- In this video, I'll be talking about
how you can carry out a homeworking assessment.
(upbeat music)
I'm Jack from GoCloud,
one of the UKs most flexible hosted desktop providers
here to bring you top tips on operating a remote workforce.
Having staff working from home is a highly effective
and flexible arrangement that can bring exceptional results.
Whilst hosted desktops make the transition to homeworking
very smooth and simple, companies need to ensure
that staff are given everything they need
to work safely as well.
It's easy to think of the home
as being a completely harmless environment
yet accidents and risks can be just as prevalent
if the individual isn't prepared for the switch.
I will talk about the steps involved in creating a health
and safety risk assessment to ensure that your employees
can work from home safely and responsibly.
First of all, some of your staff might have partners
who are also working from home
whereas others could be working solitarily.
For those who live alone,
you must ensure that they can contact a supervisor easily
in the event of a situation or emergency.
It's also the responsibility of a line manager
or business owner to keep in regular contact
with lone workers,
whether it's through instant message, email, phone call
or another method.
With the best arrangement being regular video calls.
This prevents the lone worker
from feeling isolated and abandoned.
Plus this regular contact should include confirmation
that they feel healthy and safe
in their home working environment.
Also due to meetings being hosted virtually,
homeworkers need to use screens
even more than when they're in the office.
This can lead to multiple problems
ranging from aches and pains to eye strain, headaches,
dizziness, nausea and other symptoms.
One of the most effective ways to prevent tired eyes
and headaches is to follow the 20-20-20 rule.
This involves taking a break of at least 20 seconds
every 20 minutes,
and looking at something at least 20 feet away.
If your home office isn't big enough,
look out of a window instead.
By giving your eyes a rest and also shifting their focus
from the screen to a far away object,
you allow them to stay strong and healthy.
Moreover, incorporating ergonomic design
into a homeworking arrangement can actually be very simple.
Make sure to send all of your staff,
the guidelines I'll be talking about,
and you'll find that they remain comfortable
whilst carrying out their daily tasks.
Your desk or table if necessary,
should have enough space underneath for you to sit
or stand close to your computer or laptop.
If using a laptop,
we highly recommend a separate keyboard and mouse
as this allows you to position them more comfortably.
The top of your screen should be level of your eye height.
There shouldn't be a problem with a PC or Mac,
but a laptop will require a sturdy base
to position it correctly.
An adjustable chair will help you
to adopt a comfortable sitting position.
Pay special attention to supporting your back and bum
as a hard seat can lead to spinal pain.
Memory foam seat cushion is designed to support the coccyx
and mesh lumbar back supports are quite affordable
and make a huge difference.
Good posture is crucial.
So make sure that the small of your back is supported.
Your shoulders are relaxed,
neither slumped and not elevated.
And there isn't any pressure on the back of your knees
caused by the chair being too low.
Your body, head and eye should be facing forward
whilst working.
Craning your neck, twisting your spine, angling your arms
and general leaning and slouching
quickly leads to stiffness and twinges.
And finally, as well as the 20-20-20 rule,
it's also essential that you take micro breaks
away from your desk.
Stretch your limbs as much as possible
and carefully move your head around
to prevent cracks and aches.
Take this as an opportunity to grab a glass of water
as staying hydrated is very important too.
You should also invest in health and safety kits.
We've come across a few companies that have gone above
and beyond by sending health and safety wellbeing packages
to their home workers.
These contain useful items such as first aid kit,
vitamin tablets, hand sanitizer
and even fire safety equipment.
What you include in the package is entirely up to you
as you could just send employees the basics
or go to the next level
and include a fire blanket and fire extinguisher.
Items like these are the type
that you never want to have to use,
yet you're very glad you own them if the need arises.
If your budget can stretch this kind of health and safety
and wellbeing package,
we guarantee your staff will greatly appreciate it.
If not, a branded water bottle and some cooling eye gel
will show that you care about their wellbeing.
GoCloud provides a hosted cloud solution,
allowing your team to access their files,
data and applications remotely from any place on any device.
If you're interested in finding out
about how GoCloud can help your business,
check out our website at gocloud.co.uk.
(upbeat music)