Are you about to move or upgrade your current working space? As you may or may not be aware, Just Clear have just moved to a brand spanking new headquarters in South West London, so we are currently very well acquainted with moving office. We don’t only do it for our customers, we do it for ourselves!
Any office move requires a great deal of planning and strong commitment. There are many things you’ll need to consider like making inventory, alarms, smoke detectors, business cards and most importantly health and safety requirements.
Health and safety is of paramount importance because as an employer, you are responsible for the welfare and well-being of your employees. This is also the case even if you hire contractors. You should consider health and safety consultants to highlight some of the other factors to take into consideration.
In order to comply with the health and safety regulations that are in place you should carry out a risk assessment when planning an office move. Your office clearance company can liaise with your company representatives to offer health and safety advice.
Employers should consider the following health & safety concerns when planning an office move:
- Planning – Poor planning leads to mistakes and mistakes lead to accidents. Planning in advance gives you time to think about anything that you might have forgotten. It’s also a good idea to create a checklist to tick off every task.
- Removal company – The removal company you use should ideally carry out a risk assessment of their own at both offices (new and old). The assessment should identify any access issues or equipment problems they may have and plan for it.
- Staff involvement – A professional moving company will carry out the main move. However, there might be times where your employees might need to get involved. In these cases, it is essential that you provide a clear guide of safety protocols. For example, staff should not attempt to lift any heavy boxes or equipment, these should be left to the professionals.
- New offices – Before moving into the new office, you must make sure that they meet the health and safety regulations that have been set in place. This includes outside lighting, temperature control, appropriate ventilation and window cleaning safety.
- Electrical – Your office removal company should ideally be in charge of moving any delicate or potentially dangerous equipment. You should make sure that computers, printers, phones, microwaves, kettles and everything else have been properly disconnected.
- Moving day – When the moving day finally arrives, you should make sure that you allow the movers to do their job without obstruction. If you could, try to arrange move day for when the staff is out of the office, this way they wouldn’t have to worry about getting in the way. Make sure that moving boxes have been unpacked and store appropriately to avoid obstructions and hazards.
