The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have just updated their advice to say that employers have the SAME health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers, whether it is a temporary or permanent arrangement. I am hugely relieved that the HSE have now recognised that the new homeworkers need some help.
Much of my work these days is taken up with providing online homeworker assessments for those who have been working from home since lockdown. There has been a noticeable difference with those I see now, against those I advised at the beginning. Anyone with less than ideal set ups are really struggling, with pain affecting their ability to work effectively. The most common issues I am seeing are early RSI symptoms, lower back, shoulder and neck pain and headaches. However, all of these can be significantly reduced through some often simple but highly effective changes.
Many people I am seeing are working from small flats where the level of extra equipment they can house is minimal. In these instances, we are able to work with them to find key solutions that will provide the best way to reduce their discomfort without taking over their home. It is all about finding bespoke solutions for each individual and really listening to their issues in order to be able to do this.
Some companies I talk to are starting to return to the office with a mix of home and office working but many are not planning to return until December or January. It does now seem, with the number of Covid cases rising we might be returning to some sort of restricted living again.
So it’s essential to take steps now to ensure your employees feel looked after when working from home, particularly as many are working harder than ever there, combined with far more intense periods of sitting and working at their computer (or indeed still having to work from their bed or sofa!).
For further advise, talk to us about our tailored ergonomic consultation services for your employees, which include: Digital Homeworking Guides Remote DSE Assessments (and face to face for those in the office) Webinars to ensure Healthy Home working, including exercises and best practice (with Nutritional and Mental Health webinar options available) Training for your in house assessors Other support ergonomic services
You can read the new HSE advice at: https://lnkd.in/eYkpCGt
