The problem has been more high-profile of late because of a controversial letter issued late last year by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, advising that companies are liable for the safety of employees working at home. The letter touched off protest from companies complaining they'd be held responsible for hazards they couldn't control. The man became a quadriplegic. Mr. Fisher of the American Society of Safety Engineers says he was once called out to a Mount Pleasant, Ill., home with giant cracks in its walls and ceiling. In another instance, he says, he visited a home office where a chafed extension cord ignited paper files, causing several hundred dollars of smoke damage.
Some potential dangers seem truly benign.
During a recent visit to the home office of Susan Brierly Wills, a marketing consultant in Mendham, N.J., a safety inspector found books about to slide off of shelves, creating trip hazards, and cords mashed up in a pile near a heating panel. However, Darby is also a roving, breathing trip hazard, and Darby could inadvertently nudge cords closer to the heater, says Kathy Seabrook, the safety consultant. Ms. Wills says she's now going to take extra precautions to make sure she's safe, too. But the dog stays. Even the coziest home offices pose occupational hazards.