Update: Steps to Reduce the Spread of Covid-19 in the Workplace
On the 21st of January the Government announced the easing of restrictive measures. The Transitional Protocol: Good Practice Guidance for Continuing to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 reflects the lessons that we have learned over the past two years. This guidance is a general document applicable to all sectors. All businesses and sectors who have specific guidance should review and update their own guidance in line with the advice contained in the document.
While the public health advice has changed, employers need to remember that several steps still need to be implemented by employers and employees to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
1. Keep a COVID-19 Response Plan in Place
Employers and their representatives should continue to maintain or take the following steps:
• Update their COVID-19 Response Plan according to the most recent public health advice.
• facilitate the ongoing appointment and engagement of the Lead Worker Representative
• Review and update their occupational health and safety (OSH) risk assessments and safety statement as workers return to the physical workplaces and as changes to the workplaces take place.
• Maintain measures to deal with a suspected case of COVID-19 in the workplace
• Maintain any specific measures or response for dealing with an outbreak of Covid-19
2. Maintain policies and procedures for prompt identification and isolation of workers who may have symptoms of COVID-19
How you manage and isolate potential infectious individuals remains a crucial step in protecting the worker involved, their colleagues and others at the workplace. While the need to maintain a contact log with details of workers and visitors to a workplace has been removed, employers may need to provide attendance information as appropriate in the event the local Department of Public Health has to investigate an outbreak.
Employers should continue to:
• Advise that workers do not come to work if they are displaying signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or if they have had a positive test,
• Provide instructions for workers to follow if they develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during work,
• Display information on signs and symptoms of COVID-19
Workers should also continue to:
• Keep themselves up to date with the signs and symptoms of COVID-19,
• Do not attend work if they are displaying signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or have symptoms
• Follow public health advise regarding self-isolation, restricting movement, testing and what to do if identified as a close contact
• Report to managers immediately if any symptoms develop during work
• Comply with any public health personnel and their employer for contract tracing purposes and follow any public health advise given in the event of a case or outbreak in their workplace.
3. Maintaining COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Measures
Hand Hygiene
Employers should continue to:
• ensure that appropriate hygiene facilities and materials are in place to accommodate
workers adhering to hand hygiene measures,
• make available advice on how to perform hand hygiene effectively,
• display posters on how to wash hands in appropriate locations throughout the
workplace,
• provide hand sanitisers (alcohol or non-alcohol based) where washing facilities cannot
be accessed. In choosing an alcohol-based sanitiser, a minimum of 60% alcohol is
required.
• provide facilities for frequent hand hygiene for outdoor work, which should be located
close to where workers are working. Outdoor toilet facilities, if reasonably practicable,
should also be considered.
Workers should continue to:
• Follow hand hygiene guidance and advise
• Wash their hands with soap and water or with hand sanitiser for at least 20 seconds.
Respiratory Hygiene
Employers should continue to:
• provide tissues as well as bins/bags for their disposal,
• empty bins at regular intervals, and
• provide advice on good respiratory practice including the safe use, storage and
disposal of face masks/coverings and the safe cleaning of face coverings.
Workers should continue to:
• adopt good respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, and
• follow good practice on the safe use, storage, disposal, and cleaning of face
masks/coverings.
Physical Distancing
Employers may choose to maintain some of the practices that were in place based on the Work Safely Protocol for the period of transition back to office work. Especially in meetings, events, or training with a continued focus on hand and respiratory etiquette and adequate ventilation are all measures that may continue.
There is a legal requirement to wear a facemask in specific settings (e.g., healthcare, public transport, taxis, public offices, retail premises etc.) Outside of these settings it is still good practice to continue to use face masks particularly in crowded areas. Employers should continue to support and facilitate the use of face masks b workers who wish to continue wearing them.
Bright Contracts will be updating it's COVID-19 response plan as soon a possible with the updated transitional protocol providing further guidance in relation to office working. Once updated this will be communicated across social media so keep your eyes peeled.
