Treadmill Desk

Treadmill Safety and Accidents: Treadmill Safety Features And Considerations


You would think that walking at a slow one mile per hour pace would not present many safety problems, but you would be surprised at the things that could happen if you don’t consider safety first when you are building your treadmill desk. The first step to building your treadmill desk or using one of the models on the market is to consider what could go wrong during your day.


Of course, falling is one of the first things that you think of when you consider a treadmill desk. It is important that you keep the pace slow enough so that falling is an unlikely occurrence. At least it is as unlikely as it is that you would fall down on your way to the water cooler. Keep your treadmill walking space free of any obstructions and watch the cords for your office equipment. If you have a mess of cords all over the place, the likelihood of tripping over one of them is much greater. Keep your walking space clear of anything other than your feet.






The stability of your treadmill is a major consideration as well. If you are building a treadmill desk that attaches some of the equipment you use to work, such as your computer monitor, it will have to be stable enough to hold it without the risk of it falling off with the vibration from the treadmill. Many people have found that the monitor and other equipment should be kept separate from the treadmill to avoid the problem of vibration. Not only do you risk the monitor falling on the floor, but it is a little difficult to read when it is bouncing all over the place. Choose a stable treadmill and a stable work surface for your office equipment.


The height of your desk is a big consideration. While it may not cause an accident, over time you may feel a considerable amount of stress in your shoulders and arms if your keyboard and other equipment is not at the proper height. Before you build your treadmill desk or you buy one, find out the comfortable working height for you while you are walking. Don’t simply stand and try it for a few minutes. Give it a little bit of time so you can feel any strain or stress that you are putting on your shoulders.


The items on your desk should be in reaching difference. If you are stretching all over your desk to get to the stapler while you are working, you might fall down. As silly as that sounds, it is a real concern. Make sure that your desk is organized so that you can easily reach everything that you need while working. Even the things that you don’t use very often should be in easy reach. It only takes one time to throw you off balance and cause you to fall while you are working. Of course, there will be times when you have to stop your treadmill to get to that particular file or other item, but for the most part everything should be where you need it to be.


Many treadmills come with remote controls to allow you to start and stop the treadmill without having to reach the main panel on the treadmill. This is a feature that you should look for in the treadmill that you will be using for your treadmill desk. You should always be able to turn off the treadmill in the event of an accident. You don’t want your treadmill throwing you to the back of the room. While it might make a funny home video, it could cause serious injury. Keep the control in reaching difference at all times.


These are just a few of the things that you should consider when you are setting up your treadmill desk. Try to envision your daily work schedule to determine where the hazards lie. It is the one thing that you don’t consider that could cause you problems later. After you think that you have considered everything take a look down at your feet and make sure that your shoes are tied. Silly, yes. Is it likely to cause you to trip and fall, absolutely.


Treadmill safety is an issue as nobody wants a treadmill accident. Safety features include: stop button size and location, safety key, electrical and physical instruction issues as well as simple things like the ease and safety involved when closing a folding treadmill model.


Below you can watch a few things on what not to do with a treadmill. These treadmill accidents are caused by using a treadmill in a manner not envisioned by the treadmill manufacturer.

Another key issue in treadmill safety is where you physically locate your treadmill in your home. In home usage, you want to be sure to leave 18″ of clearance on each side and 4’ of clearance to the rear of the treadmill. Keep the power cord away from heated surfaces and also away from the treadmill belt itself.


Below you can watch why it is important ot have at least 4 feet of room behind your treadmill as a saftety precaution.