Workplace safety for an office: what you really need

Office work falls into the first category of work, and that is exactly why many companies forget about it. The Labour Inspectorate does not check whether the work is hazardous; it checks whether you have met your duties. For an office that is a short but very specific list.

What you need from your first employee

• initial OSH training and refresher training at least every two years (Section 7(1) and (5) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• a written risk assessment document (Section 6(1)(c) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• occupational health service (Section 21(3) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• fire protection training on entry and then every 24 months (Section 22 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll.),
• fire protection documentation under Section 9(2) of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.,
• records of occupational accidents (Section 17 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.).

Work with display screen equipment

This is the core of office safety. Government Regulation No. 276/2006 Coll. on minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment requires you to assess the workstation in terms of vision, physical load and mental load, to ensure the work is interrupted by breaks or changes of activity, to arrange eye examinations before the work starts, then at regular intervals and whenever the employee reports problems, and to pay for special corrective appliances for display screen work if the examination requires them and ordinary glasses are not enough. It is not enough to know this; it has to be in the documentation and in the training outline.

Workstation ergonomics

An adjustable chair, a monitor at eye level and at a distance where text is read without leaning forward, enough space in front of the keyboard to rest the forearms, legroom under the desk and lighting without glare on the screen. Skipping ergonomics does not bring a fine straight away; it brings a spinal condition ten years later.

Electrical appliances

Laptops, chargers, extension leads, kettles and the kitchenette fridge are electrical appliances subject to regular inspections and tests. Since 1 May 2025 the applicable standard is STN 33 1630:2025, which replaced STN 33 1600 and STN 33 1610, with parallel use until 1 May 2027. The electrical installation and distribution boards are dedicated technical equipment under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. with their own inspection intervals.

Fire protection

In rented premises the tenant performs the fire protection duties unless the lease says otherwise (Section 6(2) of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.): portable fire extinguishers in the quantity set by Section 9 of Decree No. 347/2022 Coll. checked once a year, free and marked escape routes rather than a cardboard store in the corridor, marking under Government Regulation No. 387/2006 Coll., fire alarm instructions and an evacuation plan where required, and preventive fire inspections under Section 14 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll.

Home office

If an employee works from home, the employer's responsibility for safety and health does not disappear. Handle it through the home working agreement, instructions on safe arrangement of the home workstation and a clear rule for reporting an accident. An accident while working from home is assessed like any other; what matters is the connection with the performance of work tasks.

Employees who drive

If employees use a company or private car for business trips, they need driver training. A road accident on a business trip is an occupational accident with all the duties under Section 17 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.

Ask for a quotation for your office, just send us the number of employees and the address.