It's As Easy As 1,2,3: Key Elements of a Safe Employee Return
Following on from our previous blog post 'Our Employees Are Back! – How Do I Return My Employees Safely' this blog post will detail the first 3 guidelines of making your workplace COVID-secure during the coronavirus pandemic.:
1.Risk Assessment
2. Social Distancing
3. Cleaning, Hygiene & Handwashing
1.Risk Assessment
As an employer it is vitally important to keep your employees free from harm which includes taking reasonable steps to protect your workers and others from coronavirus through conducting a risk assessment which will help to manage the risk and protect people.
In order to pinpoint how and where could the virus be transmitted in your workplace you must look at the hazards, evaluate the risks and put control measures in place. This will help you to understand as a business what you should do to work safely and protect your people.
You must complete the following steps:
- identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus
- think about those who could be at risk
- decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed
- act to remove the activity or situation, or if this isn't possible, control the risk
COVID risk assessments will need to reflect any changes in legislation or guidance which may impact how employers carry out their work activity, for example if there is a change in local or national restrictions. If there is a change to how work is carried out, you will need to review your Health & Safety policies.
2.Social Distancing
Social distancing means keeping people apart in order to help to reduce the spread of the virus. Where possible, individuals should keep 2 metres apart. If this isn't possible then additional control measures should be considered.
In the UK some rules about social distancing may be different in each of the devolved nations. Therefore you should check the public health guidance for the country you are in.
Social distancing should form part of your business's risk assessment and is one of the steps needed to make your workplace COVID-secure.
Some of the measures you can put in place in order to maintain social distancing includes but is not limited tot eh following:
- using paint/ floor tape to mark work areas
- display appropriate signage to remind those to social distance
- advise individuals to travel alone in the lift or when driving to work
- turn high-traffic areas like corridors, turnstiles and walkways into one-way systems where possible
3.Cleaning, Hygiene & Handwashing
The next point is to develop a comprehensive catch-all document that deals with all points of relevance relating to the cleaning & hygiene of your workplace. The virus can be transferred from people to surfaces and those who touch the same surfaces. Therefore keeping your workplace clean and frequent handwashing reduces the potential for coronavirus to spread and is a critical part of making and keeping your business 'COVID-secure'.
For those of you who are using our Bright Contracts package, Bright Contracts has been updated with a template Covid-19 response plan which can be found in the 'Optional Sections' tab of the software. It covers everything referenced just now and more.
Stay tuned for next weeks blog post to read how to furthermore make your workplace covid secure.
Related Articles:
- Let's Get Back to the Office
- Our Employees Are Back! – How Do I Return My Employees Safely?
