Have you ever taken the time to consider if there are any deficiencies in the way your company approaches health and safety? Perhaps you’ve encountered an incident that didn’t prompt the response you expected?
We asked 2,000 adults about their workplace experiences, and some staggering revelations encouraged us to create our own quiz on the subject.
71 per cent of those polled said their desks are not configured properly, meaning they regularly suffer aches and pains.
More than half (55 per cent) openly complain about poor air quality, with many believing they often forgo breathing in fresh air for the entire day.
The survey has been commissioned by Andrews Air Quality, with one of our experts explaining: “There’s no doubt that health and safety protocol – and its implementation – varies from workplace to workplace.”
“And while there are lots of really obvious dangers that can befall you at work, like being in a busy warehouse environment, many risks are a lot more low-key.
“Things like not sitting at a properly-configured desk day in and day out, for example, can play havoc with your back.
“And air quality is also tremendously important, especially now we are in a world where Covid exists and fresh air is absolutely vital.”
The main cause of injury risk was deemed to be mental – overworked employees at risk of burnout (27 per cent).
Another 23 per cent regularly work around cables they believe could be a tripping hazard, while 19 per cent say they don’t get any natural light.
A further one in five have worked in places where spillages have not been cleaned up, and 15 per cent have seen plug sockets overloaded with electrical items.
One in four respondents confess to not knowing their company’s fire policy – and the same amount have reported a health hazard, only to see it ignored.
As many as three in 10 have actually quit a job because they felt it was too dangerous, according to the OnePoll.com data.
More than a tenth (13 per cent) of office workers report their office windows don’t open, depriving them of a fresh breeze.
And yet, 34 per cent believe the only ‘really dangerous’ workplaces are those in which manual labour or physical activity is undertaken as part of the job – not offices!
More than two thirds say offices are simply not dangerous workplaces at all.
A member of Andrews Air Quality’s technical team added: “The research shows there’s definitely some more education to be done in terms of dangers at work.
“Just because you’re not at risk of being run over by a forklift, doesn’t mean you can’t be at risk in other ways.
“All workplace managers should – especially as offices start to re-open – be working hard to ensure everyone’s safety.”
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1. Have you ever been injured (this constitutes any injury, from a scratch to a broken bone) at your workplace? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – more than once | 26% | 519 | ||
Yes – once | 25% | 505 | ||
No – none | 48% | 956 | ||
Prefer not to say | 1% | 20 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “It’s only a matter of time until I get injured in my workplace.”? |
||||
% | n | |||
Strongly agree | 2% | 15 | ||
Somewhat agree | 8% | 81 | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 22% | 211 | ||
Somewhat disagree | 27% | 257 | ||
Strongly disagree | 41% | 393 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 957; total n = 2000; 1043 missing | ||||
3. Which of the following health and safety breaches, if any, have you ever seen in your workplace? [Please select all that apply] |
||||
% | n | |||
Overworked employees who may succumb to stress and burnout | 27% | 541 | ||
Cables that could trip someone over | 23% | 450 | ||
No natural light | 19% | 382 | ||
Spillages that nobody is clearing up | 19% | 373 | ||
Bad ventilation | 19% | 371 | ||
Wet floors without a ‘wet floor’ sign | 17% | 343 | ||
Loose flooring | 17% | 342 | ||
Overloaded plug sockets | 15% | 307 | ||
Blocked fire escapes | 15% | 302 | ||
People not wearing the proper safety equipment | 15% | 291 | ||
Exposed wires | 12% | 233 | ||
No fire training | 11% | 225 | ||
Windows that don’t have safety catches | 11% | 217 | ||
People operating heavy machinery without proper licensing/training | 9% | 189 | ||
Electric equipment next to water sources | 9% | 177 | ||
No emergency lighting | 8% | 169 | ||
A fire extinguisher that you know doesn’t work | 8% | 151 | ||
Mislabeled chemicals | 7% | 145 | ||
Fire alarms that don’t work | 6% | 127 | ||
Broken air purifier | 6% | 124 | ||
None of the above | 27% | 547 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
4. Do you know your company’s fire escape policy? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes | 75% | 1494 | ||
No | 25% | 506 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “My workplace is an accident waiting to happen.”? |
||||
% | n | |||
Strongly agree | 9% | 176 | ||
Somewhat agree | 21% | 428 | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 20% | 400 | ||
Somewhat disagree | 21% | 417 | ||
Strongly disagree | 29% | 579 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
6. How many days in a working week, if any, do you encounter something you consider hazardous in your workplace? [Please select best match, where 0 means this does not happen every working week]. |
||||
% | n | |||
0 | 26% | 520 | ||
1 | 15% | 298 | ||
2 | 13% | 263 | ||
3 | 10% | 194 | ||
4 | 7% | 138 | ||
5 | 5% | 93 | ||
6 | 1% | 26 | ||
7 | 1% | 20 | ||
N/A – I never encounter something I consider hazardous in my workplace | 22% | 448 | ||
Average | 1.8 | |||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
7. Have you ever reported a hazard to health and safety at your workplace? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – and it was sorted out | 31% | 488 | ||
Yes – but it was ignored | 24% | 378 | ||
No – I have not done this | 38% | 595 | ||
I can’t remember | 6% | 91 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1552; total n = 2000; 448 missing | ||||
8. Do you think your employers/management should be doing any more than they already are to keep staff safe? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – a lot more | 17% | 335 | ||
Yes – a bit more | 32% | 631 | ||
No – they are doing enough | 43% | 857 | ||
I don’t know | 9% | 177 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
9. If you use a desk at work, has it been properly configured for you in terms of the screen height, chair height, etc.? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – it has been properly configured | 31% | 620 | ||
Yes – but it is still not completely right | 24% | 486 | ||
No – this has not happened to me | 30% | 590 | ||
N/A – I don’t use a desk | 15% | 304 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
10. If you use a desk at work that has NOT been properly configured for you, do you ever feel aches and strains in your back, wrists or shoulders? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – often | 17% | 178 | ||
Yes – sometimes | 54% | 583 | ||
No – never | 23% | 244 | ||
Not sure / can’t recall | 7% | 72 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1077; total n = 2000; 923 missing | ||||
11. How would you describe the air quality in your place of work (e.g. have you ever walked into a room and felt the air was stuffy or unhealthy)? [Please select best match] |
||||
% | n | |||
Very good | 14% | 279 | ||
Good | 33% | 656 | ||
Average | 37% | 730 | ||
Not very good | 10% | 194 | ||
Not good at all | 3% | 67 | ||
N/A – not sure / my work is fully outdoors | 4% | 74 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
12. Do you ever go full days at work without breathing any fresh air? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – often | 17% | 336 | ||
Yes – sometimes | 38% | 765 | ||
No – never | 41% | 827 | ||
N/A – not sure / my work is fully outdoors | 4% | 72 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
13. Have you ever left a job because you felt the environment (e.g. the nature of the work, the air quality, etc.) was too dangerous? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – more than once | 11% | 211 | ||
Yes – once | 19% | 385 | ||
No – never | 68% | 1362 | ||
Prefer not to say | 2% | 42 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
14. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The only really dangerous workplaces are physical ones, like building sites or warehouses – not offices.”? |
||||
% | n | |||
Strongly agree | 9% | 176 | ||
Somewhat agree | 25% | 490 | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 24% | 479 | ||
Somewhat disagree | 27% | 543 | ||
Strongly disagree | 16% | 312 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
15. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Offices are not dangerous workplaces at all.”? |
||||
% | n | |||
Strongly agree | 20% | 135 | ||
Somewhat agree | 48% | 317 | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 20% | 135 | ||
Somewhat disagree | 10% | 67 | ||
Strongly disagree | 2% | 12 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 666; total n = 2000; 1334 missing | ||||
16. If you work in an office, do the windows open? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – all of them | 17% | 335 | ||
Yes – most of them | 23% | 460 | ||
Yes – some of them | 27% | 543 | ||
No – none of them | 13% | 260 | ||
I don’t know | 2% | 48 | ||
N/A – I don’t work in an office | 18% | 354 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
17. Does your workplace have any health and safety rules or laws that you think are overly cautious? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – many | 13% | 254 | ||
Yes – one or two | 31% | 621 | ||
No – none | 45% | 897 | ||
N/A – I am unaware of health and safety rules or laws at my workplace | 11% | 228 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||
18. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “I think the health and safety laws in my workplace are too strict.”? |
||||
% | n | |||
Strongly agree | 10% | 176 | ||
Somewhat agree | 22% | 390 | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 24% | 432 | ||
Somewhat disagree | 26% | 455 | ||
Strongly disagree | 18% | 319 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1772; total n = 2000; 228 missing | ||||
19. Have health and safety regulations got stricter or less strict at your workplace in the last five years? |
||||
% | n | |||
Much more strict | 11% | 189 | ||
Somewhat more strict | 34% | 595 | ||
Neither more nor less strict | 43% | 770 | ||
Somewhat less strict | 4% | 70 | ||
Much less strict | 1% | 10 | ||
N/A – I was not at my current workplace 5 years ago | 8% | 138 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1772; total n = 2000; 228 missing | ||||
20. Have you ever used the phrase “It’s health and safety gone mad” at your workplace? |
||||
% | n | |||
Yes – many times | 13% | 267 | ||
Yes – once or twice | 34% | 677 | ||
No – never | 45% | 906 | ||
I can’t remember | 8% | 150 | ||
(c)OnePoll 2022; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000 | ||||