Moving an office is a complex undertaking. The wisest move is to partner with a professional moving company that can handle the harder aspects of the move.
Even so, some companies decide to do a lot of the work themselves. That can lead to potential safety issues. However, the following tips can increase the chances of doing a move without any accidents or injuries.
Even if you do hire a professional mover, it’s important to keep these office move safety tips in mind. Good Greek Moving and Storage has years of experience handling office moves and can offer more detailed advice on how to approach your office move, as well as services that can make the moving process much smoother.
Typical Office Move Injuries
When moving an office, there is the chance for many kinds of injuries. If you or your employees do handle move-related physical work, it’s important to know the potential problems.
Some common issues to be aware of include the following, all taken from the federal Department of Employment and Training (ETA), which is a division of the U.S. Labor Department.
- Lifting of heavy objects. Leave these for the professional movers! Many people suffer back injuries from trying to lift boxes. Remember, even small boxes can weigh much more than you might expect.
- Overreaching. This can lead to strained wrists, arms and shoulders.
- Deep bending. This can lead to injuries in the leg and back strains.
- Twisting. Twisting your body in an unusual position, especially when carrying something heavy, can result in back injuries.
- Cuts. People often cut their hands or arms while lifting or packing.
- Trip or falls. This happens because the office floor becomes overrun with clutter – or people stand on chairs. Never stand on chairs!
Tripping and Falling Hazards
Another area pointed out by the ETA is the issue of tripping and falling. This happens because the office floor becomes overrun with clutter – or people stand on chairs. Never stand on chairs! It’s one of the most frequent causes of injury during an office move. Before the move, take the time to talk with the entire office staff about the potential hazards that the move can create.
Damaged Equipment
This is where a professional mover can really be an asset. Expensive computers, printers and other office equipment is something that a professional mover is used to handling. They also offer insurance to protect your company on the chance that there is any damage.
Lost Business Time
Another issue with a move is that in addition to creating hazards for workers, it also can lead to loss of productivity as everything gets shut down with the move. A professional office moving company will create a packing and moving schedule around your businesses work hours, ensuring that you lose the least amount of work time as possible.
Blocking Exits
When moving, make sure to create a staging area of packed boxes that does not obstruct any exits from the building, in addition to not cluttering the floor and creating tripping hazards. Even during a move, you want to make sure the employees are safe during an emergency.
One of the smartest moves you can make when planning an office move is to call a professional moving service such as Good Greek Moving & Storage. They have years of experience helping businesses just like yours plan and executive their business moves.
