Workplace Safety Tips
The National Crime Prevention Council offers workplace safety tips.
Lights, Locks and Doors
- Check for high security locks, such as Medeco®, or electronic access control units on all doors.
- Be certain all windows are secure.
- Make sure doorframes and hinges are strong so that they cannot be pried open.
- Change locks before you move into a new office unless management can account for all keys and assure you that no keys were made without their knowledge.
- Report immediately all doors, windows, and locks that are broken or not working properly. Do not assume someone else has reported them already.
- Leave some interior lights on even when the business is closed. Illuminate dark places around the building by trimming shrubs, adding lighting, etc.
Common Trouble Spots
- Never get into elevators with people who look out of place or behave in a strange or threatening manner.
- Do not use the stairs and stairwells alone.
- Talk to the building manager about improving poorly lighted corridors and stairways.
- Check to make sure that the reception area is equipped with a panic button for emergencies, a camera with a monitor set up at another employee’s desk, and a high security lock on the front door that can be controlled.
- Never lock fire exits or block doorways or stairways.
Be Prepared for an Emergency
- Learn about your company’s emergency plans.
- Develop a plan if one is not in place.
- Then, practice the company’s emergency plan.
- Know the exit routes and evacuation plans in your building.
- Know at least two exit routes from each room, if possible.
- Designate a post evacuation meeting location where appropriate personnel can take a headcount and identify any missing workers. Every employee should be aware of this location.
- Coordinate and make special emergency plans for coworkers who are disabled, do not speak English, or who may require assistance during an emergency.
- If you are trapped in your office building, stay calm and take steps to protect yourself. If possible, go to a room with an outside window and telephone for help.