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Working From Home Checklist

Empower work-from-home employees to be safe and efficient using digital checklists and templates

• Eliminate paperwork with digital checklists
• Generate reports from completed checklists
• Free to use for up to 10 users

This work from home safety checklist is specially designed for home-based workers to perform self-assessments and take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Use this checklist in SafetyCulture to do the following:

• Assess personal health and hygiene, workspace, and workstation
• Ensure fire and electrical safety
• Observe stress level, welfare, and wellbeing
• Prevent slips, trips, and fall hazards
• Apply safe lone working best practices

What is a Working From Home Checklist?

A working from home checklist is a tool primarily used by employers to assess the safety of a home office, and determine the suitability for employees to work from home. Work-from-home, or WFH employees use a working from home checklist to personally evaluate their work environment, identify areas of improvement, and implement efficient work practices.

Work from Home Advantages and Disadvantages

The benefits of working from home come with some drawbacks, and understanding both of the advantages and disadvantages can help people to decide if working from home is the right work style for them.

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Common Working From Home Risks and How to Mitigate Them

Here are common safety and health risks when working from home, so once they are identified, action can be taken to minimize them:

• Workstation and Work Equipment – Typical work-from-home equipment such as printers and shredding machines should be used correctly and the display screens of desktop computers or laptops , keyboards, and mouses should be in good condition to avoid unnecessary work-related accidents.
• Fire and Electrical Safety – The most common fire hazards at home offices include electrical equipment , faulty wiring, and flammable materials. Regularly disposing of waste, including papers, and switching off equipment when not in use can help prevent the risk of fires . Additional security measures, such as working in a lockable room can be implemented to reduce safety risks to other people at home, especially young children.
• Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards – Carpets or throw rugs, clutter, and uneven flooring or stair steps are common causes of slips, trips, and falls when working from home. Secure floor coverings, keep essential items within easy reach, and clear walkways and corridors by upholding standards of good housekeeping even at home offices.
• Manual Handling and Ergonomics – Repetitive movements and sustained awkward posture and body positioning can result in fatigue and lead to back, neck, and shoulder injuries. Home office desks and chairs should be ergonomically designed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems and potentially restrict employees’ ability to undertake a wide range of work activities.
• Work-related Stress – Since work-from-home employees are likely to work longer hours because they have no set schedule, sticking to a daily routine that includes short breaks and clearly defined lunch and end-of-shift times can help reduce work-related stress .
• Mental Health – Feelings of isolation can negatively impact the performance of employees who are working from home. Research has shown that social isolation is associated with depression and sleeping problems and with an increased risk for early mortality . Practicing appropriate self-care, connecting with colleagues via virtual meetings, and talking about non-work-related matters using other online communication platforms are essential when working from home.

How to Work from Home

After remote teams assess and control safety and health risks in their respective home offices, here is how they can function more effectively when working from home:

How Employees Can Work from Home Effectively

• Build self-discipline – Setting a dedicated workspace can help you avoid distractions such as social media, TV, or chores, and sticking to your routine as if you still went to an office building like getting up early, taking a shower, and changing your clothes, can help establish boundaries between your place and time for work and for yourself.
• Be proactive – Planning allows you to foresee any changes or unnecessary downtime so you can respond accordingly, making the most out of your time.
• Boost communication – Clarifying work-related tasks lets you set your and your manager’s expectations about what should be done during this period of working from home. Collaborate more often with your teammates to prevent misunderstandings and stay connected with actual human beings other than your family.

How Managers Can Work from Home Effectively

• Managing a Team Member : structured daily check-ins and focus on goals, not activity. Think, “ How are you doing?” instead of, “ What are you doing?”.
• Managing a Team : over-communicate and practice rules of engagement e.g. expected frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication.
• Facilitating Virtual Meetings : keep the dialogue flowing and make decisions together; a meeting is not a monologue nor a presentation you can simply send via email.
• Facilitating Ad-hoc Communication : offer emotional support and opportunities for social interaction e.g. Friday happy hour , online board games , and virtual workouts.

Empower Work-From-Home Employees to be Safe and Efficient

Why use safetyculture.

Staying safe and efficient while working from home can be challenging for employees. Empower frontline workers with an inspection and corrective action tool that can be learned in minutes so you can easily manage your team from wherever you are. With SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) , you can take advantage of the following benefits when you sign up for free today:

• Convert paper forms into digital checklists with a smart scan or customize pre-built, industry templates with a drag-and-drop editor
• Use working-from-home checklists anytime, anywhere, and on any mobile device—even when offline
• Attach photos of the home office environment or safety and health risks and annotate images for improved visual reference
• Assign actions with a priority level and due date to rectify issues immediately
• Auto-generate and secure working-from-home safety reports in the cloud and share them to key stakeholders with a tap of a finger

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Featured Working From Home Checklists

Working from home health and safety checklist.

A working from home health and safety checklist is a digital tool used to make sure that work-from-home employees have a safe home office that promotes their general well-being.

Working From Home Safety Checklist

Use this working from home checklist to do the following:

• Inspect environmental conditions of a home worksite such as lighting, paths, and general environment
• Assess current security, first aid, and emergency procedures
• Check if ergonomics and other work apparatus are according to standards
• Ensure that the best work practices are implemented
• Specify other work considerations and special requirements

Telecommuting Safety Checklist

A telecommuting safety checklist is used by teleworkers, or employees who work from an alternative worksite and use telecommunication equipment such as telephones or fax machines, to assess the overall safety of their work environment and maintain safe working conditions.

Jona Tarlengco

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How To Carry Out a Home Working Risk Assessment

Advances in technology have enabled opportunities for home working to rise exponentially in recent years and the number of people who work regularly from home has risen to around 4.2 million.

The benefits are well-documented for employees in terms of saving time and travel costs, lowering stress levels, and for employers, collaboration and a widespread diverse talent pool and increased productivity. Alongside new opportunities, a home-working workforce presents us with challenges, particularly when managing health and safety.

Read on to find out more about the potential challenges and how a home working risk assessment can help you manage them, therefore, protecting you, your staff and your business.

Who Is Responsible For Carrying Out a Home Working Risk Assessment?

Under UK health and safety legislation, the employer has a legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of all workers and that includes home workers. By carrying out a home worker’s risk assessment, employers will be able to identify and then deal with, any health and safety risks as far as is “reasonably practicable”.

What Is a Home Working Risk Assessment

A home working risk assessment should check whether the proposed home worker’s place of work is suitable. Much work carried out at home is going to be low-risk, office-type work so any risk assessment will consider:

The Homeworking Environment

A home worker risk assessment must assess the suitability of space. There should be enough space for work to be carried out comfortably. Often spaces used for homework such as attic rooms or basements, are not suitable because of poor lighting or inadequate ventilation so an assessment should also include ventilation, lighting and temperature. Assessing the workspace should also include removing trip hazards such as trailing leads.

For any regular DSE user, the workstation must be assessed. A legally compliant workstation including a suitable chair is a must. Additional equipment such as a monitor stand or footrest may be necessary and the need for these identified by the assessment.

Training staff to carry out their own assessment is the easiest way to ensure you meet legal guidelines to provide a safe work area. Self-assessment is also a great solution for mobile workers working in different locations. Interactive DSE self-assessment online can help you with this. If concerns are raised on completion, then a DSE assessment with a competent assessor is in order.

Supplying and Maintaining DSE and Other Electrical Equipment

Of the work equipment used at home, employers are only responsible for the equipment supplied. If company equipment is used, for example, a computer with internet access, the employer will have to consider what systems need to be put in place to monitor its use including privacy and security measures. Though it isn’t possible to be wholly responsible for electrical equipment in an employee’s home, equipment supplied does need to be inspected and maintained. The HSE has published guidance on electrical safety in offices .

Mobile Equipment

Where staff are mobile and expected to carry equipment to different locations, there is a risk of manual handling injury. Frequent laptop users should also minimise the time they spend using the laptop and ensure they take regular breaks. Other practical ways to reduce any manual handling risk could include providing:

• Smaller and lightweight equipment
• Backpack-style laptop cases or wheeled cases
• Detachable small keyboard
• Manual handling training

Fire Safety

A home worker risk assessment will check that flammable materials (e.g. paper) and ignition sources such as cigarettes are carefully controlled. Anyone working from home also needs to have a working and regularly checked fire alarm/smoke detector and a fire escape plan in place.

If work is low-risk, such as desk-based work home workers do not require any first aid equipment beyond normal domestic needs. Read more from the HSE .

Stress and Mental Wellbeing

With the explosion in mental health problems, we must ensure mental health is a priority right now. Forging close bonds with co-workers is beneficial to our mental health and employees need to be made aware that home can lead to limited social contact resulting in a feeling of isolation and even depression. Employers need to combat this by taking steps to ensure remote workers feel part of a team. Practical ways employers can achieve this could include:

• Having regular meetings with management
• Requesting home workers spend at least one day in the office
• Building a network of lone workers and with other remote workers.
• Access to helplines and advice.
• Online meetings/skype.
• Sending newsletters,
• Being included in social occasions.

Furthermore, achieving a sensible work/life balance is essential for good mental health. Being endlessly connected to work by our phones blurs the boundaries between our work life and our personal life. This makes it difficult to switch off and relax in turn leading to people working longer hours than they ordinarily would in a traditional office setting. Employers should give staff some guidance in maintaining a personal/home life separate from work. Some simple solutions could be using a dedicated phone just for business use which can then be turned off at the end of a working day. Task management and time management training can also be useful in equipping people with the skills needed to effectively manage their time.

Working Alone

Working alone (as home workers/remote workers often do) presents further challenges concerning personal safety and mental health. There should be measures in place should anyone working alone have an accident, become unwell or be assaulted. Precautions such as a buddy system ensure any risk is minimised and emergencies rapidly identified.

Putting in place clear, consistent management systems will reduce the risks home workers face, but it’s only through regular monitoring that you can be sure risks are being controlled adequately.

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The Complete Guide to Health and Safety For Lone Workers

Hybrid Working: The Best Of Both Worlds

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Understand a Home Working Home Risk Assessment – What It Is, How to Conduct One, and More

• Matthew Channell
• April 20, 2024

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Home » The TSW Blog » Health and Safety » Understand a Home Working Home Risk Assessment – What It Is, How to Conduct One, and More

Work-from-home (WFH) culture has single-handedly reshaped the future of business operations, for both better and worse.

In 2023, 473,000 UK workers were reported to suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)—a health condition affecting nerves, muscles, and tendons—made worse by amateur workspace setups. This is an increase of 3,000 cases from the previous year.

Although working from home is more flexible, improves work-life balance, and is cost-effective, it can raise severe employee health and safety concerns. With over 40% of employees in the UK working remotely today, conducting a periodic working from home risk assessment is crucial for employers, now more than ever.

This blog offers a comprehensive overview of home working risk assessments, including their purpose, how and who can carry out risk assessments, and their core benefits to both companies and employees.

Ready to train your staff to be safe and healthy when working remotely? Enrol today in TSW Training’s NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety courses , designed to safeguard businesses and workers in today’s fast-changing workplace culture.

What is a Home Working Risk Assessment?

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 , it’s every employer’s responsibility to safeguard their remote workers’ health, safety, and well-being. On that note, a working from home risk assessment is a structured process for identifying and assessing potential hazards in an employee’s remote workplace.

The HSE’s survey data reveals that in 2022-23, 23.7 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to work-related MSDs (16.1 million days) and stress, anxiety, or depression (6.6 million days). These issues can be proactively addressed by conducting a home working risk assessment to detect possible stressors and ergonomic risks in home working setups.

How Often Should Home Working Risk Assessments Be Reviewed?

Home working risk assessments are ongoing processes, not a one-time event. Employers are legally obligated to conduct regular assessment reviews , especially in scenarios such as the following:

• Personal events that affect the workplace, e.g., new housemates, renovation, etc.

As companies are responsible for their staff’s well-being , arranging reviews helps verify the relevance of their working from home risk assessments.

What Are Safe Work Practices at Home?

Generally, working from home sounds like a very low-risk work culture compared to on-site. However, research from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reveals that more accidents occur at home than anywhere else, averaging around 6,000 deaths per year.

On that note, here are some important areas to consider for safe work practices in a home workplace:

Ergonomics (While Working on a Computer)

Creating a dedicated workspace with a comfortable chair, an adjustable desk (not mandatory), and a monitor at eye level is important for workers to maintain good posture during work hours. This practice dramatically lowers the risk of MSD disorders, such as back pain, neck strain, and repetitive strain injury.

Work-related Equipment Safety Checks

Don’t overload plug outlets with extension cords, and ensure all work-related electrical equipment is PAT ( Portable Appliance Testing ) inspected. Identify your home’s fire escape routes and ensure they are unobstructed. Keep a fire extinguisher close at hand, and test smoke alarms regularly.

Mental Wellbeing Practices for Workers

Working remotely can be stressful. Protecting employee mental health is a key step in establishing a safety culture in the workplace, whether it’s remote or on-site.

As an employee, you should familiarise yourself with the policies and resources the firm offers if you choose to work from home.

Stay engaged with coworkers, talk openly with your management, take breaks during the day, and use your vacation time for your mental well-being. Set a regimen and avoid working outside your designated hours.

DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Protection

As per law, employers must protect their workers from Display Screen Equipment-related health risks , primarily caused by overusing computers, laptops, and mobiles.

While working remotely, take regular pauses from screen work, perform eye exercises, and maintain good posture to reduce the risk of eye strain and other DSE-related disorders.

Who Carries Out Risk Assessments While Working From Home?

According to the Health and Safety Act at Work Act 1974, employers are responsible for undertaking risk assessments for home working settings. Employers must also conduct a comprehensive work-from-home risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 .

Note that employees are occasionally required to participate, e.g., by following clear instructions and checklists given by companies to self-assess their home workspace. At the end of the day, the employer is still responsible for the ultimate risk assessment review and approval.

Not sure where to begin? Connect with us at TSW Training today to protect your staff from remote working risks with our Health and Safety training courses.

Types of Home Working Risks and Hazards

As discussed, MSDs caused by prolonged sitting, improper posture, and inadequate workstation ergonomics remain the most common health risks associated with remote working.

On that note, here are five other common risks associated with working from home in a nutshell:

1. Slips, Trips, and Falls

The risk of slips, trips, and falls (caused by uneven flooring, wiring, cluttered workspaces, etc.) causes serious injuries. In 2022, these incidents led to 30% of all non-fatal workplace accidents .

2. Eye Strain

Extended periods of gazing at screens without taking breaks can cause eye strain, headaches, and impaired vision.

3. Electrical Hazards

Risks of shock or fire can arise from inadequately maintained electrical equipment, overloading circuits, and mishandling extension cords. In 2022, Great Britain alone witnessed over 335 fatalities caused by fire.

4. Emotional & Psychological Health Risks

Difficulties turning off from work, loneliness, and social isolation can all have a detrimental effect on one’s mental and emotional health.

5. Privacy and Data Security

Phishing schemes, weak data protection protocols, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks can jeopardise confidential company data. UK citizens lose an average of £1,169 every year , falling victim to cybercrime.

Now, let’s look at how employers can conduct a working from home risk assessment to avoid such hazards.

How to Perform a Home Working Home Risk Assessment

As mandated by the Health and Safety Executive laws , employers must ensure their risk assessment covers remote workers. On that note, here’s a detailed guide to how to perform a working from home risk assessment:

Step 1: Consultation With Staff and Data Collection

Communicate with the worker to learn more about their home office.

Learn about what type of work is being done, the tools being utilised, and the assigned workspace. Wrap up by giving the staff an in-depth overview of the risk assessment process and its goal.

Step 2: Spotting Possible Risks at Home Workspace

First, analyse any risks associated with workstation configuration, such as:

• Restricted legroom, etc.

Next, assess any electrical hazards (overloaded sockets or unsecured cables), external factors (noise distractions or high temperatures), and workplace stress -related psychosocial risks (social isolation or extended working hours) that collectively influence employee well-being.

Step 3: Risk Assessment and Control Methods

Once potential hazards are identified, measure their likelihood and severity. Collaborate with the employee to create effective control methods. Control their work-induced physical and mental stress by setting up ergonomic workstations, installing footrests or headphones, or setting clear communication guidelines.

Step 4: Documentation and Review of Risk Assessment

As per the British Safety Council , employers must keep a record of the risk assessment’s findings – dangers found, control measures put in place, and any additional steps needed to be taken.

Give the employee a copy of the completed risk assessment form for their records. Review the risk assessment periodically to ensure it stays effective, especially if the employee’s workspace or equipment changes.

Perform working from home risk assessments and protect your staff from remote working risks like a responsible employer. Contact us at TSW Training today to enrol in our NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety training courses.

What Are Ergonomic Considerations for Home Workers?

In 2020, UNICEF shared a list of ergonomic considerations for remote employees to work comfortably amid the shift caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Some of those tips are as follows:

• Avoid glare by sitting one arm’s length from the screen. Place your screen as close to a window that lets in natural light as possible.

Remote workers who follow these tips can dramatically minimise their risk of having MSDs while also ensuring a safe and comfortable working environment.

How Should Employers Address Mental Health and Well-being in Home Working Risk Assessments?

A recent BBC report showed that 80% of remote workers agreed to a work-from-home culture, negatively affecting their mental health.

In 2023, the HSE’s annual survey recorded around 875,000 cases of work-related stress and anxiety , highlighting the importance of addressing employees’ mental health and well-being. On that note, here’s how employees should address this sensitive issue in working from home risk assessment:

List the Challenges to Working From Home

While performing the risk assessment, look into issues that could lead to stress and anxiety. Generally, the stressors include feelings of isolation, a lack of social engagement, or an ambiguous work-life balance.

Check the Employee Workload and Manage Expectations

As an employer, you always strive to clearly communicate workload, deadlines, and expectations to your staff. In certain scenarios, employees may feel overworked or under pressure to work long hours from home, which can severely affect their mental health and well-being.

Create a Culture of Open Communication

When working from home, encourage staff members to voice any worries they may have regarding their well-being or mental health. On that note, the risk assessment can examine existing communication channels and point out areas that may require improvement.

Provide Access to Support Resources

Employees should have access to available resources and support services, such as:

• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
• NHS urgent mental health helplines

On that note, the risk assessment can identify gaps in current support structures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Before we leave, here are some of the most frequently asked questions about working from home risk assessments:

Is a Lone Worker Risk Assessment Applicable When Working From Home?

Lone worker risk assessments are traditionally used when a person works alone on a physical site, with very little monitoring or avenues for help in case of emergency. The regulated workplace is the key differentiator here, even though working from home often involves similar levels of isolation.

However, lone worker risk assessments are still applicable for employees working from home. To be specific, Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work ACT 2005 mandates companies to assess whether a worker can work remotely. These risk assessments usually include analysing the risks associated with working in their specific remote workstation.

How Can Technology Help in Managing Home Working Risks?

Here’s how technology can help manage health and safety risks while working from home:

• Cybersecurity software: Protects you and your employer from online hazards such as malware and phishing attempts — especially crucial when working from home.

For remote workers and employers alike, performing a working from home risk assessment is key to maintaining well-being, increasing productivity, and decreasing absenteeism.

Proactively detecting and minimising potential dangers can greatly minimise the risk of musculoskeletal problems, slips, trips, and falls, along with mental health issues related to prolonged screen usage and social isolation.

Contact us at TSW Training today to fulfil your organisation’s need for home working risk assessments with our NEBOSH-accredited Health and Safety training courses.

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Peninsula Group , HR and Health & Safety Experts

Oct 27th 2020 (Last updated Aug 21st 2024 )

Home working advice guide for employers from Peninsula Business Services UK. Employers call us today on 0800 0282 420.

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What is a home working risk assessment?

Why do you need a home working risk assessment, how to manage home working risk assessments in your workplace, get expert advice on home working risk assessments with peninsula.

Since the global pandemic, working from home has become more popular and a growing number of professionals are making use of this opportunity.

As an employer, you have a duty of care to protect the Health & Safety of your employees, whether they’re in the office or working from home. Failure to do so may lead to monetary fines, production disruption, and business damages.

You should review assessments regularly to deal with Health & Safety risks on your employees' health whilst working from home.

In this guide, we’ll discuss what a home working risk assessment is, why you need it, and how to introduce it in your workplace.

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Discuss your current Health & Safety concerns with a qualified adviser - for free.

A home working risk assessment is a report which identifies and controls measures for safeguarding remote workers. It can be done in person or remotely.

As an employer, you are responsible to provide a suitable workstation, equipment, and furniture to employees who work from home. You should regularly check whether an individual can work safely from home in the first place.

Many businesses use Health & Safety risk assessments to identify inadequate workstation equipment and ergonomics.

Anyone working from home, whether in an office or at the dining room table, is probably working in isolation. Mismanaging Health & Safety risks can impact these workers because they’re not under direct supervision.

Employers have a duty of care to ensure the safety of all staff working from home. As an employer, you should:

• Assess all risks for every task conducted at home.
• Provide equipment to ensure staff are safe.
• Implement measures to reduce or eliminate remote risks.

Communicate with home workers on a frequent basis to ensure safety measures are in place. As an employer, regularly assess their physical and mental health–ensuring they are healthy.

The easiest approach for this can be done through training employees on how to conduct a self-assessment. After that, they'll be able to report any incidents to you.

A risk assessment template helps you and your employees carry out home risk assessments that’s aligned to Health & Safety regulations.

When helping your staff with home assessments, pay attention to risks and put measures in place. Here are suggestions which can help keep your employees healthy as they work from home:

Provide suitable display screen equipment

Most remote workers use display screen equipment (DSE) to deliver their daily tasks. When using computers, additional equipment may be needed.

For example, a monitor stand or a footrest may be required for home workers in some circumstances. Employers should identify this need when they carry out the assessment.

Using mobile equipment safely

There is always a chance of injury when manual handling is involved. Even at home, employees are at risk of this whilst moving and transporting equipment.

When using mobile equipment, employees should limit time spent on them and take frequent breaks.

There are practical ways to lessen the dangers of manual handling. You can protect remote employees by:

• Offering training on manual handling.
• Providing smaller and lighter equipment.
• Presenting wheeled cases or backpack style laptop cases.
• Issuing detachable keyboards.

Carry out fire safety processes

During the risk assessment, the employer and home workers must conduct fire safety processes. This includes checking flammable materials and ignition sources have been carefully controlled.

People working from home must have reliable fire alarm or smoke detector in place. And must have a fire escape plan available.

Fire safety is a legal requirement and must be carried out–regardless of where the employee is working.

Have proper first aid equipment

If the working activity is not high risk, such as desk work, home workers won't need additional first aid supplies beyond what they already have.

A personal first aid kit should be kept on hand by someone who frequently travels or is on the go.

Provide mental health services

Developing strong bonds with your employees is beneficial to their mental health and helps reduce work-related stress . As the employer, make employees aware that working from home leads to limited social interaction.

Take measures to make remote workers stay healthy and feel like they're part of a team. Sometimes a brief morning meeting with lone workers can help with isolation, stress, and separation difficulties.

There are a variety of practical ways an employer can achieve this through. For example:

• Place meetings with management on a regular basis. 
• Require home workers to work at the office for at least one day per week.
• Build a network of lone workers with other employees.
• Provide them support through helplines.

Employers must be aware that all staff are legally under their care–even if they’re working from home. Make sure you stick to the highest standards in order to protect their health and manage risks at home.

We take care of everything when you work with our Health & Safety experts.

Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with a Health & Safety consultant today.

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What is a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a process to identify risks and hazards which may be present in the workplace. Carrying out a risk assessment is a legal requirement under UK health & safety legislation. Contact a health & safety specialist for more information.

How many steps are there in a risk assessment?

There are five steps in a successful risk assessment, they are: Identify the hazards, decide who may come to harm, evaluate the risks and implement control measures, records your findings, and, review your assessment.

How do you write a risk assessment?

To write a risk assessment, record each step you take along with the findings and resolutions. You should keep the assessment on record and review it regularly. For more information, contact a health & safety expert.

How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?

You should review your risk assessment annually, and carry a new one out if you introduce a new product or process on-site that may lead to risks and hazards for your employees.

Is a risk assessment a legal requirement?

Yes, under the 1999 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations risk assessments are a legal requirement in the UK. Failure to adhere to health & safety regulations could lead to claims being raised against you.

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How to Complete a Risk Assessment

Employers must comply with the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Risk Assessment: A Brief Guide on Controlling Risks in the Workplace’. Let’s take a look at what this includes:

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Risk Assessment for Working from Home

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a huge rise in the number of people working from home. At the height of the pandemic, roughly half of all UK workers were working from home. Although that figure has dropped, reports show that 37% of UK employees stated that they are still working from home on either a full or part-time basis. In fact, there are more homeworkers than ever, in the UK.

To help remote workers stay safe, we’ve put together this short guide on how to perform a risk assessment for working from home.

The Impact of Remote Working and Health and Safety Law

Many employees have reported that working from home has had a positive effect on their health. But 22% of all people surveyed stated that it’s had a negative impact, according to a report commissioned by the UK parliament.

Just because an employee isn’t working in the office doesn’t mean they’re not covered by health and safety laws. Employers still have a legal responsibility to make sure the working environment is safe.

The main laws that apply to homeworkers include:

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 :  This law begins with the statement that ‘It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.’ This responsibility applies to home workers just as much as it does to people who are on the workplace premises.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 : This law mandates that every employer should ‘make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work.’ Even though someone is at home, a risk assessment must be done if they are performing work duties.

If an employee injures themselves while working at home, you as the employer could be found to be in breach of health and safety legislation. Breaches can incur unlimited fines or terms of imprisonment. Making certain that home workers perform a proper risk assessment is the best way to stay within the law and protect your employees. Completing a working from home risk assessment will identify hazards and also help to prevent negative health effects.

How to Conduct a Working from Home Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a detailed evaluation of any hazards in a work environment.  It includes both short-term and long-term health hazards. There are no official requirements for what must be done during a risk assessment. There are, however, general recommendations from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on how to conduct a risk assessment.

Working from Home Training

Our Working from Home Training course educates trainees on setting up their home workstations effectively and comfortably to minimise distractions as well as reduce musculoskeletal injuries occurring from poor or inadequate working postures. 

An Easy Risk Assessment Template for Home Workers

There are five steps involved in conducting any type of risk assessment:

Step One: Identify All Workplace Risks

Walk through your home and make a list of all the possible hazards. Pay close attention to your working area but also be sure to include other areas such as the kitchen or living room.

Step Two: Determine Who May Be Harmed and How

Think about who could be harmed by the hazards you’ve identified. Is it just yourself? Could a family member also be at risk? Consider the severity of the harm that each individual hazard could cause. This will help you to determine what action needs to be taken.

Step Three: Assess, Then Take Action to Eliminate or Control the Risks

Once you have identified the hazards and whom they may harm, consider what you can do to eliminate or minimise the risks. For example, electrical leads could be gathered up neatly, instead of being tangled together on the floor. The actions you take to eliminate or control the risks should be proportionate to the harm they may cause.

Step Four: Make a Record of Your Findings

Make a record of all the hazards you identified and the control measures that you put in place.  The record of the risk assessment can be kept as a digital file or on paper. A risk assessment record will prove that you have met your legal obligations to make the workplace safe.

Step Five: Regularly Review the Risk Assessment

If there are any changes to your work environment, then you will need to review your risk assessment to ensure it is still effective. Health and safety legislation also requires that risk assessment be regularly reviewed, although a precise time period is not given. As a rule, you should make a review of your risk assessment at least once every 12 months.

How to Identify Remote Working Hazards

When following the five risk assessment steps, make sure you focus on the following areas and hazards:

Your Work Area

Look carefully at the area in which you work. Consider the following questions:

• Do you have enough space to work comfortably?
• Is there enough light so you can see clearly at all times?
• Is the area properly ventilated?
• Can you control the temperature easily?

Since they are lacking in ventilation, lighting and heating, areas such as attics, sheds, garages and cellars are not suitable as working areas. You may not have access to a dedicated room, but you should make sure your work environment is as suitable as possible.

Your Equipment

The desk, chair and computer you use must be assessed. Legally, employers don’t have to provide equipment. If they do, then they need to abide by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). This mandates that all provided equipment should be fit for purpose and in good working order.

Many people who work from home use display screen equipment (DSE). This can include computers, tablets or smartphones.

Prolonged use of DSE is covered by the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 . These regulations stipulate that workers must take regular breaks from DSE use. Employees must also be given access to an eye test if they wish, and have DSE that is clean, adjustable and can be positioned to remove glare.

Make sure your desk chair provides support for your arms, legs and lower back. Your keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach. The DSE should be positioned at eye level. Take regular breaks, stretch and walk periodically. To avoid eye strain, change your eye focus and blink frequently. This free infographic is an excellent resource that can be sent out via email to your colleagues who work from home.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Home workers are at particular risk of slips, trips and falls. Check your working areas for any tripping or slipping hazards such as loose carpets or rugs. Clean up spills immediately. Keep your cables and cords away from walking routes. Remove any obstacles and clutter on the floor.

Fire and Electrical Safety

Home workers should check if their fire and electrical safety equipment is operational. Smoke detectors should be tested to see if they are in good working order. Fire extinguishers should be within easy reach. Don’t overload electrical sockets. Watch out for any sparks, frayed wires, or burn marks on or near electrical equipment.

Lone Working

Lone working hazards concern anyone who lives alone or often works at home by themselves. If an accident happens, lone workers can suffer serious physical injuries and there is no one else around to help or to alert the authorities.

Mental Health Hazards

If you do work from home by yourself, you need to pay particular attention to your mental health. There’s a considerable mental health risk involved in being a lone worker. Without support from colleagues, lone workers can struggle with stress and depression. Feelings of loneliness and being isolated are also common.

Lone workers should try and maintain separation between their private life and their work. Set a firm time when you finish work for the day to prevent overwork and stress. Try and stay in regular contact with your co-workers and supervisors. Make sure you take regular breaks so you can rest. It’s also a good idea to have emergency contact information close at hand. If you feel something’s wrong, let someone know.

Above all, be aware of the risks of working from home to both your physical and mental health.

The Benefits of Risk Assessment Training for Home Workers

Assessing the hazards of working from home isn’t always an easy task. Risk assessment training will teach your employees how to identify, eliminate or control the risks of working from home. Providing access to a risk assessment training course will also ensure you’re meeting your legal obligations as an employer.

Our Risk Assessment Training can be taken online, so it’s ideal for home workers. Trainees will learn how to properly conduct a working from home risk assessment and what steps to take to reduce or eliminate risks. The course runs for approximately 45 minutes.

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Home Working Risk Assessment Checklist

Most working from home hazards are low risk. It’s still important to conduct a risk assessment for home working to identify these and put in place a plan to minimise their potential impact. This could include providing specific equipment, assisting with their set-up, and improving the home working environment where necessary.

To make this easy our health and safety professionals have created a free working from home risk assessment checklist. Use this to inform your home working risk assessment for help identifying hazards. You can also try our risk assessment software with a free 15-day trial and create unlimited risk assessments.

Working from home risk assessment template

Many factors affect a risk assessment for home working, such as the type of work, equipment used, stress and mental health considerations. We’ve created a free template so you can tick off potential hazards and see where you may need to act to ensure safe home working.

A lone worker risk assessment when working from home covers everything from the equipment used to fire hazards, display screen equipment, and electrical risks. To make things easy we’ve split up this home working hazard checklist into sections based around specific risks. Many of them are the same hazards that apply to offices and other workplaces.

Copy the below working from home risk assessment template and answer each question to review the working environment of lone workers in your organisation.

Slips, trips, and falls hazards

Are there any obstructions on the floor that could cause a slip, trip, or fall from:

• Office supplies, such as books, stationery, and toner cartridges?
• Electrical equipment, like printers, kettles, and fan heaters?
• Trailing leads supplying computers, printers, and fax machines?
• Loose or worn carpets or mats?
• Uneven floors?

Falling object hazards

Are there any objects that could fall on people, such as:

• Goods or stores on shelves and racking?
• Unstable freestanding stacks of goods or materials?
• Loose electrical or mechanical equipment like lighting, pipework, and ventilation equipment?

Electrical hazards at home

Are there any risks of people receiving an electrical shock from:

• Loose or broken sockets, switches, light fittings, conduits, and trunking?
• Worn, frayed, or split cables?
• Trailing leads?
• Overloaded extension leads or multi-socket adaptors?
• Exposed cables into plugs, computer equipment, kettles, fan heaters, microwaves, food and drinks dispensers?
• Exposed live parts of electrical switchgear controls, motors, and pumps?
• Is any item of portable electrical equipment overdue for a portable appliance test (PAT)?
• Is any item of electrical equipment poorly or dangerously positioned?

Electrical equipment hazard checklist

Substance-related hazards

Are there any substances used that could cause harm from contact or inhalation, such as:

• Cleaning chemicals?
• Solvents in inks, dyes, and adhesives?
• Dusts from powdered goods or supplies?
• Smoke or exhaust fumes?
• Asbestos in fire retardant panelling, ceiling tiles, or pipe lagging?
• Has any staff member complained of any persistent or increasing allergic reactions like running nose or eyes, coughing, sneezing, or itching skin?

Fire hazards at home

Are flammable materials stored or used in a manner that could cause a fire, such as:

• Any flammable substances on or near sources of heat or direct sunlight?
• Any flammable substances that are not correctly stored in flameproof cupboards (like solvents and adhesives)?
• Any potential for a flammable substance to be spilled onto sources of heat or electrical equipment?
• Waste paper left in waste bins overnight?
• Covered convector heaters?

Explore a fire safety checklist

Display screen equipment

Does display screen equipment require assessment for:

• Poorly positioned monitors?
• Lighting creating glare on screens?
• Poor seating position?

Use this display screen equipment checklist

Manual handling and workstation hazards

Do working positions pose a hazard that could cause muscular strains, such as:

• Poor lifting positions?
• Bad posture over desks or benches?
• Repetitive twisting or turning?
• Does any office furniture show signs of damage or imminent collapse (desks, chairs, benches, or shelving)?

Hygiene hazards

Do sanitary provisions require improving to reduce the risk of infection or contamination, such as:

• Improved hand washing and drying facilities?
• The use of rubber or cotton gloves for assembly work?

Accidents and first aid

• Is a first aid box required?
• Are there any specific requirements for accident treatment?
• Do accident records need reviewing?

Follow a first aid checklist

Security hazards

• Do regular telephone checks need to be made to ensure the homeworker’s safety?
• Are valuable equipment or goods stored at the homeworker’s premises?
• Are homeworkers at an above-average risk from personal attack due to their work?

Any identified hazard should be evaluated using a working from home risk assessment. You can create unlimited risk assessments with our online software. Start your free 15-day trial to see how you can save time, money, and effort producing risk assessments for your organisation.

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Risk assessment for homeworking during COVID-19

A homeworking risk assessment must be completed if you continue to work from home for at least 3 days a week for an indefinite period of time.

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Covid-19 adaptations, roles and responsibilities, homeworking risk assessment.

• Homeworker's responsibility

Line manager's responsibility

Homeworking is simply doing your job from home as your main place of work, rather than on UCL campus. This applies to staff working full-time or part-time at home, those dividing their time between home and the campus, and mobile workers who use their home as an administrative base. It is a type of flexible working that can also be carried out in conjunction with other arrangements such as flexible hours, working part-time and term-time working.

As UCL reopens, some staff will be asked to spend more time on campus while others will continue to be asked to work at home. To determine who can return to work and who must continue to work from home, UCL has published a framework for staff to identify with particular risk groups through an individual health assessment . 

As staff are still asked to work from home if it is possible for them to do so, homeworking is no longer a temporary measure. 

For those that have discussed their situation with their line managers and for whom it has been determined that they should continue to work from home for at least 3 days a week for an indefinite period of time, a homeworking risk assessment must be completed.

Head of Department

• Defining the operational priorities for the department
• Selecting who is prioritised to return at what stage within the individual health assessment system
• Communication of the priorities and new arrangements must be shared with all staff who return to work

Line Managers and Supervisors

• For those who are asked to work from home for at least 3 days a week for an indefinite period of time according to government, UCL or Departmental priorities, ensure that risk assessments are in place
• Supporting staff in their DSE homeworking risk assessment
• Evaluate and review homeworking arrangements on a regular basis to respond to changes in the pandemic, government and UCL policy and employee personal circumstances
• Prevent staff being isolated, disconnected or abandoned and ensure they are connected to management and peers through contact and work projects
• Any personal information disclosed by staff must be kept confidential

Members of staff

• Those asked to make home their main place of work must read the home working risk assessment and complete the homeworking checklist providing details of their personal homeworking circumstances
• Co-operate with the departmental policies and arrangements for safe homeworking and, where appropriate, familiarise themselves with the new departmental arrangements, risk assessments and induction procedures for visiting campus, including the Return to UCL Induction , the Fire Safety online training and fire safety induction form TN086 , even if this is not their main place of work

A generic risk assessment (subject to further update) covering key risks associated with homeworking is available through riskNET - search for RA036168 – Title: General UCL Risk Assessment for Homeworking as the Main Place of Work.  By its nature it is very general and not specific and is made specific by attaching the Homeworker's Checklist completed by managers and individuals to the risk assessment.

> riskNET (UCL login required)

Tutorial: Accessing and creating homeworking risk assessment

The homeworking risk assessment must be read and the homeworker’s checklist completed by the homeworker. After reading the homeworker’s checklist completed by an employee, the line manager must review it alongside the employee and make appropriate arrangements with homeworking staff. They must ensure that the employee is aware of expectations and the required standard of work within any flexibility agreed. Once the homeworker’s checklist is agreed and signed, the homeworker’s risk assessment with attached checklist must be submitted and then approved by the line manager.

> Download the Homeworker's Checklist

Homeworker's responsibility

It is the homeworker’s responsibility to assess their personal circumstances of homeworking with respect to home insurance, mortgage provision, landlord agreements, tax or other legal restrictions, such as a restrictive covenant. Staff should ensure there are no implications for their particular situation.

No contribution will be made by UCL towards normal household expenses attached to homeworking, such as heating, lighting or internet connectivity. When an employee is working at home, journeys made to the normal office base will not be reimbursed.

Homeworkers must abide by the requirements of the risk assessment. It is particularly important for homeworkers to facilitate communication with UCL as appropriate, to deliver the expected work outcomes and understand their own responsibilities regarding health and safety, data security and confidentiality.

Homeworkers must:

• Read the homeworking risk assessment and be familiar with the content
• Complete the homeworker’s checklist that describes the personal circumstances for an individual to work from home. Do not enter any personal information on the checklist or risk assessment, such as a home address, personal contact phone numbers or health condition. There is no requirement to disclose personal health status to line management
• Discuss the suitability for working from home with your line manager
• Ensure the completed checklist, signed by the line manager, is attached to the revised risk assessment and get your line manager to approve it
• Homeworkers must abide by the requirements of the risk assessment. It is particularly important for homeworkers to facilitate communication with UCL as appropriate, to deliver the expected work outcomes and understand their own responsibilities regarding health and safety, data security and confidentiality

UCL and departmental measures to adapt working practices to ensure a COVID-19 secure workplace may result in the re-organisation of workspace within the buildings and changes in availability and capacity of office space. Initial measures have meant office space might be redeployed for activities that are business-critical and cannot be achieved at home.

When assessing risks to the homeworker, managers must pay attention to the following:

• Homeworkers who are new and expectant mothers, as risks include those to the child (see HSE guidance on new and expectant mothers who work)
• Homeworkers who may have childcare or caring responsibilities and for whom flexibility in working arrangements are required for them to achieve their potential for UCL
• Homeworkers who are early career staff may not have facilities at home to work effectively and may need to be prioritised to return to work
• Homeworkers under difficult situations at home, such as stress and risks to their wellbeing, those with work life balance issues or at risk of domestic abuse or violence, can be prioritised to return
• The time of travel to work and reliance on public transport where the risks of societal transmission of COVID-19 are highest
• The extent to which teaching staff can work remotely and provide the necessary student support

Who can return?

Staff may self-identify with the options published by UCL . There is no requirement for anyone to disclose any underlying or other health conditions and if staff choose to do so for the benefit of assisting in the phased return to work, that information is confidential. Disagreements and misunderstandings can be resolved through support from Workplace Health or Student Support and Wellbeing .

Staff who are asked to work from home as their main place of work must complete a  DSE risk assessment . Results will be returned to line managers. Line managers must attempt to resolve DSE issues but if further support is needed, departmental DSE assessors can offer assistance and medical issues must be referred to Workplace Health.

> Information on the line manager's role in the DSE process >  Guidance for home workers and line managers during COVID-19 remote working > Keeping safe on campus

Last updated: Friday, September 17, 2021

Further guidance

> Fire Safety  > Workplace Health >  Display Screen Equipment (DSE) > Parents and Carers Together > Making Hybrid Work

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We encourage all staff and students to report accidents, hazards and near misses when they happen.

Home working risk assessments – a guide for employers

How can employers make sure they do appropriate home working risk assessment now Working from Home is back?

New ‘work from home’ guidance comes into force for England this week, aligning with guidance in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. That makes home working risk assessments important.

Every employer across the UK should pause to check that their home working risk assessments are up to date. This applies not just for everyone who is working from home once more.  They should also do fast home working risk assessments for anyone working from home for the first time.

The employer duty of care for health and safety of home workers covers any worker who works at home. This could be long term or on a regular basis, or for an extended period of time.

With Government mandates in play, employers should assume that this could continue for an extended period of time.

What do you need to think about for a home working risk assessment?

Home Working Equipment – Many companies invested earlier in the pandemic to help remote employees improve their home working environment. They provided things like appropriate chairs and equipment). Some may retain this setup – but others may not. How will you ensure everyone is sitting in a chair that supports their back? Using display screen equipment such as laptops and monitors at the right height and distance?

Home Working Environment – Some home workers may not have safe places or spaces to work in their home.  You need to take reasonable steps to ensure that they aren’t running unnecessary risks. They may be misusing electrical equipment and wires, have overloaded sockets, or be navigating around obstructions and other dangers.  Many, if not most, may also now be working alone and unsupervised with associated lone working risks.

Home Working Health – in addition to considering physical health and safety, mental health is a key consideration. Mental health has unquestionably suffered during the pandemic. Many remote workers reported feeling stress, social isolation and other negative factors during the first home working mandate. It is inevitable that some will feel this again. Ensuring that they have a healthy home working culture and remain part of the work community is vital.

How to do home working risk assessments – 8 key components

• Ensure someone has the responsibility for the task. They must be competent and have both the time and necessary resources to manage your home working risk assessments. In some cases, firms may look to an external service provider to supply professional assessors.
• Check or update your standard risk assessment template to incorporate home working if it does not cover this already.Home working is becoming a standard in many organisations, and a factor for more organisations than ever before.
• In rare circumstances it may be necessary to visit a home worker, although it is not required for all. However, this is not recommended during COVID, since it potentially puts both home worker and manager at unnecessary extra risk. You should judge whether a visit is absolutely necessary before doing so. Consider not just their environment, equipment and risks. Think about the individual’s vulnerabilities, concerns, any disability or health challenges they face – and those of any visiting assessor also.
• Home working risk assessments must be collaborative , by design. They must cover all the factors you would consider in a workplace assessment. Consider all the hazards, the risks and what can be done to mitigate those risks. A swift shift to home working means you should consider how to manage this process effectively at speed. Perhaps via individual calls for certain workers or across small workforce groups. Questionnaires and survey tools work for larger workforces – or to help workers play a role in their own risk assessment.
• Think about what advice and guidance you could provide in a standard or checklist format for speed. This may cover key health and safety guidance alone. It might make recommendations around routines that can be disrupted when moving from a workplace to home. For example: managing time, taking rest breaks, hydrating, and eating regularly.
• Plan how you will meet any equipment gaps. For example, regular display screen equipment users must be able to place equipment at the right height and distance. Each should have an ergonomically safe workstation and chair. Even fire safety may be a consideration – they may not have a working smoke detector at home.
• After considering all the potential risks, you may need to do some work adjustments or role redesigns. The same principles apply as in any workspace. You need to consider how the person’s work is organised and conducted, then respond appropriately.
• You must record each risk assessment in an appropriate way. It needs to be auditable, accessible for review, and updated on an appropriate schedule. This is as vital for home working risk assessment as for general workplace assessments. Assessments for each individual should be easily accessible by appropriate people. You may need to reference them in relation to a future absence, occupational health, grievance, or other employee relations case.

Other essential home working management actions

Adapt current support processes..

Your usual means of supporting and maintaining connection to staff may need to adapt. Your support infrastructure includees how line managers engage with their team members day to day and around their health. It extends to any formal schemes or services, such as an Employee Assistance Programme or Occupational Health service.

Talk to people.

Many may be feeling a general level of stress and concern about the constantly changing pandemic as it is. Home working can compound such feelings.  Keeping the lines of communication open is vital, not just at the start of home working but throughout. Your employees will also have the best knowledge of their home workspace and may have good ideas to contribute.

Never forget those who are working as normal.

Consider the needs of those workers still in workplaces or in the field. They can also perceive new assumed or actual risks in their workplace or in the field. Many of the above advice points may apply equally to them.

Essential references for home working risk assessments and ongoing management:

• HSE guidance for employers on Managing Home Worker’s Health and Safety
• ACAS guidance for employers and employees on Working from Home
• CIPD questionnaire on Supporting ongoing homeworking

The Empactis EHMS helps employers of all sizes to reduce the risks and costs associated with employee absence and manage employee health in a connected way across the organisation. It can help line managers to engage effectively around health and home working. Plus enabling complete, connected and secure management of employee health and risk assessment records.

• Absence Manager
• HR Case Manager
• Health Manager
• Organisation

Privacy Overview

Health, safety and wellbeing – Wellbeing when working from home

• Health, safety and wellbeing
• Risk assessments
• Mental and physical health
• Bullying and harassment
• Domestic violence and abuse

Employers are responsible for their employees' health, safety and wellbeing – both when they are in the workplace and when they work remotely (including working from home).

Employees also have responsibilities.

Employer responsibilities

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has advice for employers.

Find advice for employers from the Health and Safety Executive

Employee responsibilities

Employees have a responsibility to take reasonable care of their own health and safety at work.

Anyone who works from home should keep in regular contact with their manager. They should also tell their manager about:

• any physical or mental health and safety risks
• any working arrangements that need to change – for example, because of caring responsibilities

Employees and managers should communicate regularly and work together to find solutions.

If you like, you can tell us more about what was useful on this page. We cannot reply – so do not include any personal details, for example your email address or phone number. If you have any questions about your individual circumstances, you can contact the Acas helpline .

Managing home workers' health and safety

5. working environment and accidents.

You must take reasonable steps to make sure your workers have a safe place to work when at home.

Electrical equipment

Ask your workers to visually check for any damage to sockets, plugs or leads used in connection with their work. Give them advice on the hazards of overloaded extension cables.

You are only responsible for electrical equipment you have provided to your workers, but you should make sure it is being used in a safe environment.

Slips and trips

Provide advice on how to minimise the risks of slips and trips by keeping their work area clear of obstructions, spillages and trailing wires.

Emergencies

Ensure your workers know what to do in an emergency. Emergency procedures should include guidance on how and when home workers should contact you, including details of any emergency contact numbers.

Consider what you would do if you could not get in contact with a home worker, such as holding emergency contact details. 

Lone working

There will risks for those with no direct supervision or anyone to help if things go wrong. There is guidance on lone working .

Reporting accidents for home workers

Not every incident in a person's home will be reportable. An incident may be reportable under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) if it occurred as a result of:

• the work activity being done
• the equipment you have provided to carry out that work

HSE has produced guidance to help you decide what needs to be reported under RIDDOR . You have the same responsibilities for home workers under RIDDOR as you do for anybody else.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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