Health and safety for employees who work from home
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread and forces many of us to work remotely, the need to maintain a safe workplace has extended to our home environments. Organisations and individual workers have legal obligations to manage the risk together.
This article focuses on health and safety risks and solutions to help overcome some of the challenges of the physical separation imposed by COVID-19.
Safety Risks when Working from Home
Key risks of working from home (WFH) to consider while managing increased social distancing measures include:
Physical Risks:
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Manual handling and ergonomics:
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Workers will need to manually set up their work areas, often with existing equipment at home
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Sitting for prolonged periods with poor posture and poor core strength, leading to back, neck, and wrist injuries
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Slips, trips and falls often present the most common form of injury arising from WFH due to electrical cords, spillages, stairs, and uneven surfaces
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Fire and emergency risks are relevant for all homes, including apartments
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Electrical risks can involve laptop computers and other devices requiring an electrical supply
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Lighting, heating, and cooling inadequacy can lead to eye strain and temperatures may affect comfort when sitting for prolonged periods
Thinking positively
Some of the invisible challenges of working remotely result in:
Steps to minimise health and safety risks
Provide workers with a WFH Self-Assessment checklist
For physical risks, ensure workers are required to complete an assessment, including requirement for a photo of the workspace
This can be reviewed and approved remotely by a supervisor
This should track all of the key risk controls required such as: ergonomic workspace and equipment, stretch / rest breaks, first aid kit, approved fire extinguisher (or blanket), test and tag of electrical equipment, smoke alarm, and familiarity with emergency egress (apartment buildings)
Encourage workers to take regular rest breaks and get physical exercise
Hold regular online team meetings and virtual coffee breaks
Share your organisations' Employee Assistance Program services and remind workers how these may be accessed
Ensure incident reporting processes are available and communicated to workers
Continue to consult with workers regarding health and safety risks, through online meetings with committees for example
Download CCI's Ergonomics Self-Assessment Checklist
Practical Help