There's No Place Like Home . . . for Workplace Safety 

• Recommendations for Office Safety at Home
• Is Just Being Tired an Office-Related Illness?
• Computers—Don’t Allow a Blessing to Become a Curse
• Set Up Your Home Office Right from the Start
• Use Good Work Habits to Avoid Injury
• What’s That You Said?
• Fire—A Burning Issue
• Something in the Air
• IAQ You Can Control
• Hidden IAQ Hazards
• Lead in the Home Means Lead in the Home Office
• Home Workplace Safety Is for Everyone

Recommendations for Office Safety at Home

People work at home for a variety of reasons: to start a small business, to telecommute and avoid a long drive, to work part-time before returning to the office after an illness or pregnancy. Whatever the reason, home-based work is a growing part of the employment scene—and it’s here to stay.

Many home-based workers don’t think about workplace safety, yet the concerns that face employees at “regular” offices and business locations are just as real in the home. Poor air quality (including carbon monoxide) and computer-related injuries are just two of the potential hazards facing the home-based worker. (Note: The focus of this brochure is on office work; assembling engines or welding truck parts in your garage is largely beyond the scope of this information.)

The goal of the members of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is to help people work and live safely in the workplace, at home, and in their communities. With home-based work becoming more prevalent, AIHA presents this information to improve and protect the health and safety of a growing segment of the workforce. Although there currently are no government regulations regarding home-based workplace safety, a few precautions can make the home office a safe place to work.

Most of us are tired after a day’s work. And we can take certain steps to reduce fatigue—the proper office set-up, certain behavioral modifications—but being tired at the end of the workday is actually normal.

With that in mind, symptoms that persist after a night of rest or interfere significantly with work or daily activities may indicate something more serious. At this point, you should see a physician; if the problem is indeed work-related, you will also need to contact your supervisor. Finally, speak to your employer about adjusting your work environment or duties if your physician believes these actions will help alleviate the problem.

But taking the worker out of the office does not remove the hazards of the job. Computer-related injuries and illnesses are just as likely to occur in one’s home office as at corporate headquarters. Fortunately, computer-related illnesses and injuries are by no means inevitable. Thanks to the science of ergonomics—which designs the workplace to best blend human capabilities with the work environment—we know that following a few simple guidelines can keep the computer from becoming a source of injury or illness.

First of all, place your computer on a standard-height desk or workstation, preferably one that’s recommended for computers. These can be easily found at any office products store. (But don’t injure yourself assembling it!) Among other things, computer desks are designed to hold the monitor at the correct height, to maximize keyboarding comfort, and to hold peripheral devices efficiently (to avoid excess bending and stretching).

Next, choose a standard, five-legged office chair. These chairs minimize the risk of injury over time by encouraging good posture and back position. In addition, their stability decreases the likelihood of injury from falling over backward (which used to be a more common injury during the days of four-legged rolling chairs). A good computer chair has a lumbar support, adjustable armrests, a slightly inclined backrest, a height-adjustable seat, and a high backrest or headrest. Also, be sure the chair fits you—try it out in the store before bringing it home.

Third, work in an area with proper lighting—bright enough to read your accompanying documents, but not more than 10 times brighter than the monitor. (Some researchers recommend no more than three times brighter.) Avoid glare on the screen and accompanying documents; if necessary, add a glare filter to the monitor. If possible, work with at least some natural light, which many people find decreases eyestrain.

Be sure your monitor is in good shape. Does it flicker or have poor resolution? It may be time for a replacement.

• First, let’s tackle eyestrain, one of the most common computer-related ailments.
• Place the monitor and source documents so they are about the same distance from your eyes.
• Place monitors and documents so they are perpendicular to your line of sight to avoid character distortion.
• Rest the muscles of your eyes by occasionally focusing on a distant object.
• When using a laptop, look into the distance more frequently. Standard laptop monitors are attached to the keyboard—not necessarily the best placement for the comfort of your eyes.
• If you wear glasses, consider getting full-frame reading glasses prescribed for a working distance of 20 to 30 inches. These will allow you to place the monitor correctly and see well without stressing your posture—a double benefit.

Back and neck injuries and illnesses comprise another common set of problems from computer work. Long hours at the keyboard can contribute to a variety of back and neck ailments. Fortunately, several simple steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of developing these problems.

• As noted above, choose a properly constructed office chair with good back and arm support.
• Change your body position periodically throughout the day.
• Use a document stand to reduce the amount of neck twisting or bending forward if typing from a source document.
• Position your keyboard directly in front of you and at approximately elbow height. This should enable you to type with straight wrists. If this is not possible with the keyboard atop the work surface, use an adjustable-height keyboard tray.
• Rearrange the work area to avoid excess bending and stooping.
• Try to relax. Many injuries and painful episodes arise from continuously tensing neck and shoulder muscles while working.
• Get up and walk around. Since home office workers are alone most of the time, they often become absorbed in work and fail to take occasional breaks.
• Consider increasing the overall amount of exercise you get, since there seems to be a strong relationship between poor physical condition and workplace injury.
• Find a posture that’s good for you. Although your work habits can contribute to back and shoulder pain, using good posture is not a simple matter of finding the “right” position in which to sit. Even “poor” postures (feet up on chair rungs, slumping, twisting your body into odd positions) can prove comfortable if you don’t remain in them for extended periods of time. (Shifting about periodically actually proves useful for many people.)

The last main area of illness and injury common to computer users is repetitive motion illnesses and cumulative trauma disorders. One of the most prevalent of these is carpaltunnel syndrome, which affects the hands. Repetitive, long-term keyboard use can inflame tendons, which press on the median nerve in the wrist, ultimately damaging it and resulting in the illness.

Although people have been using typewriters for well over 100 years, the increasing use of computers—with their faster keyboarding speed as compared to typewriters—has led to a rise in repetitive motion illnesses. Ergonomics professionals make the following recommendations for avoiding injury:

• Make sure the keyboard is at a comfortable height for your wrists. Use wrist rests if necessary to allow your hands and arms to remain in a comfortable position.
• Alternate tasks. If possible, get up from your workstation periodically to use the phone, make copies, file paperwork, etc.
• Take several rest breaks. For many people, “microbreaks” that allow frequent pauses are more effective than the traditional 15-minute break every two hours.
• Install a software program that reminds users to take periodic breaks throughout the workday. These programs measure how long you’ve been working at the keyboard and notify you when it’s time for a brief pause.

By following these guidelines, most office workers can work efficiently—and painlessly—for years to come.

What’s That You Said?

One of the benefits of working at home is the ability to do things you normally cannot do when surrounded by fellow employees. For instance, many stay-at-home workers enjoy listening to music while working. While listening to music is in most cases beneficial—it’s relaxing and provides a rhythm to work to—be sure to avoid playing it so loudly that hearing damage results.

This is particularly important when using earphones. Don’t “crank it up to 11,” as they say. Instead, when using earphones—with their concentrated sound—keep the music at a low to moderate level at all times. Better yet, play the music through regular speakers rather than pouring the sound directly into your ears. (You’ll also be able to hear the phone ring more easily.)

Fire—A Burning Issue

Perhaps the greatest danger in the home is fire; not surprisingly, it represents an equal danger in the home office. Fortunately, there are
several simple precautions that you can take to considerably reduce your fire risk:

• Don’t overload electrical circuits and extension cords. If you have several pieces of office equipment running simultaneously, make sure that their combined voltage doesn’t exceed the capacity of their circuits. Extension cords are particularly prone to overload since they rarely feature the safety features of breakers or fuses.
• Have a fire extinguisher handy. Choose one that is suitable for multiple types of fire, particularly paper and electrical fires.
• If you keep a hotplate or coffeepot in the office for convenience, keep paper and other flammable materials away from the hot surfaces. Be careful not to spill liquids on your computer, monitor, printer, etc.—liquids and electricity don’t mix! Turn off such appliances when not in use.
• If you use a space heater for warmth, choose one approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) for electrical safety. Keep it away from paper or other flammable materials, and turn it off when not in use. In general, space heaters are not recommended since they are responsible for many fires every year.
• Don’t get distracted by doing multiple tasks that involve fire risks, especially cooking in the kitchen while working.
• Don’t smoke. A stray cigarette or match can ignite paper, chemicals, or electrical equipment.
• Have a fire escape route planned—a good idea for any home. Make sure that your office set-up doesn’t hinder escape. For instance, don’t place a large, difficult-to-move cabinet in front of the windows.
• As with the rest of your house or apartment, use common sense when dealing with fire hazards.

Something in the Air

By now, you’ve probably heard of workers falling prey to illnesses caused by “sick building syndrome.” Often these occur in the confines of well-sealed buildings from chemicals in new carpets, mold and mildew in the ventilation system, and so on.

Poor air quality is notable by the presence of stale air, lingering disagreeable odors, and air that causes eye, nose, or throat irritation. Although few residences are sealed the way some office buildings are, houses, apartments, and condominiums offer their own hazards. Poor air quality in the home has a variety of causes, ranging from common irritants, such as tobacco smoke or excessive dust and allergens (such as cat dander), to more dangerous sources, such as carbon monoxide. The indoor air quality (IAQ) of your home office can be affected by a number of factors—some within your control, others less so.

IAQ You Can Control

There are several areas of IAQ that you control. These include smoking of tobacco products, handling and applying of chemicals designed for professional use, and stripping of lead paint. You can help maintain or improve the IAQ in your home office by following these guidelines:

• Work in a well-ventilated area. If necessary, add a small fan to your workspace (especially if you smoke).
• If you do smoke, consider quitting, since indoor smoking contributes to asthma and other respiratory ailments in nonsmokers, in addition to the well-known risks smokers themselves face.
• Handle chemicals designed for use in “regular” offices and workplaces carefully. Always use them in well-ventilated areas.
• Store toxic chemicals (such as photographic developing fluids) away from occupied areas.
• Never sand or use a heat gun on lead-based paint indoors (see page 14 for more information on lead-based paint).
• Make sure to thoroughly clean and dry areas that accidentally get wet, such as carpets, since they may grow mold and mildew.

Remember that although some of the most serious IAQ hazards are “hidden,” (as described below), your work habits can contribute to poor indoor air quality. Certain office supplies, such as spray cement, create a “microclimate” of contaminated air. When using such products, be sure to spray the surface you’re treating from several inches away; use them only in well-ventilated areas. Inhaling such products can make you dizzy and, at worst, are actually dangerous.

Hidden IAQ Hazards

Fortunately, many things that create poor air quality have few lingering effects. Not everyone reacts the same way to irritants; for instance, many individuals exposed to smoke or mildew odors usually feel better a few minutes after leaving the affected area. Unfortunately, some of the most dangerous IAQ hazards are not easily detected and can cause serious harm. The results can be illness, even death. (Obviously, many of these IAQ problems affect all the occupants of a home, not just home-based employees.)

Carbon monoxide—Carbon monoxide, or CO, can build up to hazardous or possibly fatal levels in homes where insufficient outside air is provided to appliances that burn natural gas, propane, fuel oil, or wood. These include furnaces, space heaters, fireplaces, stoves, water heaters, and clothes dryers. An adequate quantity of outside air should be provided to the furnace area to make up for the air that goes up the exhaust flue. Otherwise, combustion gases containing high amounts of CO can “back-draft” down the flue. Inspect and clean combustion appliances periodically for proper combustion and venting. Indoor air problems also can be created by “over-tightening” a home or apartment to save energy; some air must be let in to replace exhausted air.

Among the signs of CO poisoning are dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and irregular breathing. Some victims find that the initial symptoms are similar to those of the flu (without fever). Unfortunately, death from CO poisoning can result with only a few or none of these symptoms occurring—the overexposed person simply “falls asleep” and never awakens.

The best defense against this “silent killer” is a carbon monoxide detector. They are about the size and cost of smoke detectors and detect toxic concentrations of CO, sounding an alarm. Although relatively new, they have already saved numerous lives. Follow the package directions for proper placement and use of the alarm.

If you believe you or your family has been exposed to CO, do not hesitate to take action:

• Shut off any combustion appliances or utilities until the problem is detected and corrected.
• Open windows to flush out the CO and let in fresh air.
• Call your plumber, utility company, or fire department for assistance in fixing the CO leakage.
• If anyone in the household shows the symptoms of CO poisoning noted above, particularly if he or she has passed out, call 911 immediately. If you are unsure about the symptoms, call your state or local poison control center for more information.

Naturally occurring radon—Radon gas is a naturally occurring substance found throughout the world. As uranium in rock and soil decays, it forms several radioactive isotopes, including radon. It’s unclear whether or not radon actually poses an ongoing threat to you and your family, although there is evidence that high levels of inhaled radon leave radioactive isotopes in the lungs, eventually leading to lung damage and cancer. It’s still unknown, though, whether the amounts found in the typical “exposed” house actually contain enough radon to pose a lung cancer risk. Given the uncertainty, the EPA is awaiting the results of an ongoing international study before changing its recommendation that homeowners test their homes and ventilate them if necessary. For current information on radon, contact the National Safety Council’s radon hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON or on the Web at www.nsc.org.

Lead in the Home Means Lead in the Home Office

Lead exposure can be hazardous to home-based employees and their families. Chronic exposure results in lead poisoning—particularly dangerous to growing children, whose mental development can be stunted. In adults, lead poisoning can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage. A blood test is the only reliable method of determining early diagnosis. If caught early, most adverse effects can be reversed, either through medical treatment, elimination of the cause of exposure, or both. Undiagnosed lead poisoning can cause severe and irreversible damage to the nervous system.

Lead poisoning mainly threatens those living in older (pre-1977) houses and apartments, when it was a common additive to house paint. The older the home, the more likely it is to have lead-containing paint. Walls, woodwork, and trim should be tested for lead-based paint if your property was built prior to 1977 and has been poorly maintained or has paint in poor condition, or if you are planning renovations that will disturb the paint surface.

Lead-paint removal is not a project for the do-it-yourselfer! Trained professionals know how to do the job safely and effectively to make sure no lead-containing dust and debris are left behind. Experts recommend that property owners contact the local health department or nearest HUD office for guidance. Also, many older houses have lead water pipes or copper pipes with lead solder; lead from these pipes can leech into the drinking water. Again, contact your local health department for assistance.

For the latest updates on lead, contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Lead Information Center at (800) 424-LEAD or on the Web at www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm.http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/nlic.htm.

Everyone

If you follow the advice outlined in this brochure about occupational and environmental safety, you should enjoy the many benefits of home-office work for years to come. But don’t forget that home workplace safety extends to every member of your family.

If you’re used to working in an office with adults, you may forget that common office supplies can be hazardous to babies, young children, and pets. Keep sharp implements—scissors, staplers, letter openers, etc.—away from small hands, just as you would kitchen knives. This may require that you consistently lock your office door or buy a locking cabinet to secure unsafe items. Some standard office supplies and equipment are especially attractive to children (including graphic arts tools, such as paper cutters and razor blades, and poisonous substances, such as rubber cement) since they may look like toys.

There are numerous dangers to small children in home offices involving electricity as well. Cover unused sockets with plastic covers to discourage prying little fingers from getting shocked. Use a surge protector with an on-off switch that can be easily turned off to remove the source of power. Additionally, secure all loose cords to prevent tripping; not only could children get hurt in the fall, they may drag (possibly heavy) office equipment down on themselves.

Basically, if you have small children, babies, or pets in your home, either childproof your office as you would the rest of your house or lock the door to the workspace. If you expect your young child to spend time in your office, consider this old parents’ trick: Crawl around on your hands and knees to view the world from a child’s perspective and note all the hazards in a youngster’s path. All it takes is a little care to prevent a lot of misery.