Episode Summary
Who would have thought that ‘safety in the workplace’ would eventually extend to our homes? As we navigate the new normal, work-from-home arrangements have emerged as a key component of business continuity plans. This episode unravels the intricacies of health and safety management for remote workers, as we investigate the findings of the paper, “A Systems Model for the Design of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, Inclusive of Work from Home Arrangements,” published in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics. As we share our candid thoughts on the study conducted, we voice our concerns about the imbalance in participant representation.
Episode Notes
Lastly, we delve into the role of leadership in addressing psychosocial hazards, the importance of standardized guidance for remote work, and the challenges faced by line managers in managing remote workers. We wrap up the episode by providing a toolkit for managers to effectively navigate the challenges of remote work, and highlight the need for tailored safety strategies for different work arrangements.
Discussion Points:
- Different work-from-home arrangements
- Safety needs of work from home
- Challenges of remote worker representation
- Understanding and managing psychosocial risks
- Leadership and managing technical risks
- Remote work challenges and physical presence
- Practical takeaways and general discussion
- Safety strategies for different work arrangements
Takeaways:
- The answer to our episode’s question – the short answer is that there definitely isn’t a short answer. But this paper comes from a larger project and I know that the people who did the work have gathered together a list of existing resources and toolboxes and, they’ve even created a few prototype tools and training packages.
Resources:
The Safety of Work on LinkedIn