Electrical problems are fairly common in the modern office. But it’s essential that you don’t procrastinate when it comes to resolving these sorts of issues. It’s not just a case of computers sometimes shutting down and your employees losing work - though that’s a pretty big problem in itself! - it’s could also be a massive risk to the lives of your employees.

Fires in offices are mostly caused by one thing: electrical faults. So if you’re not paying attention to the safety of the electrical equipment and framework of your office, you could be putting an awful lot on the line. Let’s take a quick look at the common risks and the things you can do to ensure these issues are resolved!

Risk management

The best thing you can do is ensure there are certain failsafes in place in case something really does go wrong. You need to make sure the fire extinguishing equipment at the office is suitable to deal with electrical fires; this isn’t always the case! The use of sprinklers also needs to be well strategized, as the introduction of a lot of water during an electrical fire may just make things worse. A safety switch - also called a residual current device - may also be essential if things start to go wrong. If you have one, ensure you’re looking into RCD testing if you want to make sure it’s still working as it should be. You don’t want to be in a position where it doesn’t work at the precise moment you need it to!

Power overload

One of the most common problems in offices these days is sheer power overload. Your average office has so much electrical equipment - mostly computers and the peripheral equipment used with them, which usually includes two monitors - and it’s essential that the outlets available in your office can actually handle the voltage you’re sending through it. If your building is relatively new, this probably won’t be a problem - though you should still double-check everything in case it was a shoddy job. An older building may need an infrastructure update. Remember to consider getting an electrician to install new, more powerful outlets if you need them, instead of relying on power strips and extension cords.

Equipment inspection

Much of the time, when things go wrong, the core problem is something that could have been easily avoided. Because of such heavy and frequent use, office technology often sees quite a few problems - worn-out cables, overheating computers, etc. You need to keep your electrical equipment inspected and maintained if you wish to make sure it all remains safe and efficient. It’s not only your computers you need to keep an eye on, either. There are printers and scanners to observe, too - but what you really want to inspect is the lighting. A lot of people tend to shrug off lighting problems as slight inconveniences, only taking the time to resolve a problem if a light goes out. But such problems can be indicative of electrical system issues that may need to be resolved as soon as possible.