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 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.
As businesses settle into the norm of home working, and with the likelihood of this continuing for several weeks if not months to come, David shares his thoughts on the impact of the new working world on the general health and well being of employees.
Those that are in the fortunate position to be able to work from home in these times of Coronavirus will undoubtedly agree that it has its charms, it has its benefits as well, and yet it has an amount of issues connected to it that can potentially have a negative effect on ones health.
Cramped working conditions, particularly for those that live in small flats can pose problems around how the work station can be set up. It can cause back and neck issues through poor working posture and despite good DSE Assessments it is not always possible to put into place the proper corrective measures that would normally be implemented.
Due to the highly transmittable nature of COVID-19 accurate Face Fit Testing has become more and more important, not only for industries that already make use of RPE (Respiratory Protection Equipment) on a regular basis, but for new sectors that are using it for the first time.
RPE already has an important day-to-day role in protecting employees from hazardous fumes and substances. The threat of coronavirus in the UK and around the globe has resulted in a surge in RPE requirements for many industries and sectors that would not have previously considered it’s use, or, more importantly know how to ensure that it is fitted correctly.
Our latest blog highlights the importance of Face Fit Testing during the coronavirus outbreak, how to use disposable respirators and the continued importance of Face Fit Testing post lockdown.
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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