The upcoming construction work

Construction work on the administrative office is planned to begin in two weeks and it will last for

three months. The work affects the areas near the entrance to the office. The office will continue

being used during the construction work. Some of the administrative workers, who use mobility aids,

will be working from home during the construction work.

You locate the policy relating to short$-$term and long$-$term working from home. This was produced

during a recent pandemic. The policy has not been used over the last eighteen months as all

workers preferred to revert back to office working. Because of this, you send a questionnaire to the

affected workers and their team leader to confirm if they are still familiar with the working from home

guidance. You are impressed by how much they remember, but still recirculate the policy to the

affected workers. You also arrange to conduct a new display screen equipment $($DSE$)$ workstation

risk assessment for the affected workers, and review the working from home risk assessment.

The team leader agrees to have regular one$-$to$-$one meetings online with the individuals working from

home. They also agree to twice$-$weekly online team meetings where everyone can discuss work

updates and non$-$work related topics. You remind the team leader of the importance of checking the

workers' wellbeing during the meetings. They reassure you that they know what to do since they

were also the team leader during the pandemic. The administrative workers have the same work

laptop computers they used during the pandemic, so new information technology $($IT$)$ equipment is

not required.

One week before construction work begins, you review the contractor induction pack. You notice that

it only states that restricted areas will have warning signs. The SM is overseeing the construction

work. You ask them if they would like the induction to list the restricted areas. The SM replies that

nobody has any free time to update the pack so it can remain in its current format.

The induction pack is saved on the organisation's network as an electronic file. The health and

safety policy is also saved in the same location. Since you have not thoroughly read the policy in five

years, you decide to reread it now. You notice that the health and safety policy still has the previous

SM$\text{'}$s signature, who retired six years ago.

The accident

Three days into the construction work, a new worker sees a construction contractor using their

mobile phone to video the new robotic arms. The worker shouts out a warning, but there is no

reaction. The worker runs over to the construction contractor, but slips on the floor and falls into the

path of a robotic arm that hits the worker. The worker is knocked onto the floor and the construction

contractor steps back in panic. The production line supervisor happens to be returning from their

lunch break and witnesses the worker being hit by the robot arm. The supervisor quickly locates and

presses the robotic arm's emergency stop button before calling for a first$-$aider.

Five minutes later, you are informed of the accident and quickly walk towards the factory. Before

entering, you notice a sign has fallen on to the floor, writing side down. It was previously attached to

the door, just below where 'Production Line' is painted. You pick it up$,$ revealing the words

'Authorised Workers Only', and try to reattach it onto the door. Unfortunately, it is raining and it is too

wet to reattach it$,$ so you place it on the ground leaning against the door. You then continue inside

and find a trail of water drops on the floor leading to the scene of the accident.

The injured worker is sitting on the floor while being treated by a first$-$aider. The worker's supervisor

is standing to the side, with the construction contractor also standing nearby with water dripping from

their high visibility coat. You recognise the injured worker as one of the $17-$year$-$old apprentices

recently hired under the new apprenticeship scheme. With the robot arms not currently working, you

can hear the apprentice being told by the first$-$aider that they could possibly have a broken bone.