FEATURE


THE FOUR PRINCIPLES


Kevin Rowe, Managing Director of SafetyBuyer.com, guides businesses through the different considerations for ensuring safety on site.


The pathway out of national lockdown has not been an easy one for British businesses. Although most companies are now starting to reopen their doors to workers and visitors, the threat posed by COVID-19 still needs to be managed very carefully.


For businesses, this has required a rapid adjustment to new workplace safety norms, with brand new strategies needed to ensure that everyone on site is properly protected.


As such, workplaces across the country need to be paying close attention to the following four safety principles to ensure they are able to maintain their journeys back to business as usual, without compromising on the safety of those on site.


PLAN EVERYTHING OUT As with any health and safety strategy, the success of


your COVID-secure workplace policies will depend on clear and comprehensive planning. This should start with a deep clean of the premises and a thorough risk assessment of all potential on-site viral transmission hazards, referring constantly to the latest government guidance on COVID-19 safety.


For this measure you may want to organise a regular workplace cleaning and disinfection rota; rearrange the working space to maintain safe distances between those on site; and, invest in personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectant products for staff to use


It’s also important to involve the whole company in safety-related decision-making from an early stage, providing clear explanations for any new measures and ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive special attention. By ensuring that staff have bought into the process, they can be empowered to be part of the solution.


CONTROL THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON SITE For as long as COVID-19 continues to circulate, it may


be necessary to limit the number of visitors or on-site customers you allow inside your workplace.


Implementing a maximum number of people who are permitted inside at the same time and setting up drop-off and collection points for essential deliveries are two different measure you could take for this.


The use of floor signs, coloured tape and markings to control the flow of foot traffic and introducing


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protective plexiglass screens to separate staff from customers might also be considered.


It may also be advisable to keep certain staff members working from home, or to use videoconferencing technology instead of in-person meetings, to minimise potential risks.


MAKE IT EASY TO STAY HYGIENIC Good hygiene, regular hand-washing and disinfection


of surfaces are among the most effective methods of stifling the spread of coronavirus at work.


Simple things like providing handwashing facilities with running water, soap and paper towels, as well as disinfectant sprays, wipes and gel for cleaning hands, surfaces and items are the strongest measure you can enact and introducing safety signs and notices to remind staff about washing hands can also be helpful.


Replacing communal or shared tools with personally- assigned equipment and making use of no-touch doors, switches and other fittings can be an added bonus.


Taking these steps will help ensure that nobody becomes complacent about maintaining good hygiene at this crucial time.


STICK TO SOCIAL DISTANCING Social distancing is another key virus prevention


method that will require adjustments from your workplace to be fully effective.


In order to help your site visitors keep their distance from each other, consider rearranging desks and working areas to ensure staff are spaced out and the use of floor signs to demonstrate safe social distancing.


Other things you might want to consider are staggering shift patterns and break times to minimise the number of workers on site and using digital communication rather than face-to-face meetings and physical paperwork.


By sticking to these four principles, your organisation will have the best possible chance of adapting quickly to the new safety norms of the post-lockdown world, helping you to do your bit to keep COVID-19 at bay - while getting your business prospects back on track.


www.safetybuyer.com www.tomorrowshs.com


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