H&S Support: COVID-19 Social distancing / Employers to follow guidelines
Don’t get complacent, we need to continue the social distancing to help save lives and protect our NHS!
Social distancing is an important public health measure introduced to reduce the spread of COVID infection, we recognises the concerns on social distancing within the workplace and it is paramount that the Public Health England (PHE) guidance is followed.
Essential and non-essential work – Continuing to operate your business
- Apart from some non-essential shops and public venues, as an employer it is important for business to continue.
- Your company should consider every possible step for your employees to work from home. If this is not possible, your employees can still travel for work purposes. However, your employees must not be showing coronavirus symptoms and neither of the employee and its household are self-isolating.
- If your company has people in their offices or onsite, as an employer you should ensure that employees are able, where possible, to follow Public Health England (PHE) guidelines on social distancing (including, where possible, maintaining a 2 metre distance from others), and hygiene (washing their hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds).
- Your company should follow government guidance on how to keep your employees safe.
Travelling to work – Transport businesses or car pooling in a private car
- If the journey is essential, such as travel to work, and there is no option but to share a car with people who are not part of the same household, journeys should be shared with the same individuals and with the minimum number of people at any one time.
- Ensure there is good ventilation, keeping the windows open and facing away from each other may help to reduce the risk of transmission.
- If using a private vehicle that is used by people from multiple households, this should be cleaned regularly using gloves and standard cleaning products with particular emphasis on handles and other areas where passengers may touch surfaces.
In-work activity – Keeping your employees safe at work
- Your employees should be encouraged to keep working and should be working from home if they can.
- Your employees should only travel to work when they cannot absolutely work from home.
- If your employees are travelling to work, they still need to observe the social distancing guidance whilst they are travelling, as far as is practical.
- Social distancing means staying 2 metres (6ft) apart from other people. Within your company’s workplace everyone needs to observe, where possible, the social distancing guidance.
The HSE has states if they identify employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant PHE guidance to control public health risks, they will consider taking a range of actions to improve control of workplace risks. These actions include the provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices to help secure improvements with the PHE guidance.
We are supporting companies within varies industries and tailored policies to suit their individual needs. If your company is continuing to operate, contact us to see how we can support your business through this difficult time. Email us at info@mbo.ltd or complete our form on our Contact page.