Businesses 'must put safety measures in place for homeworkers'

Date: 6th May 2008

A leading homeworker's rights organisation has called on businesses to ensure that health and safety practices extend to those offsite.

The National Group on Homeworking (NGH) believes that responsible employers should be carrying out risk assessments and offering training to homeworkers.

Director of NGH Linda Devereux comments: "A lot depends on carrying out a risk assessment with the individual worker - there might be certain things that you need to take into consideration because it is a home rather than an actual workplace."

She added that health and safety policies for homeworkers applied "not so much" to the work environment provided by the employee, but more to the products and equipment being used.

Employers are legally required to protect the health and safety of all workers - including those working from home - under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.