Office Essentials – 5 Health And Safety Items Every Office Should Have | In an office with employees, there are laws in place to protect everybody who attends that place of work. Whilst you do need to follow all kinds of rules to ensure you’re following workplace laws in your country, simple purchases can also make a positive difference to your level of compliance. 

These five health and safety items can help you get some of the way to a safer office environment for your employees:

• A First Aid Kit 

A good first aid kit is essential for any office. It enables your nominated first aider to apply quick treatment to any minor injuries employees suffer at work.

Look for medical supplies online that meet the health and safety laws in your country. The ideal kit should include plasters, antiseptic wipes, gloves, bandages, gauze, safety pins, and clinical tape, plus additional items that are relevant to the most common injuries in your workplace. 

• Health & Safety Wall Charts

Health and safety wall charts are an important part of health and safety compliance and communication in an office. Posters should:

• Outline health and safety laws in your country
• Clearly let employees and managers know what they are expected to do 
• Provide details of nominated health and safety officers 
• Include details of where safety equipment is held
• Be clear and available in multiple languages or Braille if necessary to comply with inclusive employment policies

It is vital to ensure the posters are in line with the laws in your country and positioned in multiple locations in the office. 

• A Fire Alarm

There are over 100,000 nonresidential fires in America every year, some of which do cause life-changing injuries or loss of life. The cost to the business itself can also be incredibly high, with loss of digital and physical data, as well as stock loss, and the cost of being unable to operate normally for some time. 

A simple fire alarm system in your office can prevent those devastating fires from happening. It is worth consulting an experienced company to discuss fitting fire alarms, as well as your office landlord who is likely to have some liability when it comes to your health and safety as occupants.

• Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers enable staff to take action in the event of a fire. They come in many different forms, enabling you to cover most eventualities. Do have a look at all of your options on what to purchase and how to use and install what you buy. It is also important that you seek professional advice to ensure you’re placing extinguishers that meet the compliance laws in your country. 

• Health And Safety/Fire Logs

These logs should be kept in a safe and secure place and contain information like:

• Incidents that have occurred 
• Risk assessments that have been taken
• Any health and safety interviews completed with staff after incidents
• Location and type of any relevant equipment, including dates of checks 
• Information about nominated officers and the training they have

Both fire and health and safety logs should be kept in digital form. 

Being found to be non-compliant costs businesses millions collectively, so it is worth ensuring you have a clear paper trail in these logs that proves exactly how you’ve stayed compliant. 

The tips above can help you work towards a safer office environment. Investing in office safety will go a long way toward securing the future success of your business.