Today, EcoOnline, a technology platform for safer workplaces, reveals the findings from a Hybrid Working Study it conducted in December 2021.
Surveying health & safety professionals from 447 companies, the study suggests half of employers may need to reassess their health and safety provision (protection of health, safety &wellbeing) for hybrid workers. Worryingly, the data reveals that only one in two firms (52%) are providing safety training for staff based partly at home.
Against the context of a shifting societal attitude towards the workplace, and a sharp increase in hybrid working models, these figures highlight how businesses must act now to adequately protect workforces in a more fluid and remote office environment.
This means organisations will have to adapt their approach to accommodate for each individual. For most organisations this home-working and hybrid model will mean a comprehensive risk assessment.
However, while nearly six out of ten firms are planning on carrying out new risk assessments for their hybrid team, there’s a substantial minority (43%) who don’t plan to do so.
Looking at how these assessments will be conducted, one in two will ask employees to fill out a risk-assessment form, while 37% will continue to use their current approaches along with an in-office assessment. A tiny minority (4%) will send health and safety professionals to their colleagues’ homes for an in-person review, and 3% will conduct online video assessments with managers or a H&S practitioner.
There are some gaps between the self-risk assessment provision and subsequent training. As you’d expect, almost all companies are asking about workplace ergonomics (97%) in the risk assessment, but only 14% plan to provide training in correct posture and workstation set-up.
The research found that, when it came to risk assessment, 84% highlighted stress (e.g. from overwork or isolation). While approaching nine out of ten claim managing stress will be covered in the learning sessions, only 10% say their company training covers avoiding isolation specifically and just 2% report that it will look at managing workload and scheduling breaks. However, some training programmes exploring stress or remote communications could well incorporate topics such as isolation and workload management.
Positively, 85% coach colleagues on remote communications. Common topics within the home risk assessment are electrical safety (81%), trip hazards (71%) and fire safety (71%) alongside heating and ventilation (61%).
