12 risks of Xmas | no. 6

On the 6th day of Christmas... you dialled 999

With a rise in co-working spaces with their quirkiness and versatility, we have been gifted with a multiverse of perks. But with the versatility of your workplace environment come a variety of new-found risks and health and safety issues. Falling down and injuring yourself is rather common, and if an office offers a swing and a slide… you guessed. During the holiday season, there is often a spike in personal injury claims. With tight deadlines, full social calendars, increased financial stress and greater alcohol consumption, many employees will be burning the candle at both ends.

What’s at risk?

This makes workplace fatigue a real issue, increasing the likelihood of injury. The HSE reports that 29% of all workplace injuries are caused by slips, trips and falls, a figure which will most likely increase after employees let loose on the dance floor and wake up with sore heads and aching legs. On the subject of dancing, flailing arms and swinging hips can easily bump into furniture, fixtures and fittings, especially after a few glasses of Christmas cheer, leading to accidental damage to property.

How to avoid it?

As an employer, if you are hosting an office-based party, you should not rely on common sense in people. We recommend saving your dance moves for the dance floor rather than the bar table. But in case your team does get up to no good, make sure you have sufficient employer’s liability cover - just in case the celebrations get a little more Wham than anticipated, leaving you needing more than just a band-aid.

Read about the 7th risk of Christmas.