Description
This Home Working Risk Assessment Form should be used when someone uses their home as a place of work. If they are employed, their employer owes the same duty of care to the employee as if he/she were at the employers’ place of work, so a risk assessment is required in order to identify any potential hazards at the premises. If they are self employed, they still have a duty of care to anyone who comes to the house on business. Working from home may include doing remote admin or acting as a distributor for a courier firm.
Because homes are generally not intended to be workplaces, working from home requires a specific assessment of such things as:
- Where will the employee set up their desk/workstation so as not to cause excessive interference with family life. Do they have a spare bedroom/study or will they work in the lounge or dining room.
• The carrying out of a fire risk assessment – and if needed, provision of smoke detectors.
• Suitable storage for tools or materials, or for any business stock.
• The suitability of the home environment to act as meeting place for work visitors/customers etc.
Small businesses can probably conduct the risk assessment themselves; however larger businesses may want to seek the advice of a health and safety expert.