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Posted By SteveG4IWR
I have been asked for guidelines on plants in the office. Any suggestion on a safe interesting display. My only thoughts are to limit highly scented plants and cacti.
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Posted By Allan St.John Holt
Rubber plants (the real things) with big broad leaves are said to have a significant effect on reducing static electricity in an office. They need little maintenance. Depends on the size of the office of course!
Allan
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Posted By Mark Perkins
I hope this reply doesn't sound negative, but this post does sound like just the sort of trivia that gets health and safety a bad name. As long as the display doesn't block any exit routes or pose an obvious trip hazard then walk away and concentrate on the things in your work area that really could hurt people. I would point whoever is asking you for these guidelines in the direction of the HSC's recent comments on sensible risk management and the IOSH reality checklist. Gosh, nothing helps relieve stress like a good rant!
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Posted By Linda Westrupp
Have as many as possible!
My general rule is at least one plant per electrical item - plants are good for combating the effects of electrical items on static build up and dry air. I encourage as many plants as possible but obviously advise against putting them on top of electrical equipment or where water might leak into them.
I can't see why you should restrict scented plants or cacti, but I can see the sense in restricting flowering plants if anyone in the office has hay fever (Although cacti of course, would not help enough in humidification as they do not require watering often enough).
If you are in high stress work, plants are also very good for improving the environment and helping people to feel better.
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Posted By Allan St.John Holt
Mark,
Welcome to Grumpy Old Safety People! It's when they stop asking you anything that you need to be worried, in my experience. Professional helpfulness can't be a bad thing, can it? If it's important enough for someone to ask, then it's important enough for me to take the time to answer. And when/if I'm short of ideas, this Forum is where I look.
It could be said that it's responses like yours that put real people off posting questions and prompt some of the baiters to put in daft wind-ups.
Allan
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Posted By John D Crosby
Go for what makes the place look pleasant and welcoming. A little bit more of this would make many work areas a lot more pleasant to work in. How many companies have lots of plants etc in their reception area to give a good corporate image but then not have them where the staff could benefit. Just one point re safety, beware of the use of water spray bottles as I am aware of a case of Legionnaires Disease that was traced to the use of one of these and it was always left part full on a window sill in the sunlight thus giving it the right conditions to breed the bacteria. Just make sure the bottle is emptied after each use.
Take care
John C
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Posted By peter gotch
The introduction of pot plants into the working environment is beneficial to the local environment. Plants absorb exhaled carbon dioxide and can also reduce levels of other contaminants. The results of NASA research [reported 1989] in the US, illustrated how plants can remove formaldehyde which is a contaminant in most modern offices.
Regards, Peter
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Posted By Brian Hagyard
Plants are great if someone looks after them. Do remember a lot of press a few years ago about plants with poisnouse sap that a lot of specialist companies were using. They were actually found in the displays in the public reception area where I worked at the time and we had lots of children visiting the site. Needless to say they were quickly removed.
Brian.
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Posted By Crim
Steve,
I like plants, especially if someone looks after them properly?
Herbs are excellent as they give off different aromas and they can also be eaten. I little basil on your salad, lavender on the desk, lemons, mints, scented geraniums, scattered around. They all make the office smell so much better and provide talking points.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Goodness. And I thought Rentokill only killed things.
Merv
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Posted By John Lewis
Merv
Certain divisions of Rentokil do kill things, and very humanely too last time I used them a couple of years ago. The only division that didn't have the Rentokil name emblazoned on the wagons and vans was, quite reasonably, the Scaffolding division who were some of the best/safest scaffolders I've ever worked with.
Plants in offices? The more the better.
John
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Posted By J Knight
Hi Folks,
Yes, agree, plants are great, but do bear in mind that some are hazardous; for example our Swiss Cheese plant (which we acquired as part of the fixtures and fittings of our new house, apparently) makes our cat vomit if she eats the leaves, and is now consigned to the spare bedroom. Quite a few members of the Euphorbia genus have toxic or irritant sap (as do many other unrelated plants), though only simple precautions are needed when pruning etc. All offices should have plants, but some simple rules are probably worth drawing up, and this isn't an entirely trivial issue.
I do appreciate that very few offices are likely to have cats, and that HASAWA implies no duty for animals, however we do now have a positive duty to promote the welfare of domestic animals (Animal Welfare Act 2006), and in any event the bit about the cat is intended to be illustrative, not taken literally,
John
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Posted By Lilian McCartney
Plants are good, scented plants not so good as the scent can be problematic for people with sinus/hayfever/asthma.
I'd to ask my local GP's not to have scented plant at reception as it made me wheeze when I came in.
On a more flippant note having plants gives you something to talk to - and this seems to make them flourish!
You can get a lot of nice green plants and there's also some nice flowering ones which don't have a lot of pollen or scent e.g. African violets
Lilian
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Posted By Diane Thomason
Brian flagged up toxic plants and John mentioned euphorbias. I believe one of the other offenders is Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) (can't guarantee spelling correct) which has highly irritant sap. Apparently the name dumb cane is because if you get sap on or in your mouth, you will be unable to talk! They were popular a while back but you don't see so many now.
A good houseplant book should tell you which ones are toxic or allergenic.
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Posted By Bill Elliott
Steve - agree with other posters - the more plants the better as they can only improve the general working environment. As always there some caution to be considered, linked to the type of organisation you work in and whether there is access by the general public particularly those vulnerable persons like children and/or persons with disabilities (not just physical). Choose your plants accordingly. A Google search "toxic houseplants" will guide you through the ones to avoid. Good luck.
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