Storage and photocopy rooms, and office areas generally, have office equipment such as staplers, hole punchers, scissors, binding machines, laminators and perhaps a guillotine. As many of these items are electrical, risks are associated with faulty electrical cables.
Tips
- Use electric devices to minimise repetitive tasks.
- Provide instruction and training on the safe use of equipment.
Potential harm
- Electrical shocks
- Cuts and abrasions
- Musculoskeletal disorders
Identified hazards and controls
Electrically powered machines
Cause
- Frayed or damaged power cords.
What workers can do
- Visually inspect the power cord of the device you are going to use to check it isn’t frayed or damaged.
- Visually inspect the device itself to make sure it appears to be in working order.
- Ensure machines are turned off after use.
- If unsure how to operate any equipment, ask for instructions.
What employers can do
- Test and tag electrical items.
- Remove from service any item that is faulty.
- Provide instruction sheets for the use of supplementary equipment.
Non-powered equipment causing musculoskeletal disorders
Cause
- Repeatedly using an item such as a hole puncher or stapler.
What workers can do
- If you regularly staple or hole punch large volumes, you should consider asking for an electronic alternative.
- Do printing and collating in smaller batches taking rest breaks in between.
- When removing staples manually be aware of possible cuts and pricks to fingers.
What employers can do
- Provide an electric stapler or hole puncher for thick documents.
- Contract out large jobs to a professional printing and binding business.
Paper guillotine
Cause
- Blade of guillotine falls while positioning the paper and is a cutting hazard.
- Blunt blade requires excessive force to operate.
- Guard removed from the guillotine.
What workers can do
- Don’t use the machine if the guard is misplaced, broken, or disabled.
- Use a slide guillotine in place of the lever guillotine.
What employers can do
- Use guillotines with hand guards and blade locks, as these are a better option than lever guillotines.
- Have guillotine blades inspected periodically and sharpened to ensure that they operate efficiently.
Workbenches
Cause
- Bending to sort and organise papers on benches that are low.
What workers can do
- If you need to collate or sort large volumes of paperwork, try to use an adjustable desk or move your work to a more suitable location.
What employers can do
- Consider the tasks that need to be undertaken by workers and, in consultation with those people, design an appropriate height, length and depth work area.
More information
Guidance
- See Ergonomic hazards for more information on physical factors in the environment that may cause musculoskeletal injuries and how to eliminate these hazards.
Legislation
- Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 – Refer part 3.2 General Workplace Management and part 4.2 Hazardous Manual Tasks.
Codes
Page last reviewed: 04 May 2021