The past year has been one of stops and starts as the various lockdown restrictions have been eased or increased. As we emerge out of our third and hopefully final lockdown, many businesses are beginning to plan to return to their office workspaces and with this comes the need for various risk assessments. One of these is the Risk of Legionella within the cold and hot water systems.
The past year has shown how quickly businesses and individuals can adapt when they have to. It has been surprising just how many companies have been able to effectively carry on as normal with all employees working from home either fully or partially.
But what started as a necessary temporary measure has now become semi-permanent nearly a year on and looks set to continue for at least the next 3-6 months until Government restrictions change.
At the same time many workers and employers have decided that a more agile working arrangement going forward beyond COVID-19 has its benefits in terms of flexibility and cost and so the workplaces of the future are likely to be significantly different to what was the norm only a year ago.
Whilst agile-working presents both the employee and employer with multiple potential benefits, it does also present additional health and safety challenges for employers which they will have to overcome to meet their legal obligations.
Here’s a brief look at what employers need to consider if their workforce is going to work in an agile capacity going forward.
As an employer you have obligations and responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of your employees and visitors to your premises. Arguably one of the most important and common areas for consideration is how your company reacts to anyone that is hurt or taken ill whilst at work.
It is a common misconception that first-aid requirements are based solely on the number of employees you have, in fact legislation states that you must have adequate and appropriate first-aid provisions in place to allow you to treat any injured or ill employee or visitor immediately. But how do you determine what would be considered as adequate and appropriate for your organisation?.
The first step in this process is to complete a First-Aid needs Assessment.
As businesses UK wide continue to furlough teams, one question frequently raised in boardrooms and at management meetings is how to keep employees connected to, and engaged with, work and their colleagues whilst they are away.
There are a number of different approaches that firms have adopted from online social events to “keeping in touch” sessions but one of most beneficial can be to take advantage of the vast amount of online training and learning available.
Whilst under furlough rules employees are not permitted to do any work that generates income for the business or organisation, however they are permitted to undertake training that forms part of their personal development or to keep them up to date with the requirements of their role.
So, with that in mind, how can encouraging your employees to undertake Health and Safety or other work-related training whilst furloughed benefit not only them but the business longer term?
As an employer it is important to understand that the mental health and wellbeing of your employees is just as important as their physical health and safety. You have a duty not only to keep them physically safe but ensure their mental health isn’t being adversely affected and to provide support where necessary.
This has become particularly apparent this year with the physical restrictions and other issues caused by COVID-19. Working from home, used to protect them from the potential physical health issues that the disease brings have undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on their mental health and wellbeing as social interaction has been reduced leaving many feeling isolated and out of touch with their colleagues.
Sureteam is an experienced team of health and safety consultants based in Tetbury, Gloucestershire providing a comprehensive range of advice and training to businesses across the south west, wider UK and internationally.
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