Health and Safety Policy for a Remote Workforce

What will future health and safety policy look like for a remote workforce?

Lone workers are nothing new, but due to COVID-19, employer’s duty of care has fundamentally changed and a business’s approach to health and safety is evolving. It’s estimated that 6-8 million lone workers are operating in the UK alone and the pandemic is altering the ways in which we all think about work. It is now essential that companies understand proper risk management and how to maximise personal safety for those working remotely. Widespread tech innovation such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and automation has given organisations an opportunity to push their lone worker policies into the future, taking care of at-risk workers with new, innovative tools and solutions.

Automation has revolutionised health and safety in the workplace

The use of automation technology is not aiming to make lone working jobs obsolete, but industries are taking advantage of technology’s ability to allow one employee to do the work of many. This has, among other things, led to a growth in working alone, and many employers are suddenly having to think about how to keep this part of their workforce safe. To solve this, organisations are enlisting the help of incident management technology, lone worker alarms, personal safety devices, workforce monitoring platforms and other health and safety solutions designed to keep a record of incidents at work. In many ways, business’s that had previously embraced such technology were more prepared than most for the impact of Covid-19 or the way almost every industry must now operate.

Homeworking – the new lone worker?

The emergence of a global pandemic has caused a huge shift away from office life as the norm. Working from home is now an everyday reality and while some will almost certainly return, many will adopt this new mode of working. Unfortunately, with this change comes new health and safety legislation and duty of care. This is where technology comes back into play. Regular contact with remote workers is even more critical than ever before. Giving employees access to channels of communication that allow them to raise issues of safety and wellbeing is essential. A tool such as Locate Global is able to blend seamlessly into your existing health and safety framework and ensure your organisation is fulfilling their requirements.

Organisations no longer have the luxury of thinking about health and safety in a linear way but must instead take into account everything from mental health, the conditions of a worker’s home environment, and whether they have the right technology to perform their roles effectively. Although the lone workforce post-COVID-19 is different, the fundamentals have not changed. Protecting workers is paramount and thankfully with technology that can help to ensure their safety, a safer work environment can be achieved.

To find out more about our incident management platform or mass communication capabilities, book a demo.