CORONAVIRUS - HEALTH & SAFETY - 07.07.2020

Safe return to work

When the doors to your workplace re-open there will need to be new protocols in place. How do you instil this new health and safety culture to keep staff safe and customers reassured?

The new norm

The government has published guidance that identifies what steps businesses should take to keep their staff and customers safe from coronavirus (see The next step ). So far there is guidance for eight different types of work, including office and contact centres, delivery businesses and shops and stores (more will be available as different sectors open in the coming weeks). For each sector, it covers guidance on who should be at work, cleaning the workplace, managing staff and of course social distancing. Tip. There is also a very useful 5 steps to working safely guide that can be applied to any business.

Keep your distance

Where staff are set to come in, the key control measure is to ensure that those attending your premises can maintain social distancing. You must consider steps such as staggering start times and shifts, introducing one-way systems around the workplace and reviewing desk layouts to allow more space. Tip. We have prepared a document based on government guidance for all workplaces. You can amend it to reflect the arrangements you have made and then check this against specific government guidance for the work your workforce is engaged in (see The next step ).

Take concerns seriously. If staff have concerns listen to them. An employee could reasonably refuse to return to your workplace if they have justifiable health and safety worries, e.g. if you are unable to ensure proper social distancing measures or provide them with adequate PPE. Where an employee raises valid concerns about their health and safety, any consequent dismissal is likely to be automatically unfair.

New culture

In this new way of working, communication between you and staff has never been more important. The workforce will be looking to the management for both guidance and leadership. This general advice (not specific to coronavirus) from the Health & Safety Executive sums up what you should be aiming for:

“Managers can have a positive influence on safety outcomes by articulating a clear vision for safety, and motivating employees to achieve it, acting as role models and showing concern for the welfare of employees (e.g. transformational leadership), communicating and setting clear goals and standards for safety, monitoring and recognising positive safety behaviours.”Tip. It’s very important that any strict safety rules, such as wearing protective clothing, handwashing, working at social distance, etc. are followed by everyone, including directors. Not doing so will quickly undermine any positive messages you have put out. Tip. Create a workplace culture in which staff are encouraged to make suggestions, raise concerns and contribute to discussions. If you don’t have one, set up a health and safety noticeboard with information such as your health and safety policy, posters encouraging safe behaviours and if you have a safety committee, minutes of your meetings. Tip. In a small organisation you won’t need a committee, but a sensible alternative is to put health and safety as a standing item on team meeting agendas. Keep notes of what was said and done as a result.

For the sector guidance and our risk assessment for workplaces, visit http://tipsandadvice-business.co.uk/download (CD 21.20.06).

Use our risk assessment document to ensure your workplace is “Covid-19 secure” and to reassure staff that you take their health seriously. It’s critical that any safety rules are followed by everyone from the top down.

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