Safety needs to be a top concern for every business owner on the market. We’re not talking about looking at this from a moral or ethical standpoint either. There are safety issues that could have a crippling effect on your business performance, and you might not even be aware of them. We’ll look at a few and show you just how detrimental they could be to your company model. Let’s start by thinking about RSI.
Starts With An Ouch, Ends With A Kerching!
RSI or repetitive strain injury is a common problem in office businesses. One report has suggested that twenty percent of workers in America are at risk of developing it. RSI simply means developing chronic pain in one or both wrists. You might think you can power through the pain and encourage your employees to do the same. What you may not realize is that this pain will get gradually worse to the point where typing is excruciating. The bottom line here is that productivity levels are going to drop and eventually you could be facing a hefty lawsuit. The good news is that since RSI worsens later in life, it’s probably a historical lawsuit that you’ll be facing. But it could still lead to some rather dire press stories.
Ventilation And Air Quality
Obviously, this is going to mainly be a problem for industrial business because of the fumes and materials that could be in the air. For instance, in a woodworking industry, it’s important to get as much sawdust out of the air as possible. This can affect breathing, and it may even damage the lungs. But great ventilation systems are important in an office as well. When you go outside, you might feel instantly stronger and clear headed. This is the benefit of fresh air. Since it’s purer, you get greater benefits, and there is even evidence it can boost cognitive processing. You can see how this could be an advantage to business owners.
Hygiene And Sanitation
Hygiene and sanitation are important issues in any business but let’s focus on the typical office. The typical modern office could have upwards of a hundred people running around it. Then, there are clients who come in, members of the general public and goodness knows who else. Your workers are also probably going to be in cubicles in close proximity to one another. You might be able to see where we’re going with this. In an office environment like this illness is going to spread fast. Poor hygiene levels and sanitation facilities is going to help this along to the point where a lot of workers could go off sick at the same time. Again, productivity can be effected but depending on the worker you lose, you might find the company just becomes stagnant. If you don’t want this, you need to look into the best ways to keep your office environment clean and germ-free.
So you see, staying on top of health and safety won’t just benefit your employees. It will ensure that your company thrives.
