Frayed cords? Afraid not!

You can find damaged and worn out cords in every office. In this article, we talk about why you should replace those cords and how you really have no excuse. Come on people, a phone charger is not that much money!

As your Technology consultants, we at Valiant are happy to provide our expertise on a number of topics. However, it is rare that we are able to provide a solution to an issue that

  1. exists in every office
  2. can cause catastrophic failure*
  3. is incredibly inexpensive to solve

Yep, I’m talking about your damaged, worn, and frayed cords. Perhaps your office chair rolls over it constantly, or you were overzealous when cutting zip tie cable management, or your cable is just old as memes from The Office. If you are guilty of this very common IT infraction, it may be time to pull the plug. 

*It’s rare but possible. Why take the risk? 

The Risks

  • Fire Hazard – Those power cords and other electronics have a resistant coating that among other things prevents sparks from flying. Without it your damaged cords can be a fire hazard, striking when you least expect it.
You don’t want to be that guy.
  • Electric Shock – Even low voltage cables can cause an electric shock when not properly insulated. It may not be deadly but it’s certainly unpleasant and can have more dire consequences (see above re: fire hazard).
Accidental slice right through the word compliance.
  • Damage to your devices – Broken or frayed cords can cause inconsistent signals and/or power. If this is a data cord, it can corrupt files in transfer if there is a failure. If it is a power cord it can cause shorts in your equipment. Even the lowest stakes, inconsistent power can make it difficult for your devices to build and maintain charge while plugged in. 
Older MacBook cords were notorious for breakage around the joints.
  • Optics – Perhaps this one disproportionately affects us IT people, but it looks bad if you have frayed cords around the office. Keeping desks neat and presentable includes not having a discolored, ratty cable.
Call quality is important at our helpdesk. A frayed headset is ultimately bad customer service.

A Quick, Cheap, and Easy Solution

It’s time. Buy a new cable to replace your damaged ones right now! You can buy from your favorite online retailer or contact your Customer Success Manager for recommendations or to obtain a quote.

This USB-C cable is holding on for dear life.

After you replace your own cords, motivate your team to do the same. Some companies build this into their safety policies. Or you can do what I did: take pictures around your office and publicly shame them in an online knowledge base article.

Valiant Technology is the award-winning managed service provider to innovative industries in New York.

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