An Employer’s Guide To A Working From Home Risk Assessment

Remote working is now much more common than it was for previous generations, but many modern workers are unlikely to have thought about a working from home risk assessment. 

According to the Office For National Statistics (ONS), up to 16% of people now only work from home, with 28% adopting a hybrid working pattern. When in an office, it’s a given that there will be a risk assessment and health and safety procedures in place. The Health And Safety Executive (HSE) stipulates that risk assessments should also cover home workers.

So, if you’re an employer with remote workers, what are the factors to consider when completing a working from home risk assessment? With employee injuries such as musculoskeletal conditions or trips and falls potentially leading to time off work, how can you reduce the likelihood of these for a productive remote or hybrid working business model?

What Is A Risk Assessment And Who Is Responsible?

A health and safety risk assessment is a formal system put in place to identify any potential hazards in the workplace. A risk assessment will detail how these hazards may cause harm and what can be done to reduce this possibility. All workplaces are required by law to have a risk assessment and employers must understand how to complete a risk assessment. 

Employers are responsible for organising risk assessments, including a remote working risk assessment. This may mean appointing someone within the organisation, or possibly outsourcing to external experts. Every business should also have a health and safety file. 

Essentially, the responsibility for a work from home risk assessment lies with the employer, not the employee. 

Working From Home Risk Assessments

A work from home risk assessment will identify any remote working risks, assess the likelihood of an accident occurring, and suggest ways that these risks could be mitigated within the home and during the working day. However, there are some important points to note for a remote working risk assessment:

• The identified risks and control measures should be proportionate for home workers, where there may be far fewer risks than in other working environments, such as construction sites or in the aviation sector
• Employers do not need to visit employees’ homes to conduct a risk assessment unless there are exceptional circumstances; for example, if a worker has a disability

Employers should also think about how they will stay in touch with their remote staff, the type of work they will be doing and any risks associated with that work. If any control measures are required – for instance, specialist equipment – this should be arranged.

What To Include In A Work From Home Risk Assessment?

As with any risk assessment, the specific risks will vary from sector to sector. For example, warehouse will have a different criteria to a restaurant when it comes to what’s in a risk assessment. A working from home risk assessment will be specific to the risks of remote working and hazards found in the home. As employers do not have to visit employee homes, they can create a general working from home risk assessment document that covers the most common hazards. This should include:

1. Fire Safety

Fire risk assessments are a legal requirement for workplace health and safety. Fire is a risk in any building and so fire safety is just as important for a remote working risk assessment. Factors to consider in a working from home risk assessment might include checking smoke or fire alarms are working, ensuring escape routes are clear in case of a fire, and eliminating any unsafe electrical equipment, for example a laptop plug with exposed wires. 

2. Accidents

Slips, trips and falls can happen anywhere, including at home. There may be fewer obstacles in a home office environment, but a working from home risk assessment should still identify any potential accident spots and list ways to reduce these risks. As part of a remote working risk assessment, you may wish to detail what should happen if an accident does occur, and what steps should be taken to report the accident.

3. Working Environment

Having enough space to work comfortably and safely is a key area to consider. This means having the right equipment, from a desk and a comfortable chair to a suitable screen or keyboard. Some people may have medical conditions that mean they need more specialised apparatus, which would need to be taken into account for a work from home risk assessment. In line with this, a healthy work environment also includes elements like having adequate breaks from display screen equipment (DSE) and having time and space to move around.

For jobs where there might be some manual handling, for example packing and shipping orders, a working from home risk assessment needs to set out how these manual processes will be completed to ensure they are safe in the home environment.

4. Lone Working

Working from home has many benefits, but the absence of colleagues can also mean increased risk. If you’re completing a remote working risk assessment and your employee works from home with no one else present, then consider what would happen if there was an accident or how someone might maintain their wellbeing without the social interaction of an office environment. This is where a work from home risk assessment might differ from an office-based one.

5. Mental and Physical Wellbeing

The community benefits of working in an office can be overlooked, but the social aspect and even simply getting out of the house to get to work can have a positive impact on mental health and physical wellbeing. Hybrid working means employees can enjoy the positive sides of the office and working from home. However, a work from home risk assessment should include how employees can manage their mental and physical health on the days they are at home. Companies may wish to invest in mental health training to support this. 

How Often To Update A Work From Home Risk Assessment

There is no legal obligation to update a risk assessment in any set amount of time, although the recommendation is to review it annually. With a work from home risk assessment, there are some circumstances that may prompt a refresh. For instance, if an employee moves house or their responsibilities change. An employee can let their employer know and the remote working risk assessment can be reviewed.

So, Do You Need A Working From Home Risk Assessment?

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required to carry out risk assessments. This is because they are responsible for their employees’ health, safety and general wellbeing. Remote workers must be included in these risk assessments, as if something were to happen to an employee while working from home, the employer could be held accountable. However, a site-specific risk assessment for every employee and their home is not a legal requirement. Employers could guide their staff towards completing their own individual remote working risk assessments if they so wish. 

Employers can ask employees to complete a simple remote working risk assessment themselves. There are no definitive rules on what has to be included in the risk assessment, but it is wise to make sure key areas listed above, like fire safety, illnesses and accidents, are accounted for. 

Employees do not need to perform work from home risk assessments, they may do so at their own discretion. However, an employer does have a duty of care to ensure colleagues are supported practically and that their health, safety and wellbeing are taken care of. If you are an employee and would like a work from home risk assessment, you can ask for one to be arranged.

Working From Home Risk Assessments From Rhino Safety

It isn’t always obvious what should be included in a risk assessment, especially now that more people are working from home. A work from home risk assessment is a relatively new concept for employers and employees to tackle.

Rhino Safety offers Health and safety audits for businesses to assess their current health and safety policy and advise what’s working and what else should be included. This can help identify areas that employers may not have considered, like a remote working risk assessment procedure. 

As health and safety experts, we can also perform risk assessments or provide risk assessment training to bring businesses up to speed on everything related to health and safety. Contact the team at Rhino Safety to find out how we can elevate your business’ health and safety policy and help with robust risk assessments for office-based, remote or hybrid working.