Rank: New forum user
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I'm looking for some Best Practice on DSE Risk Assessments for people who work from home on a fairly regular basis. I undertand that a DSE Risk Assessment will be required. I'm wondering how companies go about it when it's unlikely that workers will have adjustable chairs/ screens etc.
Thanks
Ron
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Rank: Super forum user
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Ron, as an employer you are only responsible for the equipment you provide. This may be nothing more than a laptop. Employees working from home are responsible for the ergonomics of their home environment. Indeed, working from home is the safest and most comfortable form of employment. I personally do not believe a DSE assessment is really necessary for home workers. See HSE guidance below for further reading.
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg226.pdf
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Rank: Super forum user
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If the employer expects a home worker to use DSE then at minimum they should be providing suitable provision as stated in the regulations. At my "best" home based employer we were funded for a chair and desk (and if we wanted a filing cabinet) and had a company issued docking stand, screen, keyboard, mouse and printer. At my "worst" home based employer they eventually allowed purchase of a suitable chair via expenses. Both paid for broadband connection - one as reimbursement of a proportion of domestic cost the other as a contract on a distinct landline. Just because an employee is not "in the office" does not exclude the employers responsibilities.
Edited by user 20 November 2018 19:26:24(UTC)
| Reason: added broadband
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Rank: Super forum user
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If the employer expects a home worker to use DSE then at minimum they should be providing suitable provision as stated in the regulations. At my "best" home based employer we were funded for a chair and desk (and if we wanted a filing cabinet) and had a company issued docking stand, screen, keyboard, mouse and printer. At my "worst" home based employer they eventually allowed purchase of a suitable chair via expenses. Both paid for broadband connection - one as reimbursement of a proportion of domestic cost the other as a contract on a distinct landline. Just because an employee is not "in the office" does not exclude the employers responsibilities.
Edited by user 20 November 2018 19:26:24(UTC)
| Reason: added broadband
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Rank: Super forum user
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Agree with Roundtuit, disagree with RayRapp. 'Out of sight, out of mind' will not work on a legal liability basis, and employers are still responsible for doing what is reasonably practicable for their homeworkers. This usually means providing some basic equipment to ensure a reasonable workstation is set up. Is a DSE assessment needed? Arguable. If the homeworker is a health and safety professional, they could be expected to self assess, but of course a lot of homeworkers will not be. The employer might not be able to exercise the control over how people work that they could in an office environment, but at least they should provide equipment to enable homeworkers to work safely, the rest will be largely down to the homeworker.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Rank: Super forum user
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