Working from home for many businesses is now the new norm and it is very likely to continue for the months ahead. Corporate Work Health Australia have been conducting working from home risk assessments since we started our business in 2011. Initially our focus was on ensuring the home workstation was going to be suitable for the worker and they had the appropriate work tools to support them in their job role and also would be comfortable to work with.
Over the last 3-4 years we have seen more and more workers transitioning to a more formal working from home arrangement where they were working 1-2 days per week and sometimes more. As a result of this we extended our home health and safety risk assessment to extend beyond just the room where they work and the equipment they use. A business has typically been advised to consider the following in recent years with regards to their home health and safety and we would recommend these still be considered so that an appropriate risk management plan can be implemented if required.
- Home office location – is it located in a separate room or near the lounge room or kitchen
- Environmental considerations – do we have appropriate heating, cooling and ventilation available and can be modified accordingly
- Smoke alarms – does the home have smoke alarms, when were they last checked
- Fire blanket/fire extinguisher – does the home have this available
- First aid kit – does the home have this available
- Reporting of incidents – does the worker understand the process, who to speak to, what documents to complete and where to access these
- Emergency contacts – does the worker know these
- Children at home and other dependants – how is this managed
- Walkways are clear of trip hazards
- If the work area is located upstairs, are their handrails on the stairwell
There are a number of other questions that we will look to answer as part of our home health and safety check, however this should give you a good idea as to the holistic approach to our risk assessments.
Corporate Work Health Australia are now offering home health and safety risk assessments that can be conducted via skype/zoom or in person. Please check out our range of services below:
For companies – https://corporateworkhealth.com.au/covid-19-home-office-workstation-assessments-for-companies/
For individuals – https://corporateworkhealth.com.au/covid-19-home-office-workstation-assessments-for-the-individual/
