How to ensure safety, security and secrecy in your office ?

Office environment has an important bearing on the efficiency of the office employees. The most conscientious worker cannot discharge his obligation properly when he is not feeling comfortable. Since office work is mostly a brainwork due care should be taken to enforce good working condition which has a great deal of contribution to employees work. The following steps are taken to ensure safety. Security and secrecy in office work.

To Ensure Safety:

In addition to providing of better working conditions, proper and adequate safety devices should be installed. Safety devices are installed to prevent and avoid physical hazards in office premises. Adequate fire extinguishing equipments are to be installed and the staff should be properly trained for its use. To enable these equipments in good working order, these should be regularly checked and escape routes should be developed in office binding. The following precautions will be taken for providing safety:

(a) When the staff members have left office for night all electrical switches should be switched off.

(b) Premises should be clean so that combustible materials are not left.

(c) ‘Ashtrays’ should be provided to the employees so that cigarette ends should not be thrown into waste paper basket.

(d) All worn-out electrical wiring should be repaired or eliminated properly.

(e) Open gas or electrical fire should be avoided.

(f) New office equipment should be inspected by safety officer.

(g) At the time of cleaning all electrically driven machines should be disconnected.

(h) Floor should not be highly polished.

(i) Razor blades should not be used to sharpen pencils.

0′) Over crowding of files should be avoided to prevent fall of material.

To Ensure Security:

Preservation of records for future reference is an important function of the modern office. These documents are properly maintained and no documents or files should be taken out of the office premises without prior permission of the superior officer. Security measures vary from organisation to organisation. To provide proper security to documents or files the following measures are to be taken:

(a) All important and valuable documents are to be kept in office safe lockers.

(b) Other documents are kept in such a place so that outsiders have no access to them.

(c) Responsibility will be fixed on the employees for loss of material.

(d) Adequate fire precaution will be taken.

(e) Caretakers and guards are employed to take the charge of building and office equipments.

(f) A fidelity guarantee insurance policy will be taken to cover the risks of defalcation and fraud on part of employees.

(g) Reference checking will be made at the time of appointment of a new employee.

(h) Cash security or bond security from the employees may be pursued.

To Ensure Secrecy:

Some records are kept secret from the junior staff and these records are sometimes referred as business secrets. Any disclosure to these materials will entail a substantial loss to the enterprise. The following information are kept secret:

(a) Tender and quotations of the organisation.

(b) Information relating to cost and personnel policy of the firm.

(c) The rate of dividend should not be disclosed before annual general meeting.

(d) Information relating to the financial position of the firm.