If you run an office or a number of other types of businesses, you may have a lot of data cabling running all over the place. To ensure that your cables don't fray and break, you need to take care of them. Here are a few tips that can help.

1. Handle the Cables Carefully

The way you handle the cables can have a direct impact on their condition. If you are unplugging a data cable from a wall port or from the back of a computer, always remove the connection carefully. Don't tug the cable or it may break. Make sure your employees also follow this rule.

2. Cushion Corners

When you run data cables past the corners or walls or desks, the corners can rub against the cable. That can cause the insulation on the outside of the cable to wear down, and eventually, that can lead to broken cables. To prevent this from happening, consider cushioning your corners. You can add a cushion to the corner, or you can wrap foam around the cable itself.

3. Prevent Tripping Hazards

When cords run along the ground of your facility, they can create a tripping hazard for people who walk through your facility. That can potentially hurt people, but beyond leading to injuries, this can also damage the cables. If someone trips on a cable, their foot pulls it, and that can potentially rip the cable.

To prevent this from happening, consider taping your data cables to the floor. Alternatively, use special tracks to hold your data cables to the walls or ceilings.

4. Run Cables Under the Floor

If you really want to protect your cables, you may just want to hide them out of sight. There is special flooring that you can get that is designed specifically for cable management. Basically, the flooring sits slightly above the sub floor.

Then, the data cables run under that layer of flooring. These floors usually have access tiles so that you can reach the cables as needed. Alternatively, the cables get connected to ports in the floors. Then, you run smaller cables from those ports to your computers or other electronics.

5. Repair Broken Cables

If you notice that a cable has an issue, always take steps to repair it. For instance, if you notice that a cable has frayed a little bit, you may want to wrap some electrical tape around it. That replaces the insulation and prevents the issue from getting worse. An electrician can help with more serious repair issues.