Can I Have A Candle In My Office?

Since the earliest days of human civilization, candles have illuminated our lives and workplaces. But in today’s modern offices filled with fluorescent lights, are candles still relevant? Can these relics of the past serve a purpose amid slick glass and steel skyscrapers?

In recent years, more workplaces have begun embracing elements of comfort and homeyness, from lounge areas to relaxed dress codes. This trend extends to allowing candles in offices, which can provide several potential benefits as well as drawbacks that companies must consider.

Before implementing a candle policy, organizations should weigh factors such as safety, liability, morale, aesthetics, and more. This article will dive into the pros and cons of permitting candles in offices to help companies make informed decisions.

Pros of Allowing Candles in Offices

There are some benefits to allowing employees to have candles in their office workspace. Candles can have a positive impact on mood and stress levels. The pleasant aroma from scented candles can make the office environment more enjoyable. Burning a relaxing or invigorating scent like lavender or citrus can help reduce feelings of tension and anxiety. Studies show that certain natural scents can lower heart rate and blood pressure. The soft glow and flickering flame of a candle can also have a calming effect and make workers feel less under artificial lighting. Candles can make an office feel cozier and more like home.

In addition to mood enhancement, candles can make an office smell fresher and nicer. The clean, fresh scents can mask and remove stale odors that build up from food, garbage, carpets, etc. People may find it easier to concentrate and be productive in a better smelling environment. Unpleasant office odors can be distracting.

Candles also add warmth and decorative ambiance to a workspace. They provide a pop of color and style that brighten up an office. The various shapes, sizes and holders allow for creativity and personalization. Candles make an office feel welcoming and lively.

Cons of Allowing Candles in Offices

While candles can provide ambiance and pleasant fragrances, allowing employees to burn candles in office spaces also comes with some potential downsides that should be considered.

One of the biggest concerns with burning candles in offices is the potential fire hazard. If left unattended or placed too close to combustible materials, candle flames can lead to dangerous office fires. This risk is heightened in offices full of paper documents and other flammable items. One small mistake with a candle could put the entire office building at risk.

Even without starting a fire, candles can produce smoke that bothers those with allergies or sensitivities. The scent from scented candles may be overpowering or unpleasant to some employees. Those working in close quarters may find the odor from a colleague’s candle to be distracting or irritating throughout the workday.

There is also a risk of wax damage from candles. Wax can drip onto furniture, carpeting, and other surfaces, leaving unsightly stains and residue behind. Cleaning wax off of office furnishings and floors can be extremely difficult. The potential for wax damage is another reason some offices opt to prohibit candle use altogether.

Types of Candles

Candles can be broadly categorized into different types based on the wax, scent, vessel, and flame:

Scented vs. Unscented

Scented candles contain fragrance oils, while unscented candles do not have any added scents. Popular scented candle varieties include floral, fruity, spicy, fresh, and woody aromas. Unscented candles allow you to enjoy the ambiance of candlelight without any overwhelming smells.

Wax vs. Soy vs. Gel

Traditional paraffin wax candles are made from petroleum byproducts. Soy wax is a natural, renewable alternative made from soybean oil. Gel candles contain mineral oil gelled with polymers. Soy and gel candles burn cleaner than traditional paraffin.

Contained vs. Open Flame

Votive, container, and pillar candles have the flame contained within glass or metal. Floating wick candles have an exposed flame. Contained candles present less of a fire hazard, while floating wick candles are more interactive.

Best Practices for Candle Use

If you do choose to burn candles in your office, follow these best practices to minimize risks:

• Use flameless or battery-operated candles whenever possible. These eliminate the fire hazard while still providing gentle light and ambiance.
• Only burn candles on non-flammable surfaces, at least 3 feet away from any papers, books, curtains or other fabrics.
• Never leave a lit candle unattended. Make sure to blow it out if you have to leave your office for any length of time.
• Be considerate of coworkers. Ask if anyone is bothered by scented candles before lighting one. Opt for unscented varieties if sensitivities are an issue.

Following basic precautions allows you to safely enjoy the benefits of candles in your workspace. But always put safety first and extinguish candles before leaving for the day.

Company Policy Regarding Candles

When considering whether to allow candles in your office, it’s important to check your employee handbook and with your facilities or HR department about any restrictions or policies already in place. Many companies have rules about open flames and potential fire hazards that may prohibit candles in the workplace.

Review your employee handbook to see if there are any explicit policies about candles or open flames. Often the handbook will lay out safety regulations and what is allowed in office spaces. If the handbook does not mention candles specifically, check with an HR representative or facilities manager.

Facilities departments are responsible for maintaining a safe office environment and will know about rules pertaining to fire hazards. HR can provide insight into company policies around candles and employee requests. Explain you are interested in possibly allowing candles in your office and want to check if there are any restrictions before doing so.

Make sure to get any policies provided to you in writing, whether that is via email or a section of the employee handbook. This will protect you and provide clear guidelines around candle usage. Knowing the existing company rules before bringing candles into your office is an important first step.

Alternatives to Candles

If you want to create a pleasant scent in your office without the fire hazard of candles, there are several safer options to consider:

Essential Oil Diffusers: Diffusers diffuse essential oils into the air to create an aroma in your office. They are electric appliances, so unlike candles they do not have an open flame. Many modern diffusers have programmable timers and multiple mist settings, allowing you to customize the scent strength and duration. Diffusers require minimal supervision, with just a refill of water and a few drops of oil periodically. They disperse scent gently and evenly throughout an office.

Air Purifiers: Though not designed specifically for scent, air purifiers that use filters, ionizers, or ozone can help eliminate odors. Activated carbon filters absorb smells, while ionizers charge air particles to remove them. Ozone generators also help deodorize rooms. Besides reducing smells, air purifiers improve overall indoor air quality. They are safe, electric alternatives to candles.

Potpourri: Potpourri involves dried flower petals and spices added to bowls of water, releasing natural fragrance as they soak. The ingredients have soothing aromatherapy benefits. As a passive alternative to burning candles, potpourri provides scent with no worries about open flames or wax drips. The bowls can be placed around an office and refreshed routinely.

Plug-in Air Fresheners: Air freshener plugins work by slowly diffusing fragrance oil from a cartridge into the air. Once plugged into an outlet, they provide continuous, subtle scent to mask odors. Refill fragrances are inexpensive and widely available. With no flames or heat involved, plug-ins are an efficient, no-fuss way to keep an office smelling fresh.

Costs of Allowing Candles

Allowing candles in the office comes with certain costs and risks that should be carefully considered. One of the biggest potential costs is an increase in insurance rates. Most commercial insurance policies will explicitly prohibit the use of open flames due to the fire hazard. Having candles in the office means the company would be violating their insurance policy. This opens up the possibility that if there were ever a fire, the insurance company could deny the claim. To officially allow candles, the company would likely have to pay much higher premiums for a specialty policy that allows open flames. This additional insurance cost would need to be weighed against any benefits.

The other major cost is the potential for wax or smoke damage. Candles can drip wax on furniture, carpets, and other surfaces that may be difficult to clean. Smoke can also dirty walls, vents, windows etc over time. Any damage or stains caused by candles would have to be repaired or dry cleaned at the company’s expense. For a single incident the costs may be small, but allowing candles in general makes it likely there will be cumulative aesthetic damage over time that adds up. The cleaning and maintenance costs to handle any candle-related damages need to be accounted for if they are permitted.

Benefits of Banning Candles

Banning candles in the office has a few key benefits related to safety and reducing damage to office property.

First and foremost, banning candles helps reduce fire risks and hazards. Open flames always carry some inherent danger, no matter how careful employees try to be. It only takes a moment of forgetfulness or distraction for a lit candle to get knocked over and start a fire. Fires in office buildings can spread quickly and lead to very dangerous situations. Eliminating open flames removes a key fire hazard.

Secondly, banning candles helps prevent wax damage to office items. Melting candle wax can drip onto carpets, furniture, paperwork and other items, resulting in stains and costly damage. Dripping wax is difficult to fully remove, and over time the stains can accumulate. Banning candles protects office equipment like computers and phones from getting wax dripped into sensitive electronics. The benefit is avoiding expenses related to cleaning, repairing or replacing wax-damaged items.

Overall, from a risk management perspective, banning candles is prudent to maximize office safety and minimize preventable damage. While candles seem harmless, the risks outweigh the benefits for most office environments.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several pros and cons to allowing candles in offices that companies need to consider. The pleasant ambience and mood benefits of candles should be weighed against the potential fire hazards and indoor air quality issues they can cause.

Ultimately, the recommendation is to allow candles in offices, but with some common sense precautions and guidelines in place. Companies should specify fire-safe candle holders, limit the number of candles per workspace, prohibit unattended burning candles, and encourage employees to snuff out candles when not in use or leaving the office. With reasonable rules and safe practices, employees can enjoy the perks of candles without undue risk.

Rather than an outright ban, a thoughtful candle policy allows companies to strike a balance between safety, wellbeing, and productivity. Clear communication of candle guidelines gives employees the responsibility to use candles properly. And keeping candle privileges contingent on no fire incidents or policy violations incentivizes safe behavior. With the right framework, candles can be permitted in offices safely.