Frequently Asked Questions - Home based Work
As an employer what should I do to manage the health and safety risks of home based work?
While a private dwelling is not a 'workplace' under the Act, an employee conducting authorised work at home is still 'at work', so the employer's general duty of care under section 16 (1) still applies. This requires the employer to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health and safety at work of the employer's employees.
It is up to the employer to determine what is 'reasonably practicable' as there is no specific requirement for a physical inspection under the OHS Act or associated regulations. Comcare's publication Officewise (OHS1) [2.47 Mb] (pp45-46) gives brief guidance on this issue and recommends that a risk management approach in line with that taken for office environments is applied. If a risk assessment is conducted which adequately addresses the ergonomic and other potential hazards/risks, and appropriate control measures are applied, it is likely that the employer would be considered to have taken the reasonably practicable steps necessary to control the risks. Note that the question of what is reasonably practical will involve consideration of such matters as the:
- terms and conditions of employment
- frequency and duration of home based work
- suitability of the range and duration of activities for home based work
- suitability of the design of the home office, including workplace layout, provision of furniture, equipment and separation from other areas of the home.
Note: where there is a reference to the 'OHS Act', it refers to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991.
Page last updated:November 14, 2007