This week the Government has published new ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines for UK employers, to help them get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating as safely as possible.
This follows the Prime Minister setting out steps to restart the economy on Sunday evening.
The Government has consulted approximately 250 stakeholders in preparing the guidance with input from firms, unions, industry bodies plus consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Briony McDermott, employment solicitor at Wake Smith, looks at the new guidance which covers eight workplace settings to be open, from outdoor environments and construction sites to factories and takeaways.
5 key points
1. Work from home if you can, but those who cannot and whose workplace has not been told to close have been told they should go to work. Staff should speak to their employer about when their workplace will open.
2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions – this guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and the Government expects all businesses with over 50 employees to do so.
3. Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain two metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating one way walk-throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms.
4. Where people cannot be two metres apart, in order to manage transmission risk, employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.
5. Workplaces should be cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.
Briony said: “This guidance from BEIS provides a framework to get the UK back to work.
“These are practical steps to enable employers to identify risks that COVID-19 creates and to take pragmatic measures to mitigate them.
“Businesses can access to the information they need to put in place measures to help them work safely. This will assist employers in carrying out risk assessments and putting practical measures in place.”
The guidance applies to businesses currently open. This also includes guidance for shops which the Government believes may be in a position to begin a phased reopening at the earliest from June 1.
Guidance for other sectors that are not currently open will be developed and published ahead of those establishments opening to give those businesses time to plan.
The Government will also shortly set up taskforces to work with these sectors to develop safe ways for them to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so, as well as pilot re-openings to test businesses’ ability to adopt the guidelines.
For further information on employment law at this time contact Briony McDermott on 0114 266 6660.
