RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

December 10, 2004
OFFICE ALARM BELLS RING OUT FOR CHRISTMAS

As the office party season approaches, RoSPA and the TUC joined forces today with a checklist to ensure employees only hear jingle bells and not alarm bells this Christmas.

It’s always safer to book your office bash at a hotel, bar or restaurant, where facilities are designed for people having a good time. But if like many employers you do end up hosting a Christmas do at work, there are risks that people need to be aware of.

The RoSPA/TUC checklist includes suggestions to avoid injuries, breakages, fires, food poisoning and worse. Remember that over Christmas thousands of people will end up in hospital.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: “We are not being party poopers. Some sensible safety precautions will allow people to have a great office celebration without having to call in the emergency services. Following these guidelines should ensure ‘peace at work, and good times for all staff’.”

Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary, said: “There won’t be much Christmas cheer in your workplace if your winter wonderland turns out to be a danger zone. Some simple precautions can make sure your party goes off with a bang, instead of a crash.”

Party planners can find the full checklist at www.worksmart.org.uk/officeparty .
Tips include:

• Office furniture isn’t designed to be as sturdy as the furniture in your local pub, so dancing on desks could do them and you a lot of damage. Likewise, the boardroom table is meant for weighty documents, not overweight executives.
• Definite no-no’s are candles, flaming puddings and all smoking. Office fire alarms are generally placed everywhere and are very sensitive. Even the jolliest firefighters aren’t going to be in the Christmas spirit if they’re called to put out a cigarette.
• Resist the temptation to photocopy parts of your anatomy – if the copier breaks, you’ll have Christmas with glass in painful places.
• Use a stepladder to put up decorations – not a swivel chair that could send you spinning to the ground. And hang trimmings away from lights and other sources of heat, such as computers.
• 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.
• 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. Management can help by thinking ahead and ensuring people don’t have to drink and drive - booking taxis or offering overnight stays can help.