Working at home Safely

The majority of our staff are now working at home for the first time and whilst some of us will be working from a less conventional set up than our usual office, setting up your workstation correctly at home is equally as important as when you are in the office, and the same principles apply.

Your workstation may be a home office or your dining room table, and whilst it may seem easier to simply open the laptop and start working without making any adjustments, this can lead to poor posture, which can cause pain and discomfort over time.

It is well worth taking a couple of minutes to set up your workstation correctly each time you sit down to work, so use the set up guidance produced by our colleagues in Health, Safety and Wellbeing to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible.

The Working From Home – Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Course is now available on iDev to all staff members, the module includes the Workstation Setup Guide, a homeworking DSE Assessment and some useful information on working comfortably and safely whilst at home.

Here are some top tips for working on a laptop remotely:  

• Raise your screen 
  Make sure your screen is raised so that the top of the screen is at eye level. This can be done using an adjustable laptop stand, a box or some books if necessary.
  
  
• Use a separate keyboard and mouse
  This enables the laptop screen to be positioned correctly. This may require you taking your keyboard and mouse home from the office, just agree this with your line manager before doing so.
  
  
• Make sure the lower back is well supported
  Support for your lower back will help encourage good posture. You can use a folded towel to give you more support or consider a back-support cushion if needed.
  
  
• Take regular, short breaks: 
  
  • Move around for five or ten minutes every hour, aiming for frequent, short breaks.
  • Consider taking microbreaks to stretch, move around, change activity by taking a phone call, do some reading or get a drink to avoid prolonged static postures.
  • Take more frequent breaks if your DSE setup is not optimal or if you are experiencing discomfort.

Try to avoid:

• using phones or tablets for a long time;
• sitting on unsupportive seating such as a sofa; or
• staying still for too long.

If you feel any pain or discomfort, complete the DSE Assessment on iDev, send it to your line manager and Health and Safety and somebody will be in touch.