Most office employees spend the majority of their working time at their workstations.  Applying safety practices at your workstation will prevent accident and injuries.

Desktop area

As you work, you will occasionally use scissors and other sharp objects.  Place them away from the edge of the workstation so they will not be knocked off easily.  Pencils stored on the top of your desk with the sharp points up are dangerous – they are best stored flat or with points down.  Use a stapler remover, rather than your fingernail to remove staples.  Never examine a jammed stapler by holding it near your eyes or testing it over your finger.

Drawers

Keep your workstation drawers neat.  Do not allow papers to collect to the point of clutter.  If the drawers are cluttered, your hands could easily be punctured by a hidden scissors, pins or pencils.  Sharp objects such as pins and thumbtacks should be placed in closed containers.

Even with these precautions, never reach blindly into your desk drawer or file drawer.  Take time to look where you are placing your hands, even if you are rushed or talking to somebody.  Close workstation and file drawers by the handle.  Do not push a drawer shut by placing your hand at the top or side of the drawer.  You may lose a fingernail or suffer a crushed finger or hand.

Chairs, mats, static control

Most office chairs have casters, which are small wheels that provide ease of movement for the worker.  This same ease of movement can produce painful injury unless you look at the chair and hold onto its arms or seat as you sit down.  When seated, be careful not to lean too far forward or backward to prevent falling out of the chair.

A chair mat is a vinyl paid placed underneath the chair to eliminate wear on the carpet from rolling the chair.  Static control mats are designed for use on floors underneath workstations and computers.  The static control mat safeguards valuable computer data and electronic equipment from possible harm from a charge of static electricity.

Chair mats and static control mats can cause you to trip, particularly if the edges are beginning to curl.  Replace worn mats when they become a hazard.