Keeping people safe is at the core of our company’s purpose. It’s something we take seriously, regardless of the circumstances we face. We’ll continue to update you as new CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and other health authorities' recommendations are made available while trying not to inundate you with too much information.
We’re here to support you, your workers, your business, and your community.
As some businesses are already taking the initiative to encourage staff to work from home, and self-isolation is on the increase in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to remind you of how you can minimise the risks to their health. As an Employer, you have exactly the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers and, at this time, we feel it prudent to emphasise the following topics:
Lone working: Lone workers should not be placed at greater risk than other employees. This may require extra risk control measures and precautions need to take account of normal work, and foreseeable emergencies. For example, establishing a clear route and frequency of communication to regularly check on your workers.
Working with display screen equipment (DSE): an analysis of home workstations for the purpose of assessing risks should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity. In the current climate, DSE self assessments can be undertaken by the employee and securely communicated to their Manager, preferably with photos of their setup and equipment. Risks, once identified, must be remedied so far as is reasonably practicable.
Stress and mental health: with significant commercial, operational and emotional challenges brought about by a pandemic outbreak, assess the primary contributing factors to staff wellbeing and stress and regularly review them. Ensure the demands placed on employees are adequate and achievable in relation to their agreed hours of work, capabilities and skillset, addressing employees concerns about their working environment should they arise.
If you don't already have robust policies, procedures and forms in place to manage the above, please get in touch with us and we can supply you with templated documents for immediate use and implementation.
As ever in Health & Safety, communication and staff training remain of great importance, especially during times of change. Ensure that the processes you put into place are documented & effectively managed and give employees the tools to be able to receive appropriate training, particularly on their new working environment while working remotely.
Some businesses now find themselves with an abundance of working hours available from staff who are unable to complete their normal duties due to being unable to attend workplaces in person. We have found a number of sites are utilising this resource to ensure their employee training is up to date using our online training modules available on Intuity. With over 50 modules available across a variety of topics, including the 3 hotspots mentioned above appropriate to Home Working, you can allocate courses to be completed by any worker with an internet connection, at any time.
All courses are just £10 + VAT per person:
Home Worker Display Screen Equipment (interactive)
Display Screen Equipment Assessment
Lone Working (interactive)
Mental Health & Wellbeing (interactive)
Accident Investigation (interactive)
Accident Investigation in Education (interactive)
Anti-Bribery (interactive)
Anti-Money Laundering (interactive)
Articulated Forklift Truck Operations
Asbestos Awareness (interactive)
COSHH - Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (interactive)
Coronavirus (Covid-19) and Pandemic Awareness
Driver Safety (interactive)
Electrical Safety Environmental Awareness (interactive)
Equality & Diversity (interactive)
Fire Extinguishers
Fire Safety (interactive)
Fire Warden (interactive)
First Aid
Food Hygiene Level 2 (interactive)
GDPR & Data Protection (interactive)
Health & Safety Induction (interactive)
Infection Prevention & Control (interactive)
Information Security (interactive)
Manual Handling (interactive)
Office Safety Essentials (interactive)
Permit to Work Systems
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Protection against the Effects of Noise
Risk Assessment (interactive)
Safeguarding Children (interactive)
Safety Hazards
Slips, Trips & Falls (interactive)
Stress in the Workplace Working at Height (interactive)
Working with Disability in the Workplace
There is no doubt that we all have a challenging time ahead but we are also certain that this is an opportunity to become even greater for when we return to Business as Usual. Until then, we will share tips and advice that we think is of value to you and offer solutions to problems that we share.
We’re here to support you, your workers, your business, and your community and we are always available on email or phone to assist howsoever we can.
Fiona Nelmes, TechIOSH
Safety Advisor
Email: info@kvf-consultants.co.uk
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