You’ve never had a reason to worry about the electrical system in your office building. But, that was before the electrical fire that forced you to close while you remodel!
Faulty and mismanaged cables cause damage to quite a few commercial properties. One survey by the National Fire Protection Associates found that about 3,300 office fires start each year. Electrical distribution and lighting are the second leading cause of those fires.
So, what can you do to reduce the chance of electrical failure in your cables? Keep reading to learn our top 5 cable management mistakes to avoid.
1. Not Designing With Cables in Mind
When figuring out the layout of the office and where all the equipment will sit, consider how you’re going to run the cables for them. If you don’t you could end up with floating wiring all over the place or with all your cables in one giant jumbled mess under a desk somewhere.
2. Leaving No Room for Adding Cables Later
Assuming things go well, your business will grow and you’ll want to expand and get newer/better equipment. You should leave room to accommodate for more cables later. Consider keeping a stash of odds and ends like terminal blocks so you can add things when you need to.
3. Cable Management Mistakes Affecting the End-User Equipment
Workstations often end up with a bunch of wires running up onto one desk. If you don’t manage the wiring at the end-user point, then you risk the user unplugging something with their feet, among other issues.
If you can, try to declutter any workstation to reduce the number of cables running to each workstation.
4. Not Running Cables in a Horizontal Orientation
The natural instinct for most people is to run wires straight down from the device. But, it’s better to run them sideways so you can group together all the cables that run to the same place and keep them off the floor.
5. Leaving Cables Hanging
It’s one of the ugliest, most lazy things to do with your wiring. If you leave hanging cables, someone will get caught on them and cause injury and/or equipment damage in the process.
Do not leave your cables hanging from the ceiling or running down a wall with no cover.
Out of Sight Isn’t Always Out of Mind
If you’ve ever had to sort through a rat’s nest of cables, you’ll learn to take the time to do it right. There’s nothing worse than going to complete a quick replacement and finding a tangled mass.
Keep these tips in mind any time you need to add or remove wires. Also, take the time to inspect the cables and rearrange, if needed.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learned about avoiding common cable management mistakes. If you’re looking for more articles about business, technology, and much more, check out the rest of our blog today!