Work From Home

Working from Home and Occupational Health and Safety

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) specialist, MAKROSAFE, has launched a Working from Home solution for South African industrialists. The outbreak of the coronavirus that sparked the South African lockdown in March/April 2020 saw more and more employers adopting the Working from Home policy. This is a feasible solution for the current health crisis because all employees need to have to be able to work from home with a computer and an internet connection. To enable this, the following must be undertaken:

• Some adjustments to policies, procedures and appointment letters
• Establishing a clear end-goal
• Equipment remains the property of the employer
• Working hours and terms of use should be agreed upon in the employment contract

How will Working from Home impact Health and Safety in the Workplace?

MAKROSAFE offers clients a complete Health and Safety solution and has already incorporated these procedures by updating its Policies and Procedures, Health and Safety Audit and Risk Assessments.

Establishing a clear end-goal

According to statistics, the majority of employers do not have a Working from Home policy in place. Failing to have clear-cut Working from Home guidelines can cause confusion in the remote workplace. MAKROSAFE’s Health and Safety Working from Home online platform solves all of those problems.

Setting Working Hours

When working remotely, employees must have clear-cut guidelines as to their work function, as well as set working hours.

The MAKROSAFE Online App

MAKROSAFE is constantly upgrading and streamlining its services to improve the culture of health and safety throughout the South African industrial sector. Subcribers have free access to a secure online database named SafetyWallet. Supported by OHS Online, MAKROSAFE in partnership with SafetyWallet provides clear guidelines on how to achieve health and safety in the workplace. This now includes working from home. The app provides members with a simple support platform. All relevant Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act legislation is programmed into the app and is updated weekly.

MAKROSAFE Updates

As leaders in the field of OHS consultancy, MAKROSAFE covers every aspect of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. MAKROSAFE guarantees its clients that employees will comply with all OHS Act health and safety regulations while working from home. Updated Health and Risk Assessments safeguard employees by identifying, controlling and managing hazards in the workplace. This ensures Health and Safety compliance.

Employer Responsibilities

MAKROSAFE addresses various challenges facing employers with a working from home workforce. These include:

• Insurance for the possible loss of or damage to equipment
• Establishing suitable remote access to databases
• Setting working hours and lines of communication
• Assessing the impact on family life when working from home
• Identifying possible risk factors to members of the family
• Examining fire risks and the provision of extinguishers
• Tools and materials storage
• Overall document and home security
• First aid safety precautions

Health and Safety Hazards

Hazards common to the home-working environment include:

• Upper limb disorders
• Isolation
• Falling, slipping and tripping
• Stress

Overview

MAKROSAFE offers industry the total solution for compliance with OHS Act Health and Safety regulations. Working from home does not mean that health and safety risks can be forgotten. Instead, now is the time for South African industrialists to promote health and safety in remote workplaces to safeguard the wellbeing of their employees.