Workplace Blog

Cleaning up Workplace Cable Mess

Posted on May 23, 2013

Cable management is not going to be the highest priority for most people, but there are a few business benefits to keeping cables neat and tidy in the workplace. The most obvious advantage is aesthetic – no one can say that a rats nest of cables hanging off the back of every employees computer plus wires trailing everywhere is an attractive look. An office with tidy desks and a minimalist feel will generally be seen by customers (and staff) as being an efficient working environment and portray a good image of the business. Another advantage of good cable management is safety. A mass of cables bunched up behind desks can be a fire hazard through the generation of heat and the possibility of damage to cables leading to short circuits. Sometime you see power c...

5 Steps to a Risk Assessment

Posted on April 29, 2013

1. Identify the hazards Identifying the hazards within your workplace is the first step that you should take. When you are working in the same place, day in, day out, you can overlook many of the hazards, here are a few tips to help you identify the hazards: - Walking around the workplace looking for potential hazards that could harm your employees. - The people who are most likely to bump into many of the hazards are your employees. Ask the staff about any health and safety risks that they know of. - Check the manufacturers' instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment. These can help in identifying any hazards and highlighting them. -Your accident log book will help you with finding the hazards. Any repetitive accidents and illnesses will help identify the less obvious hazards. - Remember to think about the long-term risks. These could potentially be the most damaging to someone’s health. 2. Think about who could be h...

COSHH - How to Control Substances Hazardous to our Health

Posted on April 26, 2013

What is a substance hazardous to health? Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) covers substances that are hazardous to health. Substances can take many forms and include: - chemicals - products containing chemicals - fumes - dusts - vapours - mists - nanotechnology - gases and asphyxiating gases - biological agents (germs) What is COSHH for? COSHH's objective it to prevent, or to adequately control exposure of substances that are hazardous to health. This can be done by: - Using control equipment such as total enclosure, partial enclosure or local exhaust ventilation (LEV); -Controlling procedures, e.g. ways of working, supervision and training to reduce exposure, maintenance, examination and testing of control measures; -Worker behaviour, making sure employees follow the control measures. COSHH Assessment Before your start your COSHH...

Which one are you? First-Aider, Employer or Employee?

Posted on April 24, 2013

When you think of first-aiders, what do you think of? High-vis jackets, highly qualified personnel? What about the person sitting next you in the office? Many people do not realise that a first-aider can be one of your colleagues within your workplace. Training courses are provided to those who would like to become a part-time first-aider, which is safer and less time consuming than ringing a paramedic or visiting the doctors. There are three roles within a the workplace, first-aider, employers and employees. Which one are you? Are you a...? First-aider A first-aider is a person who has undertaken training and has a qualification that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) approves of. They should hold a valid certificate of competence in either: - First aid at work, issued by a training organisation approved by the HSE - Emergency first aid at work, issued by a training organisation approved by the HSE or a recognised Awarding Body of Ofqual/Scottish...

A Disclaimer - Making our Product Descriptions Even More Interesting!

Posted on April 23, 2013

You need to be a very creative person to write about Platform Trucks; they all perform a similar function, have four wheels and are usually blue! So spare a thought for the poor website editors asked to write interesting and informative descriptions on 35 different types of modular trucks. The Workplace Depot also sell 26 very similar 'hand pallet' trucks and 100's of other products in our trucks and trolleys range. So after grinding out descriptions for 10 near identical products, we gave up and decided to commission a group of young (cheap) and enthusiastic 'wordsmiths' (their words not ours) to craft out many fascinating descriptions. Our wordsmiths have all done fabulous jobs but they may on occasion have wandered off into storyville territory and let their imaginations roam. They were also supplied with vast amounts of free fizzy drinks, Kit Kats and M&Ms and and the...

Kitting Out an Office

Posted on April 22, 2013

Not many offices have the luxury of open spaces, especially if a large number of staff are working in a small space. One of the problems with not having a large office is the storage space, whether it would be for personal or department use. You are given a desk to work at and no personal storage or space. Although it is important to consider the available space in the office, you need to ensure that the needs of your staff are met otherwise productivity could be reduced. When kitting out an office, think about what are the most important aspects: - The staff - Space - Making it look professional Let's start with the basics – desks. The type of desk you choose will be the star of the show – so to speak. They take up most of the space but they have to look great. Depending on your preference you can have wooden or plastic desks. In thi...

How to Handle and Store Gas Cylinders Safely

Posted on April 19, 2013

Accidents involving gas cylinders can cause serious injury or even death. Having the correct support and guidance on how to handle gas cylinders in the safest way possible. The Health and safety Executive (HSE), offers guidance and support to anyone who manufactures, owns, fills, repairs or uses gas cylinders. The generic and legal term that covers gas cylinders is 'pressure receptacle' which also covers other types of 'pressure receptacle' such as tube, pressure drum, cryogenic receptacle, bundle of cylinders as well as gas cylinders themselves. Hazards of gas cylinders Gas cylinders are known for transporting and store gases under pressure which are used for many different purposes including, chemical processes, medical and laboratory uses, fuel for vehicles, heating and cooking and lots more. The problem is, that there are hazards that come with the cylinders. Some of the main hazards include impact from rapid release...

Genesis of the Kick Steps

Posted on April 16, 2013

When you think of the word 'Kick step' what other words spring to mind? Step stool, kick stool, kick along step, Steppy, Kikkers, kik-step, Daleks? Yes, Daleks the infamous enemy of Doctor Who. Since the Daleks first appeared on the television screens in 1963, they have become the epitome of robotic evil across the globe and has had children diving behind the sofas terrified that the evil Davros will come and get them. This was incredibly scary for the 60's and 70's children. Well, I thought in brilliant Blue Peter style of creating the iconic villain the Dalek using a kick step and other materials. But you will have to figure out how to make one yourself, however I should warn anyone planning to make a Dalek, that if someone in your workplace or at home is scared of a Dalek, please be aware they may not turn up to work or they may leave home if the Dalek remains in the building...

Ramp up Your Accessibility Efforts

Posted on April 15, 2013

Some of you may have seen the new ITV prankster show 'Off Their Rockers', if not, watch it! The show is about a bunch of old aged pensioners being let loose into the big wide world and playing pranks on the younger generations. We normally see old dears out and about the place either slowly walking down the street or racing about in their mobility scooters, looking rather down and quite frankly complaining about most things, but these elderly folk will have you rocking with laughter. How can we make the reality a better place for the older generation? Have an 'Old Aged Pensioner' lane on the path? Give them free vegetables for a year? Or do we given them a way of accessing areas easily and safely? I say yes we do! We have a list of products from The Workplace Depot that will help in creating a more accessible place for the people who cannot move as easily as they used to. Let's start with a Disabled Grab Rail. Grab rails can help an elderly person when climbing up some...

Cable Protection – a Pet Topic

Posted on April 12, 2013

There were 28 fatalities in the UK as a result of electric shocks and 22 of these were 'home or leisure electrocutions' (Electrical Safety Council 2010). There were also a large number of fires that had electrical origins that sadly resulted in 268 deaths and 7,776 injuries. What is not shown in these figures are the number of incidents that were caused by domestic animals damaging wires and cables. Young animals, especially kittens and puppies are naturally very curious and will chew just about anything. Other animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and pet rats enjoy gnawing things and it is possible for them to gnaw through a wire with or without getting a shock themselves. Someone can then receive a shock from the exposed wire. Parrots can be another problem pet...

Why You Need to be on Google+

Posted on April 08, 2013

The biggest problem I have with Google+ is that hardly anyone I know uses it, yet in March it was reported that are now 343 million active Google+ users. This is about a third of the number that use Facebook and Google+ is currently growing at many times the rate of its rival. Facebook's first mover advantage is starting to weaken in the face of competition from a much better product. The received wisdom of large portions of the media is that Google+ is a failure. This myth continues even though it has become the second largest social media platform! (1). What commentators have failed to highlight is that Google+ is not really Google's version of Facebook – actually the clue is in the name, Google 'Plus'. With no offence intended to the great city of Hull, Facebook is like Hull – no one goes to Hull unless you planned to go to Hull. On the other hand, Google+ is more like London – you go the...

Why Choose Safety Steps?

Posted on April 08, 2013

Here at The Workplace Depot we have a range of mobile safety steps to suit any height and any type of access you need. Whether you work in an office, a warehouse or a supermarket storage facility, these steps will prevent any accidents and injuries to workers if they want to reach a high shelf. But why would you use safety steps rather than a ladder? One of the most common cause of injury when using a ladder is when the user carries out excessive overhead reaching which can lead to sprains and strains. Other injuries include, slipping off a ladder, the ladder wobbles and falls from under the user and the ladder breaking whilst in use. All of these can be prevented with a few safety checks listed in this table below, courtesy of HSE. ...