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How to Keep Your Home Office Electrically Safe

February 2, 2021

With more people than ever now working from home due to COVID-19, it's crucial that you know how to keep your home workspace as safe as possible to prevent any accidents or injuries. According to The Queensland Electrical Safety Office, home offices are now considered a workspace under health and safety laws, meaning that employees working from home have a responsibility to maintain a safe home-workspace. Read our Dubbo Electricians' recommendations for a safe home office setup.

How can I make sure my home office is electrically safe?

Firstly, take a look around

Check for any signs of damage in your home office on anything electrical. This might include nicks, cuts or exposed conductors on any cords, as well as damage to devices themselves (look out for broken covers, discolouration or clear signs of overheating). If you do find signs of damage, get in touch with a qualified electrician such as the specialist team at DTE, as DIY electrical work is always a very dangerous idea. It's also a good idea to check to see if you have a safety switch installed and make sure to test it before you start work from home and again, periodically, every three months. For more information regarding this, click here.

Make sure you take actions to maintain safety in your home workplace

Ensure that powerboards and cables are moved safely out of the way to prevent them from incurring any damage from moving furniture our foot traffic throughout your working day. Take steps to avoid overheating by keeping any loose paper safely out of the way from electrical devices, being careful not to place them covering any equipment air vents or on top of any active powerboards or power supplies. In addition to this, be mindful not to cover or stack up any charging electrical devices, such as laptops and phones. And finally, make sure that no power outlets are overloaded with multiple devices being plugged in, and not in areas where they may be prone to being splashed with liquids.

However, under the new guidelines stating that home offices are now considered official workspaces, this also means that your employer has a primary duty of care. So, with that being said:

How can I work with my employer to keep my home office electrically safe?

Consult with them

Feel free to consult with your employer before you start working from home about your equipment, hours of work and methods of communication. It's of great importance that you not only have safe electrical equipment but maintain safe working hours to ensure you always have the focus to stay alert to health hazards.

Stay connected

It's also crucial to make sure that, throughout your work from home, you have the means to communicate clearly and frequently with your employer, not only to help you stay connected with your colleagues during this difficult period but to ensure that you can alert your employer as to any problems with your electrical equipment as soon as they are spotted to prevent any danger.

We hope you've found these tips useful to help keep you safe during this period, and if you do happen to spot any problems in your home workspace, don't hesitate to call DTE Electrical and Data on 02 6800 1703. We care about your safety.

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