25 Workplace Security Tips For Employees


Creating a safe and healthy environment for employees is the foundation that will lead an organization towards business success. Both employee and employer need to understand the importance of a safe working environment and do their best to make it all happen. While an employer should take time to ensure his/her workers are always safe, implement safety policies, and procedures; employees still need to take responsibility for their own safety.

Knowing how to identify an unsafe environment and situations in your workplace is important, but speaking about it is also a must! Having employees talk openly about any unsafe concerns will help you identify opportunities for significant improvement as well. To assist you, I have come up with a list of 25 workplace security tips for employees all over the world.

25 Workplace Security Tips For Employees

1. Sharing Your Safety Concerns

2. Understanding Security Procedures And Emergency Steps

3. Securing Your Workstations

4. Keeping Proper Posture

5. Less Clutter And Better Organization

6. Proper Use Of The Tools And Machines

7. First Aid Knowledge

8. Safety Equipment

9. Regular Breaks

10. Keep Yourself Well-Hydrated

11. Risk Is Not Worth It

12. Stressing Out Leads Nowhere

13. Clear Pathways To Emergency Exit

14. Drive Safely

15. Come Up With Unique Passwords

16. Do Not Share Your ID Card Or Badge

17. Know How To Get Rid Of Old Data

18. Never Ignore Application Or System Updates

19. Avoid Public WiFi

20. Think Of A Buddy System

21. Backup Your Data

22. Learn More About Cyber Security

23. Be Observant

24. Take Care of Your Personal Belongings

25. Follow The Safety Rules

If you follow and respect all these tips, you will make your business a lot better than before. It has been proven that people have an easier time focusing at work when they are safe and without any worries on their mind. Taking care of your own self at work is not something you should be ordered to do, it is something you need to do naturally. Making sure you and your surroundings are safe is crucial for your co-workers, your employer, and your own self. As soon as you start following these 25 tips, you will instantly feel more in control and you will feel less stressed thinking about whether you are safe or not. Being aware of the possibilities and your surroundings is important and it will help you feel more productive, creative and ready to come up with solutions to the problems in no time.

Sharing Your Safety Concerns

Certain things might not seem unsafe to everyone, these things can often end up overlooked and forgotten. If you notice anything unsafe at your work, it is your responsibility to report it to your supervisor. Do not think you are doing a bad thing by reporting something significantly hazardous, you might be actually saving lives by doing so. There are many things you can find to be unsafe, talking about those things and sharing your thoughts about them will probably help out finding a way to improve and come up with a solution in no time. Who knows, maybe there is another employee who has the same thoughts as you, together you can come up with great solutions and maybe even encourage others to speak out. Your company should take care of these things, listen to your advice and do their best to make you feel as safe as possible.

Seeing how great you and your co-workers communicate and understand the importance of safety, your employer might even schedule meetings related to safety and make your workplace safer than it has ever been before.

Understanding Security Procedures And Emergency Steps

You might have only visited the office for the first time, but understanding the security procedures and emergency steps is not something that will be given in front of your face. Ask and be curious, making sure you understand it all well is not something to be ashamed of, it proves you are experienced and careful worker, there are not many like that out there.

There are various companies out there that instantly assume you already know everything about emergency steps, this is wrong, and while it is wrong, it is still on you. Give your best to gather up as much information as possible, never miss out on the regular training and be the one who will jump in and help those who need it.

Securing Your Workstations

Your workstation is your own responsibility, it is the area you use to come up with great business plans and solutions. If your workstation is unsafe or for some reason very dirty, it will reflect on your work and you will never get to the point of enjoying what you do. Keep your workstations clean, safe and free of note stickers with passwords.

Whenever you are not using a workstation, disconnect your computer and remove all of the documents away in the file cabinet. Those documents that are no longer in use, always shred them and make sure they are not left on random places. Keep your workstation clean, do not visit strange websites, do not download any applications you do not need. Your workstation has to be safe for you and the company you work with.

Keeping Proper Posture

There are still many offices out there featuring very uncomfortable desks and chairs, if you are part of one of these offices, make sure you either bring yourself your own chair, or you simply buy pillows to support your back. If you are actually the lucky one and your office is filled with ergonomically great furniture, make sure you use it properly. Having a standing desk but never actually standing makes no sense at all. Moving and keeping your muscles active is extremely important for your well being.

People who spend less time sitting and working show to be a lot more active, nicely motivated and usually extremely creative. Not moving and constantly sitting without breaks can be deadly for your health and result in a very painful back or something a lot more serious.

Less Clutter And Better Organization

Did you know that tidy areas and well-organized spaces actually have a positive impact on our mood, thinking, and our overall well-being? Each day you arrive at work, take 15 minutes of your time to clean it up and organize all of the things that might distract you from important things. Areas filled with clutter often make us feel a lot more stress than supposed to, they ruin our motivation and make us feel very tired.

It has been scientifically proven that our brains work a lot better the less clutter there is around us, keep this in mind and share this fun fact with your co-workers! Hopefully, everyone will follow your example and see a great improvement in their work.

Proper Use Of The Tools And Machines

It does not matter if you are new to the place and you have no idea about what to do and how to handle some of the tools or machines. You need to ask and do your best to make it perfect. Your co-workers were all once clueless as well, asking them will not only show them that you are interested and willing to learn, but it will also get you closer to the group.

Do not mindlessly try until you break something, do not come up with strange ideas just to make yourself seem wise. Without any risks, read the manuals, ask questions and get all of your answers before you jump into it all by yourself. Certain tools and machines can be very dangerous if not handled properly.

First Aid Knowledge

It does not matter whether your workplace is ergonomically good or if you have bad ventilation. There are times first aid knowledge will be needed and you should try and learn as much as possible about it. There are certain companies who train their workers, they give out the first aid kids and they practice. If you are working in one of such companies, you should probably not miss out on any first aid trainings.

Who knows, maybe your favorite co-worker will pass out and you will end up helping them back on their feet. First aid training will make you feel more in control and surely give you a little bit of safety feeling.

Safety Equipment

If your workplace requires you to wear safety equipment on work, then you need to do it! Just because you think you look silly wearing this strange equipment, does not mean you should never use it! Safety equipment has saved many lives, and it might save yours as well – if you use it!

There are tasks that might take only 5 minutes to complete, but a lot of bad things can happen in 5 minutes and it might cost you if you do not use your safety equipment. There are many people who ended up injured just because they refused to take a minute of their time to get their safety equipment, be better than that, your life is valuable.

Regular Breaks

There are days we all deserve a break, if you are having a bad day and you feel like you need a break, take it! It is better to take a break than end up feeling terrible in front of your co-workers. Today, there are many jobs that require you to sit in front of the computer for hours, while it all might sound great – it really is not!

Whenever you are sitting at your computer and working, make sure you take regular breaks, your body needs to move, your eyes need to rest and your mind also might need a break every now and then. Whenever you take a break, your productivity will rise once you get back to your work.

Keep Yourself Well-Hydrated

It is no surprise that dehydration can lead to poor productivity and creativity levels. Whenever you are dehydrated you will feel moody, your morale will be down and you will feel less in control of your body and mind than usual. It is extremely important to keep your body well-hydrated!

People are supposed to drink at least two liters of water each day, sadly, not many actually follow this rule. Have a bottle of water with you at all times, do not forget how important it is to drink!

Risk Is Not Worth It

It has happened to all of us at least once, we wanted to prove a point and we ended up risking something extremely important just to do it. You should never put yourself up to risk at work, know your limits and never push above them.

You might be a great worker, but you will no longer be a great worker if you end up injured or unable to work anymore. If you are unsure about being able to do something, do not rush and risk your life to do it, ask for help.

Stressing Out Leads Nowhere

Every job has its ups and downs, knowing this do not stress out over things too much, give yourself a break and quit looking for mistakes all the time. If you work hard, it will all pay off to you, but never risk your well-being just to prove you are good enough.

People who know how to get rid of stress are often a lot more productive and creative at work than those who are under constant stress. Go out this weekend, make a barbecue or go fishing with your family!

Clear Pathways To Emergency Exit

It happens in many places that emergency exit is overflown with boxes and is nearly unusable. Do not allow this, be that employee who will keep pathways and emergency exits clean, someday, it might be very needed!

The emergency exit is the only way to get out of the place in case of emergency, obviously, but for some reason, no one really thinks that way. Keeping your pathways and exit clean will make everyone’s life a lot easier.

Drive Safely

You do not have to be a taxi driver in order to drive safely. Certain companies have a ‘’Drive Safely’’ sign on the way out, this is because no matter where you go and where you are, you need to drive safe. We often like to rush home and drive less safely than we should, keep it cool and never rush anywhere, not even to your work.

Come Up With Unique Passwords

It might sound extremely hard, but come up with unique passwords, something no one else will think of! Using your birthdate or your favorite color as a password is a terrible idea, it will be extremely easy to hack and steal.

Have you heard of passphrasesOpens in a new tab.? These are passwords but way longer, a lot more complex and still very easy to remember! Who says your password has to be one word? How about you pick song lyrics next time you are coming up with a password? Maybe your favorite movie phrase? The options are endless!

Do Not Share Your ID Card Or Badge

Tailgating is bad, extremely bad for the business and your own reputation. Never let anyone tailgate you and never share your ID card or a badge with anyone. There is a reason your company has authorized you to enter the building, having anyone else enter but you means letting an insider threat enter the facility.

Keep your ID card, badge or access card with you and safe at all times, do not be the one responsible for theft or something even worse than that. Companies spend a ton of money making their buildings safe, respect that as much as you respect your own home.

Know How To Get Rid Of Old Data

Today, there are many ways to retrieve old data from the hard disks, USB’s, smartphones and more. Knowing how to get rid of it all is important in order to keep your information safe. Of course, old data might not be very useful to you, but some can use it to do harm.

All of your old documents, paperwork, CD’s, old USBs and things that once contained some of your personal information or information about your company need to be properly erased or destroyed.

Never Ignore Application Or System Updates

Some people just like to avoid updating their applications and systems, do not be one of those people. There is simply no reason for you to avoid updating your computer system, programs and applications you use on your smartphone.

If you own a tablet, smartphone or a computer, you should always keep them up to date. Latest updates of applications and systems are often a lot more secure than older outdated versions, they also work a lot better!

Avoid Public WiFi

It might sound harsh, but you should avoid using public WiFi if you are the one who often does money transactions or transfers important data over the internet. Many employees do not understand the dangers that come after using public WiFi networks.

Whenever you connect to a WiFi in a hotel, cafe or park, it is the same as disabling protective security measures. Malicious worms can be easily transferred from one smart device to another and they are all connected on the same network you use on a public WiFi network. Of course, imagining our lives without a WiFi seems quite impossible right? Luckily, if your company requires you to use a public WiFi, you should most likely use a VPN connection in order to secure your data.

Think Of A Buddy System

Buddy system is a great thing, if your company has it, get into it right away! Having a buddy next to you will give you a feeling of more safety. You will know that you are a lot stronger than one and do your best to keep each other safe and well.

Buddy system encourages working as a team; it improves the way two workers function at their job and often brings up many new solutions to the place.

Backup Your Data

There are many companies out there who failed at the great business just because they had no backup data. Keep all of your data safe and back it up whenever it is needed. Whenever you back up your data you will not have to worry about it disappearing; you will be able to continue your work as always.

Today, there are many ways to back up your data; there are even automated ways of doing it. If you often forget about things, getting automated data backups is a great idea and a solution. Show this to your co-workers and protect your company from losing its important data in a second.

Learn More About Cyber Security

You may be thinking you know everything about cybersecurity, but seriously, you do not! Knowing how to be safe on the internet is becoming part of our daily lives, and you must accept that right now.

– Safely use unprotected WiFi networks

– Change your passwords often

– Do not share any of your personal information with unknown people

– Do not click on the unknown links in your emails

– Do not trust everything you read on the internet

– Stay away from shady websites

– Get Anti-malware program

– Quit downloading random applications

Of course, this is just a very small list of the things you need to be careful about, to know how to properly secure yourself on the internet, you might want to do some research.

Be Observant

Be one of those observant employees, one of those who always notices when something breaks. Being observant will help you out to prevent danger, problems and many other things that can happen at your workplace.

If you notice your office ventilation no longer works properly, everyone will be glad to have you around. Hazardous and combustible materials can be extremely dangerous for everyone in the area. Keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings, it is the only way to actually really be and feel safe!

Take Care of Your Personal Belongings

Never leave your workstation unlocked with your personal belongings around. Keep your smartphone locked, disconnected from any WiFi signals and remember where you leave your things. Your workplace may have great rules and you often feel like at home, but you just simply never know what can happen.

Your personal belongings are your own responsibility, and no matter what happens to them will end up on you. If you carelessly leave your credit card information opened in the background or you just simply never log out of your emails, it is pretty obvious you can get a lot of your information stolen, and not only yours, your business too! Be careful, at all times!

Follow The Safety Rules

Your company has safety rules and policies for a reason, if you never took the time to read them and you simply have no idea what they are about, get to it right now! Safety rules are something everyone agrees on, it is a list of things you need to respect in order to keep you and your co-workers safe at all times.

You can never know whether you might be doing something wrong; you can be doing something extremely dangerous and risky without even knowing how dangerous it really is. Safety rules and policies will make it all clearer for you and you should follow them no matter the situation!

Related Questions

What are the hazardous materials?

Hazardous materials are chemical, biochemical, radiological and physical materials that are known for causing harm to animals, environment and us humans. It is advisable you learn more about hazardous materials due to many workplaces containing them around. Knowing more about hazardous materials will also help you reporting safety concerns related to those.

How to find ergonomically good chairs and desks for my office?

HumanSolutionOpens in a new tab. is a great website featuring best buy chairs and desks for the office space. Their desks and chairs are certified by professional ergonomist and many others! Finding a good chair and a desk should not be a hard thing to do, especially knowing the benefits your workers will have afterward!

Why is employee screening important?

Employee screening is becoming extremely important simply because it shows everything about an individual. Employee screening is known for preventing workplace violence, fraud, and theft if your company requires employee screening that is just another reason to feel safe at your workplace!

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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