Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

When we talk safety, we often go immediately to an industrial setting. Well, industrial settings like offices, have their own safety hazards. Personnel in offices are usually not wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), either.

I've only known one person to be electrocuted in an office situation. They were mopping with an electric buffing machine with a faulty cord and a very wet floor. But they were graveyard dead anyway.

Fifty years ago, I worked for a company that had yellow striping inlaid in their floors to warn one walking down the hall where the doors swung open. You were not to step inside the yellow line. That was fifty years ago. Have you adopted such markings?

I have seen a near miss with a paper cutter with a broken spring.

Bottom file cabinet doors left open are a great trip hazard.

The top two drawers in a four-drawer file cabinet should have a safety cord (hidden inside) that prevents one from opening both at once.

I remember reading a "Darwin Award" that took place in Toronto a number of years ago. Seems like the person who did orientation of new employees liked to go up to the floor to ceiling windows in the skyscraper where they worked and jump against them. One day the window gave way. He was graveyard dead, too.

Offices are just as dangerous as industrial settings. Form safety teams and regularly audit the offices for electrical, water, trip and other hazard conditions.

And I haven't even mentioned laboratories. Laboratories have their own sets of safety hazards.

Everywhere has its own safety hazards. I hope I have gotten this across this month.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Office Safety Study Guide

Core Concepts & Understanding

This section aims to test your understanding of the key themes and arguments presented in the "Office Safety" excerpt.

The Premise of Office Safety: What is the author's primary argument about office safety? How does he challenge common perceptions?

Categories of Office Hazards: Identify and categorize the types of hazards explicitly mentioned by the author.

Historical vs. Modern Safety Practices: Compare and contrast historical safety measures with current recommendations or observed practices.

The Role of Personnel in Safety: How does the author suggest personnel contribute to or mitigate safety risks?

The Importance of Proactive Safety: What is the author's overall message regarding a proactive approach to safety?

Detailed Analysis & Application

This section requires a deeper dive into the specifics and implications of the text.

Specific Examples of Hazards: Describe the electrocution incident mentioned. What factors contributed to it?

Detail the "near miss" with the paper cutter. What was the specific issue?

Explain the danger associated with file cabinets. What is the recommended preventative measure?

Recount the "Darwin Award" incident. What was the underlying behavioral safety issue?

Comparison to Industrial Settings: Elaborate on the author's comparison between office and industrial settings. What similarities and differences does he highlight regarding safety?

Recommendations for Improvement: List the specific recommendations the author provides for enhancing office safety.

Author's Tone and Purpose: Analyze the author's tone throughout the excerpt. What is his purpose in writing this piece? How effectively does he convey his message?

Unmentioned Hazards: While the author states he hasn't "even mentioned laboratories," infer what other general categories of hazards might exist in an office setting that were not explicitly detailed.

Quiz

Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

1. What is the author's main argument about office safety, contradicting a common perception?
2. Describe the electrocution incident mentioned in the text, highlighting the specific equipment and conditions involved.
3. What historical safety measure does the author recall regarding floor markings, and what was their purpose?
4. Identify two distinct hazards associated with file cabinets as described by the author.
5. Explain the "Darwin Award" incident mentioned, specifically detailing the dangerous behavior and its outcome.
6. Why does the author state that personnel in offices are "usually not wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)"?
7. What kind of proactive measures does the author recommend for offices to improve safety?
8. How does the author compare the danger level of offices to industrial settings?
9. What type of hazard did the broken spring on a paper cutter represent?
10. Beyond the specific examples, what is the overarching message the author hopes to convey regarding safety in any environment?

Quiz Answer Key

1. The author's main argument is that offices, like industrial settings, have their own significant safety hazards. He aims to dispel the common misconception that safety concerns are exclusive to industrial environments.
2. The electrocution incident involved a person mopping with an electric buffing machine that had a faulty cord. The dangerous conditions were compounded by a very wet floor, leading to a fatal shock.
3. The author recalls working for a company fifty years ago that used yellow striping inlaid in their floors. These lines were meant to warn people walking down the hall where doors swung open, indicating areas to avoid stepping into.
4. Two distinct hazards associated with file cabinets are bottom file cabinet doors being left open, which poses a trip hazard. Additionally, the top two drawers of a four-drawer cabinet, if opened simultaneously, can cause instability, which is why a safety cord is recommended.
5. The "Darwin Award" incident involved an employee who, during new employee orientation, would jump against the floor-to-ceiling windows of a skyscraper. One day, the window gave way, resulting in the person's fatal fall.
6. The author states that office personnel are usually not wearing PPE because offices are not typically perceived as environments requiring such protective gear. This highlights a contrast with industrial settings where PPE is standard.
7. The author recommends that offices form safety teams and regularly audit the premises for various hazard conditions. These audits should specifically look for electrical, water, and trip hazards.
8. The author explicitly states that "Offices are just as dangerous as industrial settings." He emphasizes that the lack of perceived danger in an office environment does not mean hazards are absent.
9. The broken spring on a paper cutter represented a mechanical hazard or a hazard due to faulty equipment. It could lead to an uncontrolled blade movement, posing a risk of injury to the user.
10. The overarching message the author hopes to convey is that "Everywhere has its own safety hazards." He stresses the importance of recognizing and addressing safety concerns in any environment, not just those traditionally considered dangerous.

Essay Questions

• Analyze the author's use of specific anecdotes and personal observations to support his argument about office safety. How do these examples contribute to the persuasiveness of his message?
• Discuss the implicit and explicit responsibilities of both management and individual employees in fostering a safe office environment, as suggested by the excerpt.
• Compare and contrast the historical safety practices mentioned by the author with his modern recommendations. What does this comparison suggest about the evolution, or lack thereof, of safety awareness in office settings?
• The author mentions not having "even mentioned laboratories." Based on the types of hazards discussed for offices, what general categories of unique safety challenges might laboratories present, and how might they differ from or overlap with office hazards?
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the author's concluding remarks in emphasizing the importance of proactive safety measures. What is the lasting impression he intends to leave with the reader?

Glossary of Key Terms

Audit: A systematic review or inspection, often conducted to verify compliance with standards or identify issues. In this context, regularly inspecting offices for safety hazards.

Darwin Award: An ironic commendation for individuals who supposedly remove themselves from the human gene pool in a spectacularly idiotic manner. (As used by the author, it refers to a particularly foolish and fatal accident.)

Electrocuted: To injure or kill someone by electric shock.

Graveyard Dead: A colloquial expression meaning absolutely, unequivocally dead; emphasizing the finality of death.

Hazard: A potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons.

Industrial Setting: A workplace environment typically associated with manufacturing, heavy machinery, or production, often perceived as having higher inherent safety risks.

Near Miss: An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage, but had the potential to do so.

Office Setting: A workplace environment primarily focused on administrative, clerical, or professional tasks, often mistakenly perceived as having minimal safety risks.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Specialized clothing or equipment worn by employees for protection against hazards. Examples include safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, and earplugs.

Safety Cord: A hidden cable or mechanism designed to prevent the simultaneous opening of multiple drawers (specifically the top two drawers of a file cabinet) to maintain stability and prevent tipping.

Safety Teams: Groups of employees designated to oversee, implement, and monitor safety protocols and conduct regular inspections within a workplace.

Trip Hazard: Anything in a walking area that could cause someone to stumble or fall, such as an open drawer, a loose rug, or an obstruction.

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