Leading online training provider, iHASCO, has recently updated its Health and Safety Training for Homeworkers course. This comes at a time where employers are receiving more flexible working requests and increased demand for remote working roles. Even with the lifting of the government’s homeworking guidance, many employees will continue to work from home for all or part of their contracted hours on a more permanent basis. Therefore it’s vital that their health, safety and wellbeing is maintained.

The HSE released statistics towards the end of last year showing that the Coronavirus pandemic had contributed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This suggests that improper setup of Display Screen Equipment as a result of homeworking could be a contributing factor to the increase in this work-related ill-health. Those with a temporary set-up may not have had a suitable workstation and this could have resulted in injury such as RSI, headaches, eyestrain, and back problems.

The HSE also revealed that 50% of work-related ill-health was caused by workplace stress, depression or anxiety, with new cases for 2020/21 compared to 2019/20 rising by 104,000. It’s possible that the isolation and challenges of homeworking could have played a role in this increase.

One of the best ways to educate your remote workers about any risks they may encounter when working from home, as well as significantly reducing the chance of an accident occurring remotely, is to provide appropriate training. Taking an online training course from their remote workspace will help them relate to the content, whilst providing a quick solution that can be completed on a range of devices. iHASCO’S video-based training is split into easy to digest sections and ensures they have all the information to hand to help keep them safe and productive. It will also demonstrate that you, their employer, takes their health, safety and wellbeing seriously. It can also be provided as a useful refresher to those that have been working from home for some time, and allow an organisation to get on top of their legal health and safety responsibilities for homeworkers - especially as many move to a more hybrid approach of working.

The 45 minute, CPD accredited online course covers slips, trips and falls, working environments, DSE & manual handling, fire & electrical safety, safety responsibilities & procedures, and mental health, all from a homeworking perspective. A home environment is considerably different to a workplace and this training helps prevent these considerations from being overlooked. With around 2.7 million people visiting A&E after an accident at home every year it’s clear to see that prevention and increased awareness of risks could play an important role in reducing this number and keeping your homeworkers safe.

“It’s vital that organisations build a culture of safety that extends to all workers - whether they visit a central workplace or work remotely”

says Alex Wilkins, Head of Business Development at iHASCO. A free homeworker assessment tool is also included with the Health and Safety for Homeworkers course.

“If your employees are continuing to work from home for the longer term, this assessment tool is incredibly useful to allow them to self-assess any potential risks in their home. It gives employees a platform to raise concerns and allows employers to resolve any issues quickly, thereby ensuring your homeworkers feel supported and remain safe, while your organisation remains legally compliant”,

says Wilkins. The assessment takes users through a series of potential risks arising from their working environment to provide a written record of anything raised, as well as the outcomes, while keeping end users updated along the way. This helps ensure that health and safety is a two-way process between employers and employees.

Wilkins adds,

“homeworking is here to stay, so if you haven’t already got a robust system in place for protecting their health and safety now is the time to do so”.

Find out more about iHASCO’S Health and Safety for Homeworkers course on their website. You can also request instant access to their full course library to get an idea of how the courses can help your business.