What are the hazards associated with office working environment? Let’s start with the most horrifying workplace hazard in the office.
- Fire Hazards – In modern office building, fire prevention and control systems are truly perfect. They have smoke detection, heat detection, fire alarm, or even sprinkler systems everywhere. This equipment’s are designed to save lives. However, statistic shows that people are killed not by the flame but toxic smoke. In the office area, all Furnitures are combustible material. When it burns, it generates toxic gases like phosgene, acrolein, carbon monoxide, etc. And one more thing that is killed people in the office building is their own behavior in reaction to fire alarm. Most people, when hearing the alarm, they do all of these behavior
- Ignore – Pretending that it is ok to continue working. If there is a real fire, someone will come and tell me to leave.
- Denial – I think it is just a test
- Non-compliance- Instead of using the fire exit, they use the doors that they normally come in and out which are not always the safe way to evacuate the building. Fire can spread after it is being ignited within 4 minutes. A small fire from a trash can, will become huge flame to the wall, ceiling after it is being flash over. At this point, those who are still not evacuate, will be at risk of toxic gases and knocked down unconsciously. If you do not evacuate in four minutes, you should watch this case study. Click here
- Terrorist attack- This hazard is not common in some country but in other corner of the world, it is a part of the office building life threatening event. This is why, modern office has HighTech security systems, access control points, security cameras, security guard patrolling, visitor management. All of these can be broken in just because of human behavior. For example, when you go out for dinner, you dropped your ID Card that uses for accessing the building. If this card gets into a hand of bad boy… You may argue that it is too much dramatic example but please try to be more careful.
- Violent – A woman who works in an office near Bangna Trad, Thailand had been attacked by a stranger from the back when she was walking to her car after late working. Car park at late night time is a good spots for the bad guys. Hiding in a dark corner, waiting for a victim who is walking and busy talking on the mobile phone. She not even look around. Her car is parking at a spot that the light is broken. That is perfect crime scene.
Well, these three are the most common critical hazards to the office building. Especially, the building that open for public and at the same time, for office zone. Why?? Security risk when it has to balance with profits, it gets less serious.
