A chaotic work environment can seriously jeopardize productivity. This applies particularly in an office environment where workers are constantly coming and going. Given the rise of ‘hot desking’ and hybrid work models, we’re seeing employees regularly share space without ever taking ownership of any particular desk.
This can present challenges when it comes to tidiness. But more than that, it can also disrupt the safe operation of electronic appliances and equipment.
Dust and Debris Removal
Over time, dust accumulates. This can cause many problems. For one thing, it might cause respiratory problems for workers. For another, it might find its way into heatsinks and power supplies, which can cause damage to equipment. Finally, we shouldn’t underestimate the psychological effect of a dusty environment. We naturally associate dust with neglect. Workers, then, might not take their work as seriously if they perceive that the workplace itself isn’t being held to a high standard for cleanliness.
A cleaning schedule that ensures regular tidying, and assigns responsibility to particular individuals, is a powerful way of tackling this problem. The right tools might also be provided. Compressed air can drive dust out of tight spaces, while handheld vacuum cleaners can keep desks and carpets clear. Extra tools from RS Americas might help workers to stay on top of the problem.
Ventilation and Airflow
By keeping air moving through the workspace, you’ll make the place feel fresher and more invigorating. This might be done by keeping a few doors and windows open – but a better long-term approach is to install a quality system of ducts and fans.
Where air is not moving, it becomes stagnant – which will increase the risk of chronic health conditions, and problems like mold and legionella bacteria. Fans should be kept clear, and ducting should be regularly cleaned. The temperature might also be closely monitored, with employees trusted with the power to tune the environment to their liking.
Cable Management
The average office space is powered by dozens of cables. Where these cables are not tied together and organized, they create a dust trap. Moreover, they might create a trip hazard that could potentially injure workers. Fortunately, managing cables in an office is straightforward, when you know how. It’s often something that only needs to be done once.
In Conclusion
Alongside the health and productivity benefits of a tidy, dust-free environment, we should also consider that dealing with dust will also tend to preserve the lifespan of your power supplies in desktop (and laptop) machines. Power supply units come with fans and heatsinks, which cool the underlying hardware by drawing air through a series of metal fins. When dust is allowed to clog these fins, the radiator ceases to disperse heat as effectively – which causes power supplies to fail prematurely.
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