Safety First
We’ve all heard about the importance of workplace safety, but it’s not something everyone thinks about regarding their home office. In fact, safety is even more of a priority when working from home. You’re not just responsible for your own wellbeing, but also for children, pets, and anyone else who shares the residence.
The statistics for tip over accidents in the home are staggering – in the United States alone, someone is injured every 17 minutes by a furniture, television or appliance tip over. The majority of those are children between 1 and 3.5 years old, who account for around 67% of tip over related fatalities since the year 2000.
Furniture manufacturers are not required by law to meet any guidelines for tip stability, but many will do so voluntarily. Any home office bookcase that has been tested for safety will likely make note of the fact in its product features and description. Two common sets of industry test standards to look for are ANSI/SOHO for residential furniture and ANSI/BIFMA for commercial-grade furniture.
Whether you’re a parent or not, a good rule of thumb is that any piece of furniture 30 inches high or taller should be anchored to a wall. If there are kids in the home, keep items that catch their interest out of sight or on lower shelves.