Providing an effective and long-term safety solution for home-based employees is critical. Employers have a duty of care to all their employees and must, to the extent that it is practical, provide a safe and healthy working environment for them. This includes analyzing, regulating, and minimising risks outside of the typical workplace.
Employers should also remind employees of their responsibilities and obligations under their employment contracts and rules, particularly those related to health and safety.
It’s far more difficult to provide a safe Work From Home (WFH) solution than it is providing EHS management system for employees who work in an employer’s physical facilities, where they have control over the environment, furniture, and equipment.
Working long hours on a laptop as part of a home office arrangement, moving less with virtual meetings and calls replacing in-person meetings, and managing other variables within the home are all possible transitions that everyone has had to get used to over the last year and a bit.
But companies can and should help their employees by implementing an EHS management system in this new world of work.
Virtually assisting and self-assessment
Help conduct an ergonomic evaluation of your employees’ home offices and make changes depending on the results or provide online tools for office ergonomics, such as an office ergonomics self-assessment or ergonomics tips for their home office.
Telecommuters could complete a self-assessment, which includes crucial risk assessments for the entire company as well as a specific checklist-style reporting for each employee to follow.
Is there a computer with a low or high screen height, a low or high keyboard, a low or high seat, or a seat without lumbar support?
Other things to consider would be lighting, temperature and ventilation, a dedicated workspace, fire prevention and even whether they’re prepared for an emergency.
Coaching
Employees can regularly coached, guiding them on how to break old habits and make ergonomic best practices routine and effortless.
Check in
Even if working in a physical office is no longer an option, staying in touch with your team is crucial. Open channels of communication are an efficient method to ensure your employees’ safety and well-being. You may automatically confirm your team’s safety throughout the day by creating a worker check-in procedure.
Record and report
Workplace injuries must still be documented. Employees who work remotely must report work-related injuries in the same way as they always have.
Any work-related injuries must be reported to your supervisor as soon as possible after you have received any necessary medical treatment. Within 24 hours, your supervisor must submit an injury report. Injuries should be reported straight away, whether they require medical attention or not.
Automated reporting
Automated reporting with an EHS management system keeps everyone informed and up to date on the status of the organisation and changing trends.
It is now more critical than ever to develop and implement explicit work-from-home and EHS management system practices.
Collaboration is essential for success, whether you work from home, manage a remote team, or simply hope to increase communication across departments. Fortunately, an EHS management system is one of the solutions available to assist collaboration with your entire team.
An EHS management system, even with a WFH environment, centralises all of your regulatory compliance, risk, and sustainability data and operations, making it easier for employees to communicate information. All you’ll need is a laptop or mobile device, as well as access to the internet. You just need to make sure you’re looking after your staff.