Managing Coronavirus in your Workplace
As most people are aware of the world is currently facing a global pandemic known as Coronavirus (Covid-19). This is an illness that attacks the respiratory system and is presented in a similar form to a common cold.
Symptoms
• Cold like symptoms
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Fever
• Shortage of breath
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms and have recently travelled please seek medical advice on the Covid-19 Healthline 0800 358 5453.
Recommendations for Managing the Risks of Coronavirus in the Workplace
Remind Staff of Health & Safety Standards
Place visual reminders around the workplace triggering employees to wash their hands regularly and follow basic hygiene practices such as coughing and sneezing into your arm and disposing of any tissues into a covered bin. It is important to try and keep your distance from people by at least a metre in a social environment and avoid large social gatherings, keeping meetings to a phone call or email is recommended.
Provide a Clean Workplace
Ensure your workplace is clean. Employers this may mean increasing the amount of times each week you have commercial cleaners come through the office as well as ensuring hand sanitiser and anti bacterial wipes are easily accessible for employees while they are at work. You may look to introduce practices that only allow small groups of people to take lunch breaks together and remove any communal objects that carry high levels of jerms from your workplace such as magazines and newspapers.
Stay Home if you are Sick
If you are feeling unwell it is important that you stay home. Employers you must enforce this practice for the safety of everyone else in the workplace. If possible arrange a work from home agreement or allow the employee to use their sick pay.
Manage Employee Workflow
It is common for many offices to have a highly populated confined workplace with a range of people coming in and out every day. This constant close interaction is a breeding ground for viral spread so when facing a pandemic like this it is impotant to manage your employee workflow.
• Ask employees to work from home
• Stagger starting, break and finishing times to ensure not every one is in one place at one time.
• Avoid face to face meetings, keep it over email or phone.
• Throughly ventilate workplaces at all times.
For further advise on managing Coronavirus in your workplace get in contact with our health and safety advsiors today.
