Comcare has redesigned its virtual office tool with the goal of helping employers and workers identify health and safety hazards.
Comcare’s Virtual Office provides managers and office workers with an online tool to help identify work-related health and safety risks in the office environment.
The redesign, with a new layout and updated content, highlights the fact that hazards to work health and safety can be found in different spaces and rooms around the office, not just in areas directly relating to work.
According to Comcare the Virtual Office tool helps users identify health and safety hazards and risks found in different spaces and rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, storage and meeting spaces as well as hazards relating to different roles in an office.
It said that in kitchens, for example, food poisoning could be caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, chemicals or poisonous metals.
“Food that has become contaminated with harmful bacteria does not always taste bad, so it may not be clear that you are consuming tainted food,” the tool says.
It says that in bathrooms, workers are at greater risk when they enter just after it’s been cleaned from strong odours of ammonia.
“They are also at risk when chemicals used to clean showers and toilets are not washed off thoroughly,” it says.
As far as meeting spaces go, they tend to mean sitting together around a table for a length of time often leading to back and neck pain.
“People can find it awkward to stand up during a meeting while everyone else is sitting,” it says.
Comcare said the tool now included workplace safety guidance on working from home, mental health, and sexual harassment.
Employers and workers are urged to visit the Virtual Office tool Beta site and provide their feedback by completing a survey.
Comcare said the survey would be available until Wednesday 9 June.
Information on the hazards described in the online tool can be found at this PS News link and the survey at this link.
