7 Working From Home Safety Tips

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to grow, more people are working from home.

Working remotely brings many challenges including managing your time effectively, communicating with other members of your team, and potentially sharing your ‘new office’ with other members of your family.

However, a commonly overlooked working from home challenge is safety. Remote work is not necessarily riskier than working in an office, but it does present a new set of safety concerns for employees and employers alike.

While working from home, you are still eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in the event that an accident occurs. However, without other coworkers around as witnesses, and blurred lines between work and home activities, it can make a workers’ comp. case more complicated.

Here are a few tips for maintaining a safe work environment while working remotely:

1) Ensure your workstation is comfortable: As tempting as it may be to work from the couch, it’s important to maintain proper ergonomics while working. Make sure your computer is at the right height and your desk and chair are comfortable.

2) Avoid eye strain: Working on a computer located near a large window or reading paper documents in a dark room can cause eye strain. Make sure lighting in your work are is appropriate for the type of work you will be performing.

3) Clear floors of hazards: With no supervisor around, your makeshift workstation may become messy. Avoid tripping over a computer cord, or kid’s toys, by cleaning up regularly.

4) Practice fire safety: Always have a working fire extinguisher conveniently located in your home. Check your smoke detectors regularly and replace batteries once a year. Also, develop and practice a fire evacuation plan for use in the event of an emergency.

5) Electronics safety: Always make sure electrical equipment is connected to grounded outlets, and avoid fire hazards by never overloading electrical circuits. Always power down computers after the work day is over.

6) Ensure your home is secure: While we spend a lot of time on our homes, we are also used to spending a large portion of our day in secure work environments. While you are working from home, make sure your doors are locked, do not leave electronics lying around where they could be seen by thieves, and have your cell phone nearby and emergency contact information prepared in case of an emergency.

7) Follow all guidelines provided by your employer: If your employer has implemented a work-from-home policy, it is important to follow these guidelines closely. In the event that an injury does occur, whether or not the policy was followed will determine whether you are eligible for workers’ comp or not.

Accidents happen during work, and they can just as easily occur in the home. It’s important to do your part as an employee to remain safe during your time of remote work. If an accident or injury does occur in the course of doing work, report it to your employer right away. They are required by law to follow the same workers’ compensation claim process that occurs when an employee is injured at work.

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Cole, Fisher, Cole, O’Keefe + Mahoney is Central California’s leading workers’ compensation and social security disability law firm. With over 30 years of successful experience, we are committed to securing maximum benefits for our clients in the Fresno, California area. Schedule a free consultation today.