Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety  » Safety in the Home Workplace

Safety in the Home Workplace

One of the most ignored aspects of working at home is safety.

Business offices go to all sorts of lengths to avoid any injury

or harm to their workers (they don't want to get sued, after

all). Meanwhile, you might not even know that it's possible to

injure yourself with nothing more than office equipment. If

you're going to avoid a lot of pain in your future, you need to

read up on home office safety now.

Your Chair

The chances are that you're going to be sitting on your chair

for quite a long time each day. If you have a bad chair, or you

haven't adjusted it properly, you could give yourself a back

injury -- and they're painful, not to mention expensive to treat.

When you're choosing your chair, make sure you sit on it for a

while in the shop, giving yourself a chance to get used to the

way it feels, and be prepared to walk away if it starts to get

uncomfortable quickly. Don't pay a ridiculous amount, but don't

get the cheapest and worst thing in the shop, either.

Your Mouse and Keyboard

If you're using a computer mouse a lot for your work or doing a

lot of typing, you can give yourself some pretty nasty injuries.

This is because doing the same thing over and over again can

give you a repetitive strain injury (RSI), such as carpal tunnel

syndrome or tendonitis. This is one of the most common problems

amongst office workers, home workers included.

You might have an RSI if you notice pain, weakness and fatigue

in your muscles. One of the most common symptoms is pain when

you're lying in bed. People tend to think that they must just be

sleeping in an awkward position, or that they need a better bed

or pillow, not realising that their office equipment is to

blame. If you think you might be an RSI sufferer, go and see

your doctor. Massages tend to be the most effective treatment,

when given by a trained therapist.

To protect yourself against RSI, there are a number of things

you can do. You should take regular breaks from using your

computer, and stop immediately if you start to feel any kind of

pain. You may also wish to invest in an ergonomic keyboard and

mouse, which are laid out differently to normal keyboards and

mice in an effort to make them more comfortable and less

dangerous to use.

Clean and Tidy

Silly as it might sound, the second most common problem amongst

home office workers is that they make a mess. Your home office

might become cluttered with wires, open drawers, and various

objects all over the floor. It's quite possible to trip and fall

over all of these things, and if you walk around enough in a

confined space then eventually you will. Do as much as you can

to keep your home office uncluttered: always close drawers, keep

wires in one corner of the room and don't put anything on the

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Strangers in Your Home

An aspect of safety that many people don't think of is the fact

that you could be letting strangers into their home when you

agree to meet clients there, and this can be risky for you and

your family. You might be especially worried if there will be

children at home with you while you're working.

The simple answer, of course, is to always meet new customers in

a public place, until you know and trust them. Coffee places are

good for this. As a bonus, you'll inevitably look more

professional if they don't realise that you're a home business,

and having a coffee each gives you something to do during any

lulls in conversation other than just sitting there and looking

awkward.

First Aid Kits

Finally, one last note if you're doing manual work: you really

ought to have a first aid kit in your workshop, as well as one

that you carry around with you. You really shouldn't be doing

anything physical as a business unless you've taken a first aid

course -- they're quick, easy and inexpensive, so there's no

excuse. It could save your life someday, after all.

About the author:

Original Source: Articles-Galore.com

Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of The Home Income Portal

Home of Serious Online Business Options.