Veracity November 2020 edition

It’s just over a year ago that the terrible summer of bushfires started in Australia.

As communities continue to rebuild, experts are again urging people to prepare.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand’s Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research have stated the coming months are expected to bring above-average rainfall across Australia and New Zealand due to a La Nina weather formation.

Unfortunately, the risks are not reducing - as the severity and frequency of storms is increasing, many small businesses are also looking to reduce costs due to lower revenue as a result of COVID-19. These businesses may be less able to recover from the impacts of further loss of trading due to severe weather damage and business interruption. Continue to read here.

Vero Equipment Breakdown insurance can protect your clients’ business against the costs of unforeseen breakdowns, as well as offering income protection for today’s equipment-intensive hospitality operation.

Practical tools make it easier to sell

As we see government restrictions ease and businesses re-open, the success of your clients’ depends on properly functioning machinery and equipment more than ever. That’s why we have developed a new set of Loss Bulletins, highlighting real losses incurred in clubs and hotels as they restarted their businesses, to aid you in client discussions.

We have also included information about the potential hazards related to temporary closure of premises and recommendations to manage the associated risks.

Access the latest tools and COVID resources here:

• Loss Bulletin - Bowls club (PDF, 85KB)
• Loss Bulletin - Hotel kitchen re-opening (PDF, 183KB)
• Loss Bulletin - Hotel pokies (PDF, 203KB)
• Loss Bulletin - RSL club re-opening (PDF, 183KB)
• Loss Bulletin - Surf club (PDF, 91KB)
• RM Insight - Restarting idle machinery (PDF, 129KB)
• RM Insight - Shutting down machinery (PDF, 450KB)
• For practical risk management strategies to assist businesses re-open their doors, watch the recording of Beyond COVID-19 'on demand' here or download the presentation slides.
• Visit the Equipment Breakdown Insurance page here.

Want to find out more?

For further information about Equipment Breakdown insurance, contact your dedicated BDM or local Vero representative today.

It is essential that owners, managers and employees understand systems that are in place to identify and manage risk. This RM Insight article focuses on benefits of a self-inspection program and provides practical tips, tools and resources to help customers understand risks to their business.

• RM Insight – Self inspection program (PDF, 157KB)

With the number of motor vehicles on our roads increasing during the holiday period, this RM Insight article offers journey planning strategies to minimise exposures to hazards and help you and your clients arrive safely to your destination.

• RM Insight – Motor vehicle journey planning (PDF, 183KB)

While many Australian workplaces have had work from home arrangements in place for years, the number of employees working from home has skyrocketed due to COVID-19. As working from home full-time or partially has become the new norm, the review and assessment of the occupational risks remains important for many employers.

Working from home presents businesses with additional occupational risks (i):

Home office ergonomics and equipment

Equipment that’s not designed with safe ergonomics in mind, or is improperly set up, can have a huge impact on workers’ physical wellbeing.

Work environment

Noise level, room temperatures, layout of the designated working area and lighting can all have an effect.

Electrical safety

Electrical equipment, such as computers and printers, should be in good working order with no frayed power cables or other risks.

Musculoskeletal risks

These can be associated with slips, trips and falls. As such, a home workspace should be kept free of hazards which may cause this.

First aid & emergency

Every worker should have access to first aid gear and emergency contact information.

Working from home can also present psychosocial risks, including (ii):

• working in isolation
• fatigue
• poorly managed organisational change and job insecurity
• ineffective communication and a lack of support from management or colleagues, and
• other responsibilities around the home such facilitating online learning or caring for children.

In some cases, requiring a worker to work from home may expose them to an increased risk of family or domestic violence. While this may not be a direct result of work-related duties, the worker’s home is also their workplace in a work-from-home scenario, so employers still have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to ensure that environment is safe.

This can be a sensitive topic, and difficult for some to discuss, so employers should encourage workers to be open about potential risks and assure them that their privacy will be maintained. More information is available via Safe Work Australia.

Duty of care

Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws still apply if workers are required to work somewhere other than their usual workplace — for example, from their home. The WHS laws apply to both physical and mental health.

Workers are also responsible for taking reasonable care of their own health and safety. This can include complying with reasonable instructions given by their employer, or any relevant policies and procedures (iii). Safe Work Australia also provides a COVID-19 workplace checklist to help employers identify how to keep their workers safe and limit the spread of COVID-19.

Risk controls to consider

For employers:

• Complete a risk assessment of the intended workplace for each worker. A health and safety checklist could be used to ensure it addresses the various risks.
• Provide training for workers to ensure their home working environment has been appropriately set up.
• Provide workers with appropriate emergency management information, in case they encounter a hazard or incident.
• Ensure the ability to regularly communicate with workers who work from home.
• Provide suitable planning, management and communication processes for organisational changes as they occur.
• Ensure that all workers are aware of resources that are available to them in the event of domestic or family violence, including entitlements like paid leave, and services such as confidential counselling.

For employees:

• Create and maintain a clearly defined home office space, which is not accessed by other people or pets during working hours and is separate to other activities of the home, where possible.
• Keep the immediate working environment maintained, to prevent incidents.
• Review and understand emergency evacuation from the home office and ensure exit routes are always kept clear.
• Maintain equipment for the home office in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and best practice.
• Comply with guidance relating to ergonomic practices.
• Report any safety or personal security incident to your supervisor/leader immediately.
• Maintain regular communication with your leader/supervisor.

Vero can offer Workers Compensation Insurance for businesses in WA, NT, ACT and TAS through GIO. For more information please speak to your local Vero representative or email the Workers Compensation Risk Team at riskservices@gio.com.au.

References:

i) SafeWork Australia: Working from home. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces/industry-information/general-industry-information/working-home

ii) OSHA: Psychosocial risks and stress at work. 2020. Retrieved from https://osha.europa.eu/en/themes/psychosocial-risks-and-stress

iii) Business.gov: Work health and safety. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.business.gov.au/Risk-management/Health-and-safety/Work-health-and-safety