Creating an office that functions well and is pleasing to all newcomers can be a hard task. You’ve got a layout to plan, the social aspect to think of, and you need to make sure your employees are capable of doing their best work. It’s something all business owners have to do, and it takes a bit of time and effort, but eventually you come up with the most productive working layout and your business flourishes because of it! 

However, you may have forgotten about one crucial element: safety. Is your office safe to be in, and are your business operations private and protected? It’s another thing all business owners should incorporate into their office design, and this post is here to help with that. Here’s how to ensure your working space has more than just good looks to offer. 

Are There Any Obvious Hazards?

This is the first thing to double check here. In your office, are there any obvious hazards you’ve forgotten to account for? Wires across the floor, potential drink spillages next to expensive equipment, etc.? 

Because if employees are allowed food and drink at their desks, there should also be a clear rule about coffee cup lids and lids for bottles! An obvious hazard is something you can see coming when in front of you, but they can be hard to spot on a paper floorplan. Go through one last time for safety’s sake. 

Have You Set Clear Rules and Regulations? 

Rules in the office vary from business to business, but the same underlying principle fuels them all: good work with good people. Indeed, everyone should be friendly towards each other, but that’s often not enough. Things like office gossip can take off if you don’t stamp them out immediately. 

For example, operating an open door policy is good, but that door should be closed and blinds drawn if an employee needs discipline. Take it somewhere private away from prying eyes to keep the dispute between the right people. Similarly, make sure there are clear break room rules to follow to keep everyone comfortable, and put a sickness policy in place. It might cost you, but you don’t want someone with the flu rocking up to infect everyone! 

Do You Use the Right Software? 

Every single business out there uses software of some kind to get things done. Data entry, accounting, social media, etc., are all good reasons to have an app or two downloaded to your company computers. It’s a part of working life now, and that’s exactly why it’s so imperative to use the right software. 

Are the apps you’re using as safe as they can be? You won’t know until you double check the reputation of the apps and make sure you’ve downloaded the latest patches for them. Without the latest update installed, anyone could exploit a potential backdoor and find a way into your business system. 

At the same time, you want to have encryption enabled across all the messages you send to do with your company. As such, you may want to check out the best secure messaging apps currently available to download. Only the best apps will make sure only the right people are receiving these messages! 

Have You Updated Your Alarm System?

Finally, it’s time to get a real lock on your physical security as well. Your current alarm system may have come with the building and as such, you don’t know much about it. And that could be a mistake in the long run. If you don’t know where your alarm was sourced or how it works with just a number to key in, you could be letting your company security down. 

So switch out it for another alarm system, that you can be sure is the most up to date system on the market. Good alarms should be professionally installed, allow you to monitor through video feed, and be an all round security system across your premises. Indeed, on commercial properties they should include CCTV feed and a remote link to access these cameras. It might be costly, but it’s an investment for the future. 

Your office is set up just right, but can you be sure it’s safe and secure to work in as well? Not without a double check here and there! Use the ideas like those above to make sure your employees feel safe and comfortable when they’re on the job, and continue to check in on a regular basis.