Masonry Magazine December 2001 Page. 20
JUST HOW SAFE IS
YOUR WORK AREA?
by Richard Ensman, Jr.
Hear the word "safety" and you quickly think of industrial accidents, construction mishaps and a variety of well-publicized workplace disasters. Yet the great majority of injuries and accidents are much less visible. They occur, day in and day out, in offices and shops around the nation in work areas just like yours.
Just how safe is your work area? What physical features and equipment might pose health and safety problems to you and your visitors? What precautions can you take to ensure that your work area is comfortable and safe?
While every workplace requires unique safety features and precautions, this handy question-and-answer checklist can help you address these all-important safety concerns. A "no" answer to any of the questions on the checklist may indicate a potential safety risk:
Do you use space heaters in your workplace? If so, have you taken fire safety and ventilation precautions against overheating?
Do you store or use flammable liquids? If so, have you taken precautions against fire and explosion?