FEATURE
GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES: A QUICK WALKTHROUGH
Health and safety is often viewed as being bureaucratic and unnecessarily restrictive – but if recent events have taught us anything, it’s that risk management should be an essential component of any business, says Nick Wilson, Director of Health & Safety Services at Ellis Whittam.
For many employers, this will be the first time that they will have confront a serious and imminent risk. Suddenly, measures that were deemed appropriate are no longer adequate, premises that were previously thought to be low risk have a potentially deadly virus to manage, and organisations that have never had to consider infection control as a major hazard before will now need to ensure they manage this very real threat in their workplace.
This is by no means an easy task, and with the government now taking the first tentative steps in its plan to get Britain back to work, the challenge facing employers is set to become even harder over the coming weeks. Homeworking remains the default; however, where this is not an option, businesses will need to develop a comprehensive plan for managing COVID-19 so that they can re-open as safely as possible.
To support employers in this regard, the government has now released sector-specific guidance on making sure workplaces are ‘COVID secure’. So, what exactly is needed to achieve compliance and minimise the risk to your employees, customers, visitors and anybody else who may be affected by your activities?
While the exact measures you will need to implement will depend on your specific environment and the activities undertaken, the following six-step approach will help to ensure compliance with guidance and legislation.
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STEP ONE: ENCOURAGE HOMEWORKING Anyone who can feasibly work from home should be
instructed to do so. This is the only possible way of eliminating the risk of people contracting the disease from work and, as recommended by the Hierarchy of Controls, ways to ‘eliminate’ risk should be always be considered before administrative controls or personal protective equipment (PPE).
Keep in mind that you still have health and safety responsibility for homeworkers. This means conducting a homeworking risk assessment to ensure they can work safely and comfortably, which may include checking their workstation set-up, ensuring any electrical equipment provided is safe to use, and keeping in regular contact to reduce feelings of stress and isolation.
STEP TWO: RISK ASSESSMENT As advised in the latest government guidance, if you
are opening your workplace or parts of your workplace, the next step will be to complete a risk assessment and review existing policies, such as your Infection Control Policy.
This will involve identifying the particular hazards people may encounter – such as coming into contact with others at particular points within the workplace, handling deliveries and removing waste – and then asking who may be harmed, what controls you already
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