Key issues to consider on a return to the office
Risk assessment requirement
The starting point is to read the government’s guidance on working safely during coronavirus for offices, factories and labs (see Follow up ). The second step is to complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes the risks from COVID-19 and considers the reasonable adjustments that might be needed for disabled employees or others who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 (see Follow up ). Once you’ve identified the risks and the package of control measures to manage those risks, you can then start to implement those measures.
Pro advice. Consult with your health and safety reps on your risk assessment. Where you don’t have trade union-appointed safety reps in place, you have a duty under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/1513) to provide information to and consult with staff on matters relating to their health and safety at work, and you can either consult with your employees directly (often effective if your business is small) or through elected employee reps. In any event, communicate to staff what you’re doing and allow them to contact you if they have any specific concerns (see Follow up ).
Key issues
Key issues to think about, which are likely to be covered in your risk assessment, are:
- social distancing - although it’s no longer a legal requirement to ensure social distancing in offices, you may nevertheless consider it to be an appropriate control measure, e.g. by staggering start and finish times, repositioning desks, using fixed teams, limiting the number of people in the office each day, etc.
- face masks or coverings - it’s not a legal requirement to wear face coverings in offices but again you might want to encourage it as an appropriate control measure. If so, are you going to supply single use masks?
- cleaning and hygiene - how do you intend to ensure frequently-touched surfaces or items of office equipment are regularly cleaned? How will you encourage good general hygiene and hand hygiene practices, e.g. by using signs and posters? Will you provide hand sanitiser and wipes? Will you have a clear desk policy?
- adequate ventilation - have you identified any poorly ventilated spaces? Do you need to open more windows or doors (subject to fire safety), or improve any mechanical ventilation, to ensure a supply of fresh air?
- close contacts and COVID-19 symptoms - although all those with COVID-19 symptoms and unvaccinated close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases must legally self-isolate, those who are fully vaccinated close contacts of positive cases now don’t need to do so. However, as they can still contract COVID-19 and give it to others, are you still going to require them to work from home as an appropriate control measure? You must ensure your staff are clear on what they need to do if they either develop COVID-19 symptoms or they’re identified as a close contact of a positive case
- testing and vaccinations - are you going to encourage employees to test themselves regularly using the free NHS lateral flow tests? Will you provide testing on-site? Are you going to ask staff to disclosure their vaccination status (but this raises data protection issues)?
Working safely during coronavirus
Risk assessment during the coronavirus pandemic: guidance
Letter explaining control measures taken
Create your profile to unlock this advice and many more.