| With the trend towards increased numbers of people | | | | potentially more serious because of the risk of not |
| working from home firmly established, many Health | | | | being found quickly. Home workers need to think about |
| and Safety managers are concerned about how to | | | | taking personal safety precautions before going to |
| ensure workers health and safety are protected | | | | external client meetings. Fire safety awareness is just |
| adequately, outside of the normal office environment. In | | | | as essential in a home office as in a large organisation, |
| particular, how to manage and monitor staff to take | | | | but all the responsibility for ensuring precautions are |
| responsibility for themselves. | | | | taken falls on the home worker. |
| The HSE definition states that a Home Worker is | | | | Enabling home workers to understand and manage |
| someone who regularly works from home and many | | | | their responsibilities, as well as providing them with the |
| companies now recognise that they have potentially a | | | | information to carry out DSE risk assessments for |
| large percentage of employees who may be included | | | | themselves, is now an important part of the health and |
| in this category. | | | | safety manager's remit. One way to manage this is to |
| The HSE guidelines make clear that whilst employers | | | | introduce an online training and DSE risk assessment |
| have a responsibility for their employees health and | | | | course for home workers which keeps an automatic |
| safety while at work, employees are also responsible | | | | record allowing a Health and Safety manager to see |
| for maintaining a safe home environment. Thus, whilst | | | | who has done the training, which risks have been |
| an employer is responsible for the electrical safety of | | | | noticed, and how concerns have subsequently been |
| all equipment supplied to a home worker, to the extent | | | | resolved. |
| that regular PAT testing must be carried out, the | | | | Companies providing this type of training will cover a |
| employee is responsible for checking the electrical | | | | wide range of important health and safety topics, |
| wiring on an annual basis, and for the installation and | | | | including electrical testing, fire safety, manual handling, |
| maintenance of smoke alarms. | | | | DSE risk assessment, stress and personal safety. |
| DSE training and DSE risk assessment is a key part of | | | | They will also include a useful section on five steps for |
| health and safety practice for home workers, as it is in | | | | carrying out DSE risk assessment. |
| the office. Ensuring that this is kept up to date is a | | | | Following the training, the employee can carry out a |
| statutory requirement but many health and safety | | | | basic home worker risk assessment, with the results |
| professionals find managing the audit of DSE risk | | | | logged in a central database. |
| assessment is hard enough in the normal office | | | | In the end, a health and safety manager has |
| environment but doubly difficult when workers are at a | | | | discharged his responsibility to a home worker if he |
| distance. | | | | has provided the necessary information and tools to |
| Home workers need to be aware of the additional | | | | allow that worker to responsibly manage health and |
| risks they face through being in a solitary work | | | | safety for themselves. |
| environment; slips and trips in a home office are | | | | |