FEATURE
CORPORATE CHRISTMAS Safe
and happy Christmas
If your budget won’t stretch to a Christmas party at a local restaurant or hotel and you’ll instead be hosting the party in the workplace, care needs to be taken. Following some simple procedures could help ensure everybody goes home happy from the celebrations.
DECK THE HALLS – SAFELY • Use a stepladder to put up decorations. Never stand on a swivel chair, as it could send you spinning to the ground.
• Offices are crammed with electrical appliances, which could be a fire hazard if their air vents get blocked. Remember to hang any tinsel or garlands well away from lights and other sources of heat, such as computers. Do not obscure emergency exit signs with decorations.
• Make sure Christmas tree lights meet modern safety standards and aren’t old ones, which could turn your tree and office into an inferno. Your company might not be insured for damage caused by non-tested electrical equipment.
• Make sure Christmas trees are secure, and won’t be knocked by people passing by or pulling cables.
• It might be best to leave out the mistletoe (and not just because the berries are poisonous). Cases of sexual harassment at parties are often excused as “a bit of fun” rather than a workplace issue. Case law suggests, though, that this is a very fine line. If a party is held at the employer's expense, and is clearly a work party, it’s likely any harassment would be covered by sexual harassment at work rules.
ARE YOU READY TO PARTY? • Notify your employers of what you’re planning. Their responsibilities don’t end at 5.30pm, so they could be liable for any accidents or damages if the premises or the event organisation are under their control.
• Involving safety representatives and office first-aiders might be a useful part of planning. A trained safety rep will be able to spot any potential hazards.
• Make sure you and other party organisers know what the late night security arrangements for your office are. Some offices may lock doors and stairwells at night, which could cut off an emergency escape.
• If you’re going to be serving alcohol at the party, make sure you’ve read your company’s alcohol policy if there is one. You may need to make sure you have personnel department or your manager’s agreement if your policy prohibits alcohol at work.
• Use paper cups so that there’s no danger from broken glasses – and keep drinks well away from electrical equipment.
• Remember, office fire detection systems are very sensitive to all kinds of smoke so don’t be tempted to light candles, Christmas puddings or cigarettes.
• Get colleagues to plan how they’ll be getting home. Make sure people who normally drive to work go home by another mode of transport if they drink.
But equally important – have fun. Remember, safety is not rocket science and a few simple steps like these mean you can have a great office celebration without any painful mishaps. Following these guidelines should ensure peace at work, and good times for all staff.
36 business network September 2017
‘Following these guidelines should ensure peace at work, and good times for all staff’
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
