The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a series of case studies looking at how employers can improve the health and safety of employees working from home.
The report illustrates good health and safety practice through real-life case studies developed in four industry sectors – textiles; packing, assembling and finishing; electrical and electronic; and business services and computing.
HSE policy director Jane Willis said the report was designed to help employers identify work-related hazards and take appropriate action to reduce any risks.
“With homeworking, there are special factors like the presence of children, that can turn relatively minor hazards into significant risks and it is important that employers address them,” Willis said.
Homeworking has increased in popularity but employers fail to realise they have the same obligations to protect homeworkers as if they were in the office, the HSE said.
The report can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr262.htm
