Office relocations - Keeping safe
Relocating an office or work function can introduce additional risks which are not a "normal" part of business. Whether a department is moving across the hall or to a new jobsite it is a line management responsibility to ensure that any risks associated with office relocations are identified, eliminated or controlled as far as is reasonably practicable during the moving process.
There have been a couple of incidents recently where staff members have been injured during activities associated with office relocations.
Staff should only be dealing with paperwork, clerical items and personal equipment from their immediate desk area. It is not appropriate for staff to be moving furniture or equipment, these tasks are to be performed by moving professionals with specific skills, training, equipment and the physical conditioning to be able to perform this work safely.
As we approach the move of staff into new buildings and the end of year clean up it is timely to remind managers and staff of safety considerations associated with these activities. Useful prompts and information can be found in the following
Health & Safety Information Sheets:
