Pick-A-Day

June 2004
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Work Place Rules

I just got the following from my new office.

No comments allowed.

– – –

Dear colleagues,

Once a time in a year we have to undertake instructions about protection of health and safety standards at work.
I will send you these instructions via e-mail.
Please read the instructions carefully and confirm the information by signing upon the lists, that will be laid out in the office.

If you have questions, please ask me.

Best regards

– – –


Office Jobs: Worker Safety Tips

Even with ordinary office jobs, injuries and damages often occur which could be avoided. Therefore the following rules and guidelines should be abided by.

General Safety Rules:

Make sure that desk and cabinet drawers as well as folding doors are not left open (at best close securely with key). You or one of your coworkers could injure themselves on one.

Never climb up on a chair or desk to reach something. (use a stepladder instead). Climbing up on chairs or desks with wheels is life threatening!

Do not place any heavy objects on top of an office cabinet. It could fall down from a strong vibration or sudden impulse.

Electrical cables and cords often create tripping hazards at the work place and in walkways. Try to lay such cables so that people can not trip over them. If you are unable to yourself, ask your V for a proper laying of the cable.

Pay attention to the condition of electrical appliances in your work area. Do not use them if they show any defects or deficiencies. Such defects include:

Damaged electrical cord
Damaged plug (singed or partly melted)
Innards which are sticking out
Disfunctional switches

Report any defects of the electrical installation like a pulled out or loose switch or outlet immediately to your V and request an adequate repair.

At the end of the work day turn off all electrical appliances or pull the plug out of the outlet. If any equipment should remain running outside of normal working hours, e.g. computer or printer, ask if there is an overheating detector installed on the equipment.

Otherwise it poses a fire hazard!

Never use any electrical appliances to heat water or prepare food in any room.
Therefore only use the electrical appliances in the kitchen of your section.

Any multiple socket plug in your room, which connects several pieces of electrical equipment to one outlet, should be placed above the level of the floor, e.g. attached to the wall, table, desk or filing cabinet.

Pull plugs out of the socket by holding on to the plug itself and not onto the cord!

Make sure by the use of glues, correction fluids, and other, especially liquid, work materials that you pay attention to the warning symbols and you read and follow the safety instructions on the label.

Use beverage containers exclusively for holding beverages; never fill beverage containers with other kinds of liquids. For this purpose use containers that would never be confused with a beverage container and clearly label the container according to the contents.
Containers filled with hazardous substances should be labeled with the appropriate warning symbols. If you have any doubts about a label ask a person responsible for such things.

Do not carry any pointed or sharp edged objects in your pockets. Also, never throw writing utensils to another person. This has caused serious eye injuries.

Do not place any sharp edged or pointed objects in the waste basket. A cleaning person could be injured in this way.
Place such objects together with a short note for the cleaning personell in an obvious location in your room.

Do not place any hazardous wastes in a normal waste basket. This includes adhesives, correction fluids, batteries, etc. Ask your supervisor about the designated collection place for such wastes.

Inform yourself as to the emergency rules and escape routes for your building. This is especially important in multiple story buildings and those with more complicated floor plans.

Make sure that emergency exits and escape routes never become blocked with objects.

Inform yourself about the location of the nearest fire extinguisher and for what kind of fires it can be used. Small fires can often be quickly put out with proper use.

When using the elevator obey the rules posted inside. If the elevator becomes stuck while you are using it use the alarm button, telephone or intercom to call for help.
Wait for further instructions from a specialist before doing anything and above all try to remain calm.

In case of fire do not use the elevator.

Report any damage to floors, doors, and windows to your supervisor who must see to their repair.

If you prefer to wear shoes with high or pointed heels keep in mind that such shoes are often the cause of (sometimes) debilitating injuries. For this reason shoes with a flatter heel should be worn at work.

If you work sometimes in a workshop or at times briefly enter such work places make sure you receive instruction as to hazards and to the safety rules to be followed there.

Seek out the first aid officer or accident doctor if you receive an injury. Even small injuries can have serious consequences.
Enter any injury in the appropriate notebook –> helps in collecting insurance!
Tips for the use of modern office equipment.
We have first-aid boxes in the villa (ground floor/reception, attic), in the new building (basement/caretaker-office, video laboratory, ground floor/library, I. upper storey/tea-kitchen, guest-kitchen, II. upper storey/tea-kitchen) and also in the computer laboratory/Goethegalerie.

Video display unit

Your vision and scheduled eye exams

The distance from the eye to the computer screen or to any materials to be typed from is usually in the range of 45 to 60 cm. Our eyes are capable of focusing on such distances. The only requirement is the lack of interfering vision problems.
In order to keep a check on this, optomological exams are scheduled one every 5 years. Care for these exams is the responsibility of your supervisor. Occasionally, in some people the use of a computer screen causes vision problems which were previously not experienced.
After the age of 50 one often begins to lose the ability to focus in on closer objects. Therefore, for persons over 50, eye exams are scheduled for every three years so that vision correction devices can be updated in a timely enough fashion.
Eye or other kinds of strain should not be a concern if you are using an adequately setup PC-work space. In this case serious health threats are not posed.

Sitting Posture:

Adjust your seat height so that your hands can comfortably reach the middle of the keyboard with arms hanging loosely and elbows bent at roughly a right angle. Allow your wrists enough place to lie comfortably between the front edge of your desk and the keyboard.

Your thighs should not be squeezed by the desk or chair and your knees should be bent at roughly a right angle.

Make sure that your feet lie flat on the floor. If this is not possible make use of a foot stool.

The back of your chair is designed to support your lumbar vertebrae. The top of it should reach the region between your shoulder blades. Follow the usage instructions for your office chair.

Location of work materials

Before beginning work at your PC have out only those materials you absolutely require and place them as close as possible to your screen. Try to organize the materials so that unnecessary turning of the head as well as eye strain through constant refocusing to different distances are avoided. Use of a manuscript stand is recommended.

Computer screen

Reflections on the screen should be reduced as much as possible through the proper positioning of equipment, adequate additional lighting, and curtains or blinds. The room should not be too dark however. The design of ones PC work station should be the result of cooperation between the safety engineer and the firm’s doctor.

Make sure that the top edge of your computer screen is roughly at eye level.

Tips for health conscious posture

Bad posture can lead to back, shoulder and neck problems and can contribute to the potential for injuries of the spinal column. Through your own effort you can contribute to the avoidance of such problems.

Use all of the adjustment settings for any office chairs or desks you use to find the best possible sitting position for yourself (seat height: 420 to 530 mm).

Toner cartridges

Toner for copiers and laser printers which is found inside of plastic cartridges.

Used up toner cartridges contain toner dust and do not belong in the normal waste.

Earlier it was thought that toner dust could lead to alterations in DNA or could cause cancer. However, this could not be established scientifically and it was discovered that the temperatures reached within equipment using toner does not lead to the development of mutogenic or carcinogenic substances

However, toner dust is not harmless.

Use a closed toner system
Have machines serviced regularly so that dust levels are kept in check.
Wear rubber gloves because some kinds of toner are irritating to skin and mucus membranes.
Cover the glass plate of copy machines as completely as possible to avoid excess use of toner.
Copy machines produce ozone which can irritate the eyes and mucus membranes of the air way. Consequently, copy machines should only be used in well ventillated rooms. At best the machines can be placed outside of office rooms. (the hallway where everyone can get to it)

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