When an office needs to be relocated, company managers often assume that existing staff can be used for packing, stocking, small item moving and paper file relocation. The assumption is that this will reduce the cost of having to hire outside moving firms to do all the packing work, saving a few dollars. However, managers and business owners need to also remember relocation issues can often be a source of office place injuries, which can drive up workers compensation costs. Here’s why:
Lifting – Most office staff do not lift objects weighing more than 25 lbs on a regular basis.
As a result, they may not lift properly, they may not have the proper strength to do so, or they may drop an item. All three situations can result in injury, frequently to the employee’s back or on any body part underneath what’s dropped. Those injuries can be far more expensive in the long run, especially if the injury turns into a chronic pain condition afterwards.
Cuts and bruises – In a hurry to package and box office items, employees can easily cut themselves with paper or worse, on cardboard. This is a fast way to run up a number of minor injuries on hands and fingers as well as potentially create an infection injury. Again, a serious infection can result in serious workplace injury costs that the business will have to pay. Bruises are common as well. They frequently occur when someone is carrying a poorly packed or held load and then walk into a sharp table or wall corner. Again, this can result in short-term injury that could disable an employee temporarily.
Instead of risking high costs for an employee injury for the sake of small savings, it’s often better to have an office move or relocation handled completely by a professional team. These contractors are often skilled at moving, perform lifting work on a regular basis, and if an injury occurs, the business is not held responsible for the matter as the contractor has its own insurance. From a business and risk perspective, this is just a smarter way to go with an office relocation. Keep the employees working instead of becoming disabled and expensive.
The best role they can play is to prepare their desks, put away all loose materials, and find a way to work temporarily in swing space or a different location. This allows a moving team to do its job quickly and efficiently every time.
Need a moving team for your office move? Call us at 512 291-6683.