{"id":1412,"date":"2022-03-06T18:26:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-06T22:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/?page_id=1412"},"modified":"2022-03-06T18:26:46","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T22:26:46","slug":"safe-work-practices-for-the-office","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/safe-work-practices-for-the-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Safe Work Practices for the Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The following will help keep your office workspace safe and healthy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Avoid personal injury:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Guard the sharp edges of furniture to prevent personal injury.<\/li><li>Close desk drawers and pull-out surfaces&nbsp;when not in use.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Avoid overloading the top drawers of filing cabinets to keep the cabinet from tipping over when drawers are open.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Open one drawer of the file cabinet at a time to prevent tipping.<\/li><li>Book cases or file cabinets taller than 64 inches must be secured or anchored. Keep bookcase doors closed when not in use.<\/li><li>Keep razor blades, tacks, and other sharp objects in closed containers.<\/li><li>Use the proper tool for the job at hand, (e.g., staple remover to remove staples)<\/li><li>Do not participate in horseplay.<\/li><li>Jewelry, long hair, and clothing must be kept clear of the moving parts of all office machines.<\/li><li>Report all defects such as loose tiles, broken steps, railings and doors&nbsp;immediately to the Maintenance Department.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Avoid slips, trips, and falls:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Practice good housekeeping. Keep floors free of items that might cause&nbsp;tripping.<\/li><li>File cabinets should be placed where their use will not interfere with the office traffic patterns.<\/li><li>Keep file and desk drawers closed when not in use to help prevent tripping accidents.<\/li><li>Keep waste cans out of the way, do not overfill them.<\/li><li>Prevent slipping accidents by cleaning up spills immediately.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Do not lean too far back in chairs. They may result in over-balancing&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;a fall.<\/li><li>Use only safety step tools or ladders for climbing. Don\u2019t stand on swivel chairs or use them as step stools.<\/li><li>If it is necessary to run a cable or electrical chord across the floor, a cable cover must be used to protect wiring and prevent tripping.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Practice electrical safety and fire prevention:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Do not overload electrical outlets.<\/li><li>Do not plug a multiple outlet strip (an extension cord with multiple electrical receptacles) into a second multiple outlet strip.<\/li><li>Multiple outlet strip cords must be 6&#8242; in length or less, and have a circuit breaker<\/li><li>Report immediately, any damaged electrical cords, broken switches,&nbsp;loose connections or bare wires to the Maintenance Department.<\/li><li>Unplug any office machine that smokes, sparks, or delivers an electrical shock. Have it inspected by the appropriate repair personnel.<\/li><li>UMES is a smoke-free environment and smoking is prohibited inside all UMES buildings.<\/li><li>Be careful with flammable liquids. Only the quantity needed for use should be in the workplace. They should be kept in a ventilated area, away from excessive heat or ignition sources.<\/li><li>Power switches must be off, or the cord unplugged, when electrical equipment, such as a typewriter, is being cleaned or serviced.<\/li><li>Do not run extension cords through walls, ceilings, or doors<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Practice fire safety:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Office doors shall be free of obstructions at all times to permit egress in case of emergency.<\/li><li>Do not block aisles, exits, stairways, fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations, sprinkler heads, or electrical panels.<\/li><li>Do not store items&nbsp;or position furniture or equipment closer than 18&#8243; from a sprinkler head.<\/li><li>Know the evacuation plan for your building<\/li><li>Participate in FIRE DRILLS<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Maintain building health:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Do not cover air vents<\/li><li>Keep windows closed<\/li><li>Do not place furniture, equipment or materials in locations that will interfere with air movement around thermostats.<\/li><li>Avoid overwatering plants to prevent standing water conditions that encourage mold growth.<\/li><li>Report any observed pest control problems to Environmental Health and Safety.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following will help keep your office workspace safe and healthy: Avoid personal injury: Guard the sharp edges of furniture to prevent personal injury. Close desk drawers and pull-out surfaces&nbsp;when not in use.&nbsp; Avoid overloading the top drawers of filing cabinets to keep the cabinet from tipping over when drawers are open. Open one drawer&#8230;<span class=\"cpschool-read-more-link-holder\"><a class=\"btn btn-basic cpschool-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/safe-work-practices-for-the-office\/\">Read more <span class=\"sr-only\">Safe Work Practices for the Office<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-1412","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1412\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/ehs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=1412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}