WHS laws apply when employees work from home just as they do in offices and other worksites.

Working from home may change WHS risks or create new ones. SWA’s new materials provide practical guidance on how to meet WHS duties when staff work from home.

Common hazards

Common hazards workers may be exposed to when working from home include:

• poor workstation set up (e.g. poor lighting)
• poor working environment (e.g. noise, inadequate heating or cooling, poor electrical safety)
• sedentary work
• trip/slip hazards (e.g. children’s toys or mess from home renovations)
• psychosocial hazards (e.g. high or low job demands, low job control, poor support, low role clarity or harmful behaviours such as online abuse)
• inadequate facilities (e.g. lack of ventilation or utility outages)
• fatigue (e.g. long hours, being ‘always on’)
• family and domestic violence
• working in remote areas.

Responsibilities

WHS laws apply to home workplaces just as they do to traditional workplaces such as offices.

Businesses must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers while they are at work. This includes managing WHS risks when working from home.

Workers also have a WHS duty at work to:

• take reasonable care for their own health and safety and to not adversely affect others health and
• safety
• comply with reasonable WHS instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and
• cooperate with reasonable WHS policies or procedures that have been provided to them. For example, providing accurate information to the businesses, using and maintaining equipment as directed, and reporting changes that may affect their safety.

Workers’ compensation

Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that supports workers if they are injured at, or because of, work. Generally, workers will be covered for workers’ compensation while working from home if this arrangement is supported by the employer.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are Australia’s leading cause of workers’ compensation claims, accounting for over half of claims. A safe workstation setup and working environment can help manage the risk of MSDs (e.g. from poor posture, prolonged sitting or moving equipment), as well as other injuries including eye strain or electric shocks from poorly maintained equipment.

Resources

SWA’s resources are available for download and include information sheets for businesses and workers, a checklist to help identify common hazards home, and a workstation set up infographic.

Businesses that need more specific workplace relations or health, safety and wellbeing support can contact the Victorian Chamber on 03 8662 5222.