Don't slip up at work

For most of my professional career, I have worked in an office. Both smaller spaces and open plan layouts, with lots going on around me. It's certainly a change from when I'm working at home at my desk!

* Collaborative post

I'm very particular about my desk environment and in offices I've worked with in the past, I've found it difficult to get comfortable. I do suffer with back pain, related to how many hours I have spent at a desk over the past 12 years (thankfully less so these days) and I know that having the right desk set-up is an important part of health and safety in the workplace. Having your computer at eye level, feet on the floor, legs and arms at a 90 degree angle... all of this helps you to maintain a good posture and just make your time at your desk much more comfortable.


A lot of health and safety is common sense and most companies will be pretty rigorous when it comes to safeguarding their staff - but whether you work at home or in a bustling business, there can still be hazards. Over 20,000 slip incidents take place each year at work and more than 6,000 employees are injured by lifting or carrying items, so it is important to think about your own wellbeing when moving around the workplace.

I should know - I'm pretty clumsy and have had a couple of small incidents before. I infamously slipped down the staircase at my first agency, around eight steps, landing on the base of my spine and pulling my arm. The wall came off pretty bad too, as I scrapped nail polish all down the fresh paint as I fell!

The main thing is to be personally aware of potential issues, to make sure your employer is responsible and supportive and that anything you spot, you flag up. This interactive infographic from Accident Advice Helpline is a simple but useful way to familiarise yourself with potential hazards - they're not always as obvious as you think. If they were, there wouldn't be so many workplace accidents! If you're unsure of anything where you work, don't be afraid to ask.

With so much of our time spent at work, it's really important that we all stop and think about the environment we are in and be sure to have a pleasant, and safe, time.