be injured from a fall in an office setting than anywhere else. Here are a number of tips to prevent falls indoors:
- Provide small ladders or step stools for each office in your building—too often, tenants try to use dangerous swivel chairs to reach highly-placed items.
- Be sure to line any potentially slippery surfaces, such as building entryways, with a skid-resistant treatment or carpet.
- If your building has many sharp turns, place mirrors in the corners to help workers avoid collisions.
- On multi-level buildings, stairwells are often neglected by cleaning crews. To ensure safety, make sure they’re consistently swept, and all handrails are in tact.
- All trip and slip hazards—whether an exposed electrical cord, or a freshly mopped floor, should always be marked in yellow for maximum visibility.
Create a Hazard Reporting System
Property managers aren’t typically on-site at all times. To ensure that all potential dangers are noted and addressed, we recommend implementing a hazard reporting system. Whether you provide a comment box in the main lobby, or set up an online ticketing system, by offering workers the opportunity to share what they see, you’ll be able to maximize your awareness of potential problems and minimize the danger to tenants.
Need new safety supplies and equipment for your commercial property? US Standard Products is an industrial supplies distributor based in New Jersey. We provide a wide range of operational and safety necessities including ice melt, work gloves, and much more. To stay up-to-date on the latest workplace safety news and trends, follow US Standard Products on social media: