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Health and Safety in the Workplace: Top Tips for a Safe Office Environment from Furniture At Work®

Health and safety is a primary consideration when designing any office space, whether it’s a simple home office or a workplace with multiple employees interacting on a daily basis.

Photo By: Pexels

Many of us spend most of our weekdays sitting at a desk, which means it is essential to take steps to ensure we minimise the health risks of sitting. There are also spatial, lighting and risk management considerations, along with a whole host of other things to think about. Furniture At Work has an extensive catalogue of office furniture to suit any space and meet all of your health and safety needs.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the word used when talking about how to make a workspace safe and comfortable. An ergonomically designed workspace minimises physical health risks to the employee and takes care of long-term wellbeing. Ergonomic office chairs are designed to support the lumbar region and provide comfortable seating even when sitting for extended periods of time. Ergonomics also account for factors such as screen height, keyboard alignment and prevention of screen glare, and any other factor that could pose a potential health risk. Many studies have shown that sitting for prolonged periods of time is detrimental to health. A properly designed ergonomic workstation minimises this risk. However, it is also important to allow employees to take regular breaks from sitting, or to allow yourself to take regular breaks when working from home.

Lighting

A poorly-lit workstation can quickly cause eye strain and result in poorly-maintained health. Lack of access to natural light can also have a strong impact on mental wellbeing. Providing a well-lit workstation is therefore essential for both mental and physical health. Natural light is best, so having large windows wherever possible will help to keep people feeling happy and healthy. Where natural light is not possible, a well-thought out lighting system that ensures nobody is straining their eyes is vital. Providing options such as the ability to reduce or increase brightness levels and adding desk lamps and floor lamps to each workstation will ensure that each employee can create the light they require.

Temperature

A comfortable temperature is another key ingredient in the recipe for a happy workforce. There are no legal restrictions for temperature in the workplace but keeping things too hot or too cold reduces productivity and results in unhappy and uncomfortable staff. Around 16 degrees Celsius or just slightly higher is recommended as the optimal indoor temperature.

Clearing Obstructions

One of the main causes of workplace accidents is obstructed walkways causing employees to trip and fall. Maintaining an office that is free from trip hazards takes only a little effort. Evaluate walkways and other areas where employees move around or congregate. Pay attention to loose wires, floor panels and any item that could obstruct passage. Wet or slippery surfaces can also be dangerous, so any spills or areas that are being cleaned should be clearly signposted and dried as soon as possible.

Electrical Appliances

All electrical appliances and outlets in any office environment should be regularly checked and maintained to prevent avoidable accidents from occurring. Sockets should not be overloaded and equipment and lights should be switched off when not in use.

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5 Home Maintenance Tasks You Don’t Want to Forget

Our homes are our safe reprieves away from the world.  In these walls, we get to decide how our world should look, who matters most to us, and what helps us relax!

Photos By: Unsplash

Unfortunately, as fun as it is to look at real estate for sale in Whistler or consider buying a home in Toronto, the reality of taking care of a property can be harsh.  If you want to stay on top of everything and avoid the pain of getting caught off guard with a huge expense or issue: here are the five home maintenance tasks you should remember.

Test Your Sump Pump

The last thing you want is for your basement to flood the moment you’re out of town.  Every four to six months, check to ensure that your sump pump is draining correctly.  It takes just a couple of minutes to confirm, and then you can go back to ignoring that it exists.  A neglected sump pump can cause a couple of inches of water to build up.  That couple of inches of water can ruin carpets, will force mold and damage into drywall, and could cost you tens of thousands to repair: think ahead and check it.

Clear Your Gutters

Gutters have to be cleaned for more than just aesthetic purposes.  If you allow leaves to build up, not only does it put you at higher risk of flooding because of low water release, it can cause larger problems.  Clogged gutters may force a berg of ice to form on your roof, which may cause leaking, sagging, and possibly even a caved-in roof.  Please pay attention to your gutters and either clean them or install gutter covers to block out any debris that would clog them.

Check Your Water Heater

A water heater is the star of any home.  Not only does it allow us to take long hot baths, we need it several times a day to wash our hands thoroughly.  Check your water heater to ensure it doesn’t need anything changed out or filtered.  If you notice new leaks, or anything unsettling, ask a professional to look at it.

Check Your Chimney

Nothing brings cozy and familiar family memories to mind like a warm roasting fireplace.  Unfortunately, if you don’t have your fireplace checked out often enough, you could be putting your entire household’s health at risk.  Have a professional come in once a year to ensure your opening and closing hatch still work and that nothing is blocking it that could cause the smoke to gather inside your home.

Have Your HVAC System Checked

Although you may think that your air conditioner and heater will work correctly forever, the moment you need them most is usually the moment they give out.  To avoid this issue, and give yourself the chance to take care of problems before they happen, have a professional come out to check your systems at least once a year.  This task is routine maintenance and will ensure that everything stays in a constant good state.  If any problems may happen down the line, a professional will be able to warm you and help you avoid them.

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How to Preserve the Colors of Your Carpet or Carpeted Flooring?

Everyone wants to know what secret lies behind the carpet that always has fresh bright colors. Sometimes regular vacuuming is not enough for having brand-new looking carpet. Actually, if you vacuum your carpet too often you can damage its fibers and it will soon appear to be quite withered.

Photos via: Houzz

Anyone who wants to keep their carpets, area rugs and coverings new, clean or revive their colors, use the services of ProLux Carpet Cleaning company. ProLux cleans everything, even the most delicate and expensive carpets. We reliably and efficiently clean carpets and area rugs from dirt, any stains and dust. We will restore the color, eliminate the pungent odor and felted hair of cats and dogs. Imagine your children playing on the carpet and you breathing in dust, when you just walk along the carpet.

Invisible to the eye, dust enters and settles in the lungs. All the dirt from the street, brought on the feet and legs, is transferred to the pile and successfully lives in it for many years. Not just a single vacuum cleaner will give the desired result of cleanliness and guarantee health. Only an integrated approach to cleaning and professional carpet cleaning will ensure a high-quality result. Professional and regular dry cleaning of carpets and area rugs is the key to their long and reliable life and your coziness, warmth and comfort, which make carpets in our everyday life.

Carpet creates a warm, harmonious atmosphere in the room, decorates the interior and mutes extraneous noise. However, rugs and carpets, which are not properly maintained, negate all efforts for home improvement. A dirty carpet is a collection of dust, ticks and various harmful microorganisms. So, besides regular vacuuming and using expert cleaning services, what else can you do to improve the look of your favorite carpet? What cleaning products can you use for refreshing carpet’s colors?

Baking Soda for Reviving Carpet’s Colors

Cleaning the carpet with baking soda and vinegar is one of the most effective and time-tested natural methods of cleaning this element of everyday life at home. Before proceeding with the description of the method of carpet cleaning, we will share with you the advantages and possible disadvantages of this method.

The positive points include the following:

Efficiency: baking soda really helps to cope with many types of pollution, and this applies not only to carpets, with the help of such a tool housewives clean and wash a lot of different household items, clothes, kitchen utensils and more;

Harmless: soda is not an allergen, and is also completely safe and certainly does not harm the health of the inhabitants of the house, whether people or animals;

The plus is also that after carpet cleaning with soda, there is no pungent odor of chemicals, as is the case with factory-made carpet cleaners; buying a package of soda is much cheaper than a modern effective detergent, and this pack will last much longer, so cost-effectiveness also applies to positive qualities; accessibility – baking soda can be bought at any store.

As for the shortcomings, there are few of them, and the following can be attributed to them:

* Soda is not suitable for cleaning handmade carpets, especially if they are made of silk thread, for such cases special means must be used;

* Lack of effectiveness is also considered as a minus, since in order to achieve the result it may be necessary not just one, but several cleanings with soda;

* Soda alone is unable to remove old and persistent stains from the carpet.

From what we read, we can conclude that baking soda can help cope with not too serious carpet pollution at home. Also, the product can be used for preventive cleaning of the carpet. Vinegar is an auxiliary element, so we do not consider its quality.

Baking soda has proven to be the most effective product for refreshing carpet’s colors. It absorbs the dirt from the carpet and leaves it fresh and bright. It does not leave any odors and is completely safe product, so it can be considered to be pet and child-friendly.

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DIY Tips to Improve Your Home’s Interior

When it comes to getting a house ready to sell, improvements don’t have to break the bank. Simple DIY improvements will help you sell your house for more money. In fact, sometimes they can save sellers money throughout the selling process. Below, you’ll find some of the best ways to increase home value without spending a lot of dough!


Photo: Oh Beauty Interiors

Get started

One of the best things you can do to get the most out of a home’s value is hire a real estate agent. The National Association of Realtors found that the typical home sold by owners without an agent sold for $59,000 less than those sold using a professional.

A trained agent can help you correct any issues with your home that might raise eyebrows with potential buyers — before it goes on the market. He or she can also steer you away from any time-consuming projects that won’t get the desired return on investment. Agents also work closely with home inspectors, whose approval you’ll likely need to finalize the sale. They can help you figure out which improvements will absolutely have to be done.

There are seven major things that a home inspector will look for:

  1. Water damage — average cost: $2,588 to fix
  2. Structural issues — average cost: $4,005 to fix
  3. Roof damage — average cost: $775 to repair, or $6,725 to $9,000 to replace
  4. Damaged electrical system — average cost: $160-$500 to fix
  5. Plumbing problems — average cost: $1,038 to fix
  6. Insect and pest infestation — average cost: $172 to fix
  7. HVAC System issues — average cost: $163-$528 to replace

Staying proactive on these functional repairs can save you money in the long run. For example, hiring someone to look at and clean your crawl space might cost you somewhere between $500-$700, however, an inspection report-recommended cleanup might cost you more than $6,000.


Photo: Ponciano Design

Declutter, clean and stage

Declutter, clean and stage should be your mantra as you home prep room by room. The most important part of preparing a home for sale is removing the you from the home. You want potential homebuyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home, and having all your knick-knacks strewn about isn’t going to get the job done. So, remove all of the personal items you can. Then give your home a good deep clean. For a clearer picture of what that entails, including the supplies you’ll need, check out this home prep plan.


Photo: Ponciano Design

Focus on the kitchen

One of the biggest focal points for potential buyers is the kitchen. But don’t make plans for a full kitchen renovation just yet. Full kitchens renovations actually have some of the worst return on investment statistics. Remodeling Magazine’s 2017 Cost Vs. Value report found that a mid range kitchen remodel cost exceeds its resale value by more than $21,000, and that number more than doubles in an upscale remodel.

Instead of doing a full renovation, focus on these smaller updates:

  • Clean
  • Organize your pantry
  • Use Murphy Oil Soap and hot water to all your cabinets
  • Polish cabinets with Howard Feed-In-Wax
  • Tighten all hinges
  • Clean grout and tiles with an all-purpose cleaner like Soft Scrub
  • Make sinks and hardware shine
  • Deep clean your stove
  • Paint kitchen walls
  • Update light fixtures and bulbs
  • Get new hardware for cabinets and doors
  • Make the countertops look new
  • Switch out the appliances


Photo: Deane Inc

Make cheap upgrades

Two of the best (and cheapest) upgrades you can make to your home are painting and upgrading the flooring. An interior do-it-yourself paint job will cost you around $200-$300 per room. First, decide which rooms are in need of a new look. Ideally, you’d want to remove loud colors because they inhibit buyers from seeing themselves living in the home. Think blank canvas. Then, choose a nice neutral palate, as those hues bring coziness and minimalism to mind. Sherwin Williams’ Sincerity palette is pleasing to the eye. Then inspect your flooring. One of the best investments you can make is in high-grade carpet or hard-surface flooring. If reflooring the entire house isn’t possible, hardwood or laminate the living areas such as the living room and dining room. Stick to the same finish throughout the home.

There are plenty of DIY videos on YouTube to help you through the process, or if you decide to hire someone, the company you purchase the flooring from will likely offer installation services that will be cheaper than hiring a contractor. When it’s all said and done, these improvements will make your home pleasing to potential buyers and help you save money.

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Science-Backed Ways to Create a Productive Office Space

When creating the ideal office space, every company strives for a suitable office environment that offers comfort, while also being a productive space where employees enjoy spending time and work well within. There are various elements involved in creating the perfect office space. Below offers a rundown of just some of the science-backed ways to change your office space instantly for more productive results.


Photo: Wright-Ryan Homes

Good Lighting

We are all familiar with the importance of lighting in an office, particularly for workers who are constantly looking at screens all day. When first working out the layout of an office, or even before you have hired an office space, do consider how much natural light the office provides. Research has found that workplaces with good daylight had a 30%-40% gain in productivity and sales. This shouldn’t be the only contributing factor to your final decision, but natural light can do wonders for the general aesthetic and atmosphere of an office. Natural light sets our body clock, so aiding this process as much as possible through simply considering windows in the design or layout is a great place to start. The environment for workers will be more open and bright because nobody likes to work in dark environments with minimal natural light. It can also potentially save on energy bills too!


Photo: Court Atkins Group

Aesthetics

Aesthetics of an office are essential to get right, as being comfortable and relaxed will have a significant effect on your employees’ work ethic, focus, and output. After all, your employees will be spending a lot of time in the office, so ensuring your company provides a comfortable, welcoming setting where they enjoy spending time is vital. In the same way that having a clean and tidy house can benefit a person’s mental focus while at home, providing a pleasant work environment will naturally help create a highly productive office, full of happy workers. Functionality, layout, and design all play their part in curating an ideal office space, and you can easily make sure you’re on the right track by checking out 360degrees.uk.com to get you inspired.


Photo: CM Natural Designs

Airflow

Airflow in an office is another factor that can easily be overlooked in the day-to-day office environment. Having airflow is essential to avoid a stuffy office, which can send employees into a sleepy stupor. Airflow can help to brighten an office and freshen the air supply throughout the day, creating an ideal working environment where workers feel comfortable and at ease. After all, you are always least productive when you have unavoidable distractions, as would be created from an unpleasant working space with stagnant air. A fun and easy additional fix could be to add air-purifying plants to your office space, which will add to your overall aesthetic, too.


Photo: Best & Company

Multi-function spaces

Another idea that can help a company create a productive office space is by considering multi-functioning spaces. Allow for private offices, meeting rooms and separate booths, so regardless of the type of work carried out or space needed, you can ensure your office can offer it. It also involves having the latest tech for your employees so that they can effectively do their job. Presentation spaces and areas for workers to separate themselves from work and take a break should also be considered and will help add to your general aesthetic, which will appeal to potential workers, clients, and customers. A company’s success is only as good as their employees’ output, so ensure your staff has everything in place to carry out their job properly, and you will soon see the benefits.