Common hazards in office work

Manual handling refers to any activity requiring a person to exert force to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain something. Manual handling becomes hazardous manual handling when it involves:

• repeated or sustained force
• sustained awkward posture
• repetitive movements
• exposure to sustained vibration
• application of high force, whether once or repeatedly, that may reasonably cause difficulty
• handling people or animals
• loads that are unstable, unbalanced or hard to hold.

Examples of manual handling tasks commonly performed in offices include:

• lifting and carrying boxes of photocopying paper
• moving office furniture and equipment such as computers and printers
• handling large files, books and legal documents
• prolonged or intense keyboard or mouse use
• opening and closing filing cabinet drawers
• reaching high or bending low to retrieve boxes or other items.

Musculoskeletal disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is a collective term for a range of conditions with or without visible symptoms and with discomfort or pain in:

• muscles
• joints
• tendons
• other soft tissues.

MSDs arise in whole or in part from hazardous manual handling and are usually associated with tasks involving:

• repetitive movement
• sustained or unnatural postures
• forceful movements.

Past names for some of these conditions include occupational overuse syndrome or repetitive strain injuries.

MSDs can occur suddenly. For example, from forceful exertion in a bent or twisted posture, such as lifting a box of photocopying paper from the floor.

They can also develop over a prolonged period. Many MSDs occur due to daily work involving stationary postures that result in muscle fatigue. For example:

• holding the telephone
• repetitive work such as keyboard and mouse tasks.

Conditions with this type of gradual onset are more common in office work than sudden injuries.

MSDs may result from a combination of both. For example, if body tissue weakened by cumulative wear and tear is vulnerable to sudden damage from a strenuous task.

Environmental conditions and psychosocial hazards may also increase the risk of MSDs associated with hazardous manual handling.

Environmental conditions may include:

• vibration
• heat
• noise
• humidity
• cold and wind
• slippery and uneven floor surfaces
• obstructions
• poor lighting.

For detailed information on these environmental conditions:

Designing a healthy and safe working environment

General health and safety issues in the office

Psychosocial hazards may include:

• job demands, including workload and the pace of the work
• low levels of control over work
• poor levels of resourcing
• poor levels of support by management, supervisors and colleagues.

In office work, other factors that have been associated with MSDs include:

• prolonged and intense keyboard or mouse use
• high demands on vision
• sustained mental effort
• peak demands or set work rates.

Employers have specific responsibilities under occupational health and safety (OHS) laws when using controls to reduce the risks of MSDs.

It is important that physical job design fits with how our bodies operate. Points to consider include:

• Joints should be in relaxed and comfortable positions. This makes the work of muscles, ligaments and tendons around joints more efficient. Where extreme positions must be used, they should be held for as little time as possible and not repeated often.
• The work should be as close as possible to the body to minimise stress on the body when reaching to perform a task.
• Commonly accessed items should be stored between hip and shoulder height where possible to avoid bending over and reaching up.
• Repetitive tasks such as using a keyboard and mouse should be performed only for short periods at a time. These tasks are best interspersed with other tasks requiring different postures and movements. For example, collecting work at the printer; reviewing, photocopying and distributing documents.
• Static or fixed postures should only be held for short periods of time and mixed with different tasks.
• Job design should allow employees to sit, stand or walk a short distance as a normal part of their duties.
• Employees should avoid exertion from the use of excessive force.
• Exertion of force should be done in an upright posture, without twisting the spine and preferably using both hands equally.

As the working day progresses, it becomes more important to provide work with different mental demands, changes in posture and more frequent work breaks.

Task variety

It is important to include task variety in the design of work. Task variety is best done by mixing intensive keyboard use and other computer use with a variety of other work. The different tasks should involve a change in posture and muscles used.

For desk-based employees, sit-stand desks can help provide a different work posture through the day.

Breaks

Rest or work breaks can range from short pauses to defined breaks, such as meal breaks. Answering the phone or collecting a document from the printer are short breaks that provide an opportunity for:

• muscles to rest and recover from keyboard and mouse use
• muscles and joints to move after being in fixed positions.

Where a variety of alternative tasks is not available, it is important to have more work breaks away from the task. The length and frequency of these breaks depends on the work, the person and other factors. Frequent short pauses are preferable to infrequent longer pauses.

Exercises

Exercises during breaks can provide changes in posture and movement for muscles and joints during periods of intense work. Exercises may be useful where there are no alternative tasks available, but exercises should not replace other controls. Exercises should be gentle movements and stretches that provide:

• rest for frequently used muscles
• movement for muscles and joints that have been static.

The best exercise is usually to get up from a seated position and move around.

Work adjustment periods

An adjustment period is often needed when an employee:

• returns from a period of absence
• starts working on a new task or with new equipment.

The adjustment period will depend on the:

• individual
• equipment
• environment
• duration of computer-based work involved.

Where there is highly repetitive work, such as keyboard and mouse use, consider an adjustment period involving reduced workloads or a greater variety of tasks than usual. Gradually reintroduce highly repetitive or demanding work.

During employee absences, work should not be left to pile up for the employee’s return. Letting work accumulate can cause an overload that can increase the risk of:

• an MSD
• psychological harm and loss of job satisfaction.

Bullying in the working environment is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed at an employee or group of employees that creates a risk to health and safety.

Bullying can affect an individual’s health and ability to do their job. It can also contribute to:

• loss of productivity
• employee turnover
• absenteeism
• low morale
• financial costs.

Bullying usually comes from a source inside the workplace. It may be:

• employee to employee
• employer to an employee or group of employees
• a group to an individual or another group
• clients and customers to employees.

Examples of workplace bullying include repeated:

• verbal abuse
• hostile or isolating behaviour
• abusive or offensive correspondence
• threatening or intimidating body language
• unreasonable demands, unnecessary pressure and impossible deadlines
• unfair allocation of tasks and/or working hours
• undermining a person’s work performance, recognition or position
• deliberately withholding necessary work-related information or resources, or supplying incorrect information
• setting tasks that are above a person’s skill level without access to training or support
• inappropriate surveillance or monitoring
• inappropriate interference with personal belongings or work equipment
• unreasonably isolating an employee from others.

Some employees can be more vulnerable to bullying, including:

• minors or young employees
• new employees
• apprentices and trainees
• people in insecure working arrangements such as fixed-term, casual or labour hire
• people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and gender-diverse, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+)
• culturally and racially marginalised people
• people with disability.

Work-related factors can increase the risk of bullying if they are not addressed. These include:

• Work stressors, such as:
  • high job demands
  • limited job control
  • organisational change
  • role conflict and ambiguity
  • job insecurity
  • an acceptance of unreasonable workplace behaviours or a lack of behavioural standards
  • unreasonable expectations of clients or customers.
• Leadership styles, such as:
  • autocratic behaviour
  • behaviour where little or no guidance is given to employees
  • abusive and demeaning behaviour.
• Systems of work, including:
  • lack of resources
  • lack of training
  • inappropriate work scheduling
  • unreasonable performance measures or timeframes.
• Workplace relationships, including:
  • poor communication
  • isolation
  • low levels of support
  • work group hostility.

Information on how to prevent and respond to bullying in the working environment

Aggression or violence in the working environment involves incidents in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.

This definition covers a broad range of actions and behaviours that can create a risk to the health and safety of employees. It includes behaviour sometimes described as acting out, challenging behaviour and behaviours of concern.

Examples of aggressive or violent behaviours include:

• physical assault such as biting, spitting, scratching, hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, tripping, grabbing or throwing objects
• intentionally coughing or spitting on someone
• verbal threats or abuse
• online harassment, threats or abuse
• hazing or initiation practices for new or young employees
• threatening or assaulting someone with an object or weapon
• armed robbery
• sexual harassment and assault.

It can be a single incident or happen more than once.

Specific risk factors that may increase the risk of aggression or violence in the working environment include:

• Working with people with potentially unpredictable behaviour, such as those who are:
  • distressed, afraid, angry or confused
  • ill
  • intoxicated
  • incarcerated.
• Situations where it is difficult to call for help in an emergency. This includes when working:
  • alone
  • in an isolated or remote area
  • offsite or in the community.
• Handling cash, drugs or valuables.
• Working face-to-face with members of the public.

Employees can experience aggression or violence from:

• managers
• co-workers
• contractors
• site visitors
• clients
• customers
• patients
• students
• people in custody
• members of the public.

Aggression or violence in the working environment can cause physical and psychological harm to:

• the person it is directed at
• anyone witnessing the behaviour.

Information on how to prevent and respond to aggression or violence in the working environment

Family violence is a significant community issue. It is also an OHS risk because its effect on an employee can extend into the workplace.

Family violence is behaviour that:

• controls or dominates a family member
• causes them to fear for their safety or wellbeing, or someone else’s.

Family violence can be many different things. Risks range from subtle power imbalances and threats to escalating patterns of abuse over time. It includes:

• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• emotional or psychological abuse
• economic abuse
• threats
• coercion
• stalking
• spiritual or cultural abuse
• damage to property or belongings
• abuse or threatening abuse of pets
• technology-facilitated abuse
• when a child hears, sees or is otherwise exposed to the effects of family violence.

Family violence does not only happen between couples who live together. It can occur in any kind of ‘family-like’ relationship and between people of all genders. This includes between:

• current partners
• ex-partners
• parents or step-parents, guardians and other family members
• other people who live together
• members of the same cultural or kinship group.

Family violence can happen to anyone, regardless of:

• gender
• age
• wealth
• sexuality
• ethnicity
• disability
• location
• education.

However, family violence is overwhelmingly committed:

• by men
• against women, children and other vulnerable groups.

Family violence can affect someone’s:

• working behaviour or performance
• ability to cope at work.

Family violence can also occur at work. For example, if the perpetrator:

• works with the affected employee
• attends or enters the affected employee’s workplace.

Employers must:

• Provide a safe and healthy working environment, so far as is reasonably practicable. This may include providing support to:
  • employees who are victims of the violence
  • co-workers and other third parties.
• Proactively manage the physical and psychological risk of family violence in the working environment.

This duty applies to work activities wherever they occur. This includes when working at home.

Information on how to manage family violence in the working environment.

Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual behaviour or actions that creates a risk to someone’s health or safety. It is behaviour that makes the person feel:

• offended
• humiliated
• intimidated.

It can be:

• physical, including gestures
• verbal, including through online spaces
• written (text or images), including through online spaces and messaging or social media platforms. These don’t have to be connected to work.

It can be a single incident or happen more than once.

Sexual harassment can come in many forms. Some examples can include:

• actual or attempted sexual assault or rape
• physical assault, abuse or threats targeted at an individual because of their sex, gender or sexuality
• sexual acts, such as masturbating directed at or in front of an individual
• intrusive questions or sexualised comments about things like:
  • appearance
  • relationship status
  • sexuality
  • bodily functions
• sexually suggestive behaviour, such as leering or staring
• brushing up against someone, touching, fondling or hugging
• sexually suggestive comments, questions or jokes
• displaying offensive sexual images or objects
• repeated requests to go out
• requests for sex
• sexually explicit emails, text messages, images or posts on social media, messaging or online platforms.

Sexual harassment may be directed at an individual or a group. Someone might also be harmed by sexual harassment in an indirect way. This could happen if they are unwillingly exposed to:

• a conversation that is sexual in nature and affects them in a negative way
• violence or actions of a sexual nature directed at someone else.

Anyone can experience sexual harassment in the working environment. It is not limited to a particular sex, gender or sexual orientation. But some people are more likely to experience it, including:

• people who identify as women or non-binary
• people who are new to the workforce
• minors or young workers
• people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and gender-diverse, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+)
• people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• people with disability
• people who don’t follow socially prescribed gender roles and stereotypes. These are traditional ideas about:
  • how men and women should look or act
  • what characteristics they should have
  • their roles in the workplace, home or public life
• culturally and racially marginalised people
• migrant workers
• people holding temporary visas
• people in insecure working arrangements such as fixed-term, casual or labour hire
• people who work in high-risk industries
• apprentices.

Some workplaces may have characteristics that increase the risk of sexual harassment. They may also create barriers to reporting. These characteristics can include:

• The type of work being done, such as:
  • personal care work where an employee needs to touch a client
  • employees who interact with members of the public.
• The design of work, for example:
  • working at night, alone or in licensed venues
  • working from remote locations with limited supervision, such as fly-in-fly-out workers or airline crew
  • attending work functions or travelling for work
  • working at residential premises
  • employees who have restricted access to help and support.
• Work systems, such as:
  • employees who must wear a name tag
  • requiring employees to use their personal phone numbers for work.
• Management of work, such as:
  • rigid or rigidly enforced hierarchical management structures
  • insecure work.
• The physical or virtual environment of the workplace, such as:
  • lack of obvious CCTV or partition screens to act as a deterrent
  • poor lines of sight
  • no appropriate moderation of comments on online forums or platforms.
• Organisational culture, such as:
  • tolerance of crude jokes
  • distributing work based on traditional gendered roles
  • a workforce that is segregated by gender, has low diversity or is dominated by one gender, age group, race or culture
  • workplace leaders with poor understanding of the nature, drivers and effects of sexual harassment
  • behaviours, systems and structures that support or condone sexism, homophobia and transphobia
  • a workplace with no formal or appropriate reporting procedures, or employees don’t know about them.

Information on how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the working environment

An affected employee may wish to contact other agencies about an incident of sexual harassment.

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

Victoria Police