Office Safety During the Holiday Season

With the holiday season upon us, it’s important to keep workplace safety in mind.  By following a few simple safety tips, it’s easy to enjoy festive holiday decorations and events at work without having to deal with injuries or damage to property.
Holiday Decorations

• The best location for decoration include: reception areas, lobbies, foyers, and break rooms.
• Do not, under any circumstances, hang decorations from fire sprinklers.
• Decorations should not be placed in exit corridors, nor placed in areas that could obstruct the view of exit signs, fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers, or hose cabinets.
• Choose artificial decorations made of fire retardant materials for office decorating.
• Do not use any type of decoration in your office that has an open flame.
• Carefully inspect previously stored decorations for broken or frayed wires or loose connections. If you find any of these conditions, discard immediately.
• The use of extension cords is discouraged; but if they are used, ensure they are UL rated and in good condition.
• Do not overload electrical outlets.
• Never place staples or nails through strings of lights, power cords, or extension cords as it could damage the cord and present a fire hazard.Make sure cords do not dangle from counters and table tops where they can be pulled or tripped over.
• Make sure that all illuminated items are turned off when the office is closed so there’s no risk of a fire breaking out when the building is unattended.
• Avoid placing Christmas trees, gifts, or freestanding decorations in heavily trafficked areas where people might run into them or trip over them.