Working from home - claims are on the rise…
Hazards exist in our Employee’s homes.
Risks are present as a result of those hazards.
For example (but not limited to!):
ensuring opportunistic intruders don’t enter (keep the security or front and back doors locked);slips, trips and falls (wear quality footwear with good soles and ensure trip
hazards like toys and home wear items are not in the way)
electric shock (RCDs need to be checked and only have well functioning electrical equipment in a dust free environment);
fair quality (give aircon filters a clean!)fire (have your emergency evacuation plan in place and known)
ergonomics (just because its home, keep a check on posture and desk/seating arrangements)
lifting or falling (don’t stand on swivel chairs to lift archive boxes!!)
social isolation (keep in contact!)
overworked (set limits as to work hours)
Employer obligations
To ensure the health and safety of all Employees by providing and maintaining a safe work environment.
Employee obligations
To follow the Company's safe work policies and procedures, notifying their Employer of any hazards or potential risks
Tips to mitigate risks
Employers should ensure the safety of their home-based workers, including:
(1) Consult with workers regularly about their home workspace & ergonomic practice
(2) Provide clear guidance by setting clear boundaries with regards to:
(i) workspace vs. home space
(ii) work hours and the taking of breaks
(3) Good incident reporting with prompt action when an at-home injury is reported
(4) Utilise early intervention programs for workers at greater risk of injury
(5) Update and/or re-training of WHS policies
Some of the at-home safety risks may include:
- Musculoskeletal injuries caused by poor ergonomic workstations
- Social isolation
- Fatigue and burnout
- Stress caused by job uncertainty
Don’t set and forget
It is time to test assumptions and review whether existing approaches to managing risks are still effective with home-based Employees
Be sure to audit at-home workspaces from time to time and get evidence that safety checks have been carried out (ie. safety switch working, fire extinguisher not out of date, workspace clear of clutter, footwear is suitable)
Consult with workers regularly about how they are going. Remember liability for their safety remains your responsibility.
For further information, see the below 2 articles.
https://www.comcare.gov.au/about/news-events/comcare-enews/september-2020
https://www.hrmonline.com.au/topics/hr-policies-and-procedures/mitigate-work-from-home-risks-injury-claims/?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EDM