SEASONAL ISSUES - 27.02.2020

Dealing with Covid-19 at work

A global emergency has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) over the coronavirus outbreak. Should you be taking emergency action too?

Pandemic. The new virus, named Covid-19 (commonly known as coronavirus), began in China but is now spreading worldwide. For many of those contracting it the symptoms are just like the common cold. Others may develop pneumonia or have severe breathing difficulties and require hospitalisation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the elderly and those with existing medical conditions are at greatest risk, just as they would be for any type of ‘flu virus.

Tip. As the situation is changing rapidly it’s worth keeping up to date with the latest advice via the WHO website or from a respected news source (see The next step ).

What should you do? Employers have few legal responsibilities for infectious diseases circulating amongst the population, but this shouldn’t stop you from taking sensible precautions. There are obvious benefits in not having your workforce struck down with ‘flu, so it won’t hurt to break out the sanitising gel and encourage good hygiene practices.

Tip 1. In previous pandemics it was reported that overall winter sickness absence from work was lower than average as a result of precautions taken by businesses. Simple worthwhile actions include: (1) installing sanitiser hand gel at your entrance with a sign encouraging its use; (2) displaying “catch it, kill it, bin it” posters; and (3) checking that your cleaning team is regularly wiping down hand rails, hot desks (including keyboards), and door plates/handles, using a sanitiser.

Tip 2. If public panic is rising, reassure staff of action taken. If it works for your business, ask staff not to come in to the office if they have cold or ‘flu-like symptoms.

Tip 3. If your staff travel abroad, keep a close eye on the general advice for travellers. If they have symptoms on their return, even if they seem mild, they may need to stay indoors and phone the NHS on 111. The WHO website outlines when this advice applies.

For a link to the WHO website, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 18.12.01).

It’s sensible to encourage good hygiene, e.g. with hand gel at entrances. If staff travel abroad, keep up to date with WHO advice as it’s changing rapidly.