Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1464021
40 PalletCentral • March-April 2022 palletcentral.com hazard under reasonably foreseeable conditions of storage or use. If there is an injury or illness reported by the remote worker, the employer will have to exercise due diligence to determine if the condition is work-related – the same as if the condition arose in the "official" workplace. Some home work conditions might include ergonomic injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome or other musculoskeletal disorders arising from improper computer work station design, lifting or other repetitive motions. ose would have to be included on OSHA logs, and could subject the employer to enforcement if they were aware of poor workstation design or illumination and failed to implement corrective action. OSHA is clear that there is no general requirement for OSHA to routinely inspect home worksites, but it notes that there is equipment workers may use at home that requires inspection by the worker (or may require a more skilled competent or qualified worker to conduct such inspection or testing). ese include: • Ladders (29 CFR 1910.25 and 1910.26) • Compressed gas cylinders (1910.101) • Electrical protective equipment (1910.137) • Mechanical power-transmission equipment (1910.219) • Resistance welding (1910.255), and • Portable electric equipment (1910.334). Home and remote workers cannot be excluded from mandatory worker safety and health training, either. is would apply to task training on the equipment or machinery to be used, hazard communication on any chemicals that the worker may be using in the course of work-related activities, fire and electrical safety, personal protective equipment, ergonomic protections, and even worker protections under the OSH Act. All training must be done in a language and vocabulary the worker will understand. If there is an injury or illness reported by the remote worker, the employer will have to exercise due diligence to determine if the condition is work-related – the same as if the condition arose in the "official" workplace.