--- title: "Ask a Safety Officer: Home office electrical safety | Technical Safety BC" description: Our electrical safety officer covers common home office electrical hazards, and how to avoid them. image: https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Electrical%20safety%20home_0.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/ask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety#main-content) [![Technical Safety BC colour logo with gear](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/TSBC_Stacked_RGB%20300%20dpi%20-%20transparent%20background-1.png?width=600&height=179&name=TSBC_Stacked_RGB%20300%20dpi%20-%20transparent%20background-1.png "Technical Safety BC colour logo with gear")](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/) [Visit main site](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/) [Contact us](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/contact/contact-us) [Back to blog](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/) # Ask a Safety Officer: Home office electrical safety October 18, 2021 2 Minute read ![](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Electrical%20safety%20home_0.jpg) More employers are continuing their work from home policies and looking into blended work/home schedule options. This means many employees are upgrading their improvised home office setup and converting to a more permanent workstation. We asked one of our electrical safety officers to answer some commonly asked questions about home office safety. ### Power bars and extension cords are much cheaper through online retailers; does this mean they’re unsafe to use? The best thing to do is always confirm the product you are using has a manufacturer’s approval label, indicating it is approved for use in Canada. If your power bar or surge protectors are unapproved, it could lead to an electrical safety hazard such as a fire or cause electric shock. Our [information bulletin](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/regulatory-resources/regulatory-notices/approved-certification-marks-electrical-products) covers all the approved certification marks for electrical products. ### I have my computer charger, fan, and phone charger plugged into one power bar. Is this dangerous? You should always read and follow all manufacturer specifications for your surge protector or power bar. To check if your power bar is overloaded, find out the power bar’s maximum rating (wattage), then add up all loads connected to the power bar in wattage. If your load is over the calculated maximum rating, then reduce the loads accordingly. ### I am looking to clean up my workspace by installing an in-drawer outlet. Is this permitted in BC? In general, the BC Electrical Code does not allow the use of outlets in cupboards and drawers. However, there are some exceptions to the rule such as microwave ovens, inline water heaters, and garbage disposal units.  There are some USB-only charging outlets that also may be installed, as long as they are approved for use in Canada. ### I want to increase the number of available outlets near my desk. Can I plug a power bar into another power bar? This should be avoided as it could cause an electrical fire. It’s likely that doing so would increase the risk of overheating or overloading of the power bar. The standard for power bars does not permit the use of “daisy chaining” of power bars together. Share this article: [![Share on Facebook](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/technical-safety-bc/images/facebook-blue.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/technical-safety-bc/images/linkedin-blue.svg)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/technical-safety-bc/images/twitter-blue.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Ask%20a%20Safety%20Officer%3A%20Home%20office%20electrical%20safety%20%7C%20Technical%20Safety%20BC) [![Share on Email](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/raw_assets/public/technical-safety-bc/images/email-blue.svg)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.technicalsafetybc.ca%2Fask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ## Subscribe for safety updates and insights ## Browse topics - [Homeowner](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/homeowner) - [Gas](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/gas) - [Contractor](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/contractor) - [Electrical](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/electrical) - [Asset Owner](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/asset-owner) - [Ask A Safety Officer](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/ask-a-safety-officer) - [Homeowner Safety](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/homeowner-safety) - [Passenger Ropeways](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/passenger-ropeways) - [Boiler, PV and Refrigeration](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/boiler-pv-and-refrigeration) - [Carbon Monoxide](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/carbon-monoxide) - [Public Safety](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/public-safety) - [Amusement Devices](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/amusement-devices) - [Elevating Devices](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/elevating-devices) - [Railways](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/railways) - [Alternative Safety Approaches](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/alternative-safety-approaches) - [CO Alarm](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/co-alarm) - [Client Support](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/client-support) - [Smarter Safety](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/smarter-safety) - [FSR](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/fsr) - [Camping](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/camping) - [Chairlift](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/chairlift) - [Corporate news](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/corporate-news) - [RV safety](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/rv-safety) - [Skiing](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/skiing) - [Travel](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/travel) - [Vacation](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/vacation) - [extreme heat](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/extreme-heat) - [snowboarding](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/tag/snowboarding) ## Related articles ![](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Electric%20vehicle%20safety_0-2.jpg?width=352&name=Electric%20vehicle%20safety_0-2.jpg) ### Ask a Safety Officer: Electric vehicle charger safety November 4, 2021 6 Minute read Our electrical safety officer answers common electric vehicle charger questions. [Read More](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/ask-safety-officer-electric-vehicle-charger-safety?hsLang=en) ![](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Outdoor%20electrical%20safety-1.jpg?width=352&name=Outdoor%20electrical%20safety-1.jpg) ### Ask a Safety Officer: Outdoor electrical safety October 15, 2021 3 Minute read Looking to renovate your outdoor living space? Our electrical safety officer covers common outdoor electrical safety hazards and how to avoid them. [Read More](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/ask-safety-officer-outdoor-electrical-safety?hsLang=en) ![](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/burn%20awarness%20blog-4.png?width=352&name=burn%20awarness%20blog-4.png) ### Ask a safety officer: how to prevent electrical fires February 11, 2021 4 Minute read Burn Awareness Week this year is about electrical fires. Our electrical safety officer answers common questions about preventing electrical fires in the home. [Read More](https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/ask-a-safety-officer-how-to-prevent-electrical-fires?hsLang=en) Back to top [Report an incident](https://portal.technicalsafetybc.ca/report-incident/incident-reporting-form) [Contact us](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/contact/contact-us) As a province-wide organization, Technical Safety BC respectfully recognizes that its employees live and work on the traditional and unceded territories of the many Indigenous Nations that have thrived throughout British Columbia since time immemorial. [© 2026 Technical Safety BC](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/) - [Cookie Policy](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/cookie-policy) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/privacy-policy) - [Terms of Use](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/terms-use) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Technical Safety BC", "url" : "https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/author/technical-safety-bc" }, "dateModified" : "2022-12-22T16:48:48.757Z", "datePublished" : "2021-10-18T07:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Ask a Safety Officer: Home office electrical safety | Technical Safety BC", "image" : [ "https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Electrical%20safety%20home_0.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/ask-safety-officer-home-office-electrical-safety", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.technicalsafetybc.ca/hubfs/TSBC_Stacked_RGB%20300%20dpi%20-%20transparent%20background-1.png" }, "name" : "Technical Safety BC" } } ```