National Home Office Safety and Security Week January 10 – 16
Thanks in large part to COVID-19, millions of Americans have started working from home (a.k.a., WFH) this past year, with numbers expected to increase in years to come. Many of us love the comfort and schedule flexibility of working from home. Some of us even get to do it in our PJs! You might be thinking, \”This is my home, and it\’s safe. Why do I need to think about safety & security?\” At Petitbon, we subscribe to the adage of better safe than sorry because sometimes the unexpected can happen, and it always pays to be prepared.
Home Office Safety Pro-Tips:
Fire Prevention
- Do you have a home fire escape plan? There are some great resources for fire escape planning over at the NFPA Fire Prevention Week website.
- Tangled electronics’ cords can be unsafe, leaving you vulnerable to fires and falls. Are your electronics plugged into wall outlets or UL approved power strips? Power cord ties are a good option for keeping cords tidy.
- Liquids and electrical equipment do not mix! Even the smallest spill could easily lead to a fire, so store them apart. You may want to consider keeping a fire extinguisher handy in case a fire occurs.
Fire Detection
- Petitbon Alarm monitored smoke detectors notify the fire department, so you are covered whether you’re home, sleeping or away. You likely already have several smoke detectors in your home (we sure hope you do!), but why not install another in your home office due to the amount of added electronics and cords?
Carbon Monoxide Detection
- Remember, carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. A Petitbon Alarm monitored CO Detector will alert you when carbon monoxide is detected and will send the fire department even if you can\’t hear the sensor going off.
Combustible Gas Detection
- Having a monitored combustible gas detector will alert you and the fire department in the event of a gas leak (i.e., natural gas, propane) whether you are working-away in your home office, taking a break or running errands outside your home.
Security Suggestions
- As a remote worker, you are likely to have a large number of valuable belongings stored in your home office like computers, monitors, TVs, smartphones, etc., which are tempting for burglars. Would a loss of these items cause you to suffer financially or prevent you from doing your job?
- Is your equipment visible to someone from the outside? If so, rearranging the office area or closing blinds/curtains will help deter a would-be burglar who might be casing your home.
- There is no “one size fits all” security system, and we tailor your system to your needs based on valuable expert advice. That might include door & window sensors, motion detectors, glassbreak detectors, and/or panic alarms.
- Who’s there? More than ever, homeowners are installing doorbell cameras—like SkyBell—and video cameras to stay informed of their surroundings while working from home or when they need to step away.
Each year we recommend that you set a calendar reminder for the second week in January to check on the safety and security of your home office. Action and prevention now could reduce the chances of an accident or problem in the future.
If you need help to be the boss of your home office, give us a call today!