The roadmap document advises employers to follow new Working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19) guidelines, to minimise the risk of infection as businesses begin to re-open. As originally published on the evening of Monday 11 May, the government had set out separate guides for eight different types of workplace setting.
The guidance for office workplaces covers a number of points, including:
Assessing the risk: employers should carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment, share the results with the workforce and work with staff to manage those risks. Employers should also publish the results on their website where possible (this is expected of employers with over 50 workers).
Managing the risk: employers should work through a priority list of preventative measures, which include increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning and taking all possible actions to mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus in the workplace.
Which staff should go into work: only those staff who are needed be on-site should go into the office. This includes workers in roles critical for the running of the business or for complying with the law. Everyone else should work from home where possible. Clinically vulnerable workers should be given special protection.
Social distancing and workplace hygiene: the two-metre rule should be observed ‘wherever possible’ including in meetings and in the use of communal areas. The guidance notes that social distancing needs to apply in all areas of the office, including entrances and exits and staff canteens. Extra cleaning of the office should be undertaken before and after re-opening.
Managing the flow of staff around the office: steps include extra handwashing facilities, staggering arrival and departure times, restricting movement around the office, introducing a one-way flow system and reducing the maximum occupancy for lifts.
Workstations: staff should be able to work at least two metres apart and barrier screens should be used where this is not possible. Hotdesking should be avoided, and maximum occupancy levels in the office should be reviewed.
Face coverings and PPE: workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of PPE unless the risk of transmission is very high, as reflected in the risk assessment. Employers should, however, support staff who choose to wear a non-clinical face covering, although the guidance notes the potentially minimal benefit of doing so in most circumstances.
The online package of guidance on safe working includes a link to a separate ‘updates’ page (similar to the format of HMRC’s internal guidance manuals) suggesting that regular updates to the guidance are expected.
The roadmap document advises employers to follow new Working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19) guidelines, to minimise the risk of infection as businesses begin to re-open. As originally published on the evening of Monday 11 May, the government had set out separate guides for eight different types of workplace setting.
The guidance for office workplaces covers a number of points, including:
Assessing the risk: employers should carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment, share the results with the workforce and work with staff to manage those risks. Employers should also publish the results on their website where possible (this is expected of employers with over 50 workers).
Managing the risk: employers should work through a priority list of preventative measures, which include increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning and taking all possible actions to mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus in the workplace.
Which staff should go into work: only those staff who are needed be on-site should go into the office. This includes workers in roles critical for the running of the business or for complying with the law. Everyone else should work from home where possible. Clinically vulnerable workers should be given special protection.
Social distancing and workplace hygiene: the two-metre rule should be observed ‘wherever possible’ including in meetings and in the use of communal areas. The guidance notes that social distancing needs to apply in all areas of the office, including entrances and exits and staff canteens. Extra cleaning of the office should be undertaken before and after re-opening.
Managing the flow of staff around the office: steps include extra handwashing facilities, staggering arrival and departure times, restricting movement around the office, introducing a one-way flow system and reducing the maximum occupancy for lifts.
Workstations: staff should be able to work at least two metres apart and barrier screens should be used where this is not possible. Hotdesking should be avoided, and maximum occupancy levels in the office should be reviewed.
Face coverings and PPE: workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of PPE unless the risk of transmission is very high, as reflected in the risk assessment. Employers should, however, support staff who choose to wear a non-clinical face covering, although the guidance notes the potentially minimal benefit of doing so in most circumstances.
The online package of guidance on safe working includes a link to a separate ‘updates’ page (similar to the format of HMRC’s internal guidance manuals) suggesting that regular updates to the guidance are expected.
