How to improve work health & safety culture after COVID-19

A safe workplace begins when employees follow their health & safety obligations and carry out their work in line with established protocols. As businesses across the UK and the rest of the world create their plans for re-opening during COVID-19 pandemic, we have compiled a list of simple steps businesses should be aware of as they draw up their own back to work plans.

Simple Important Steps to Improve Workplace Safety Post Covid-19

1. Create a plan to identify any hazards using work risk assessments

There is no such thing as being too safe and post COVID-19 this will be a way of life. We have heard the scientist sing about the R-number which defines what the virus spread rate is and in order to support the efforts to squash the spread, we as businesses need to play our part and ensure we lay concrete health and safety plans that will not compromise these efforts of limiting the spread of coronavirus. For example, workstations distance, cleaning hands, use of hygiene facilities and social room, shift patterns, entry & exit points, transport to work, parking, ventilation. These are just but a few of the hazards that we need to be addressed and reduce the risks associated with them before employees are requested to come back to work. Therefore, planning is everything! As an employer, if you fail to provide a safe working arrangement you risk prosecution and your business might be forced to close.

Please read through the government guidance articles, health and safety at work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulation 1992.

2. Inspect your workplace often

If you have been to a gym toilet or public facility toilet you will notice that on the doorway or near it there is an inspection sheet that indicates when the facility was last cleaned. Post Covid-19 this might be implemented in small businesses too and monitored regularly as this virus is controlled by ensuring hygiene is placed at the highest level possible and what general cleaning supplies you need. Therefore, staff may be required to clean their workstations during their breaks or when changing shifts i.e. computers, desks, chairs, and the private facilities need spruce at least twice a day. Employers might have to introduce health and safety champions to regularly check all equipment are well maintained and safe to use and follow up with employees responsible for actioning them.

3. Employee & stakeholders training

Effective awareness starts with a comprehensive training program. All employees should have induction and refresher courses to ensure they are aware of the risk associated with their work environment and that includes COVID-19 even though it has been all over the news in the past months. As an employer, you are required to provide written instructions to your employee so that they can check for themselves if they are unsure of the task and the new norm. e Learning is a cost effective way of delivering training and can be referred to in the future if an employee needs a refresher on workplace safety. Remember, by offering the correct training you are protecting the entire workforce.

 

4. Health & Safety Labels, Signs and Equipment

Social distancing has become an important mantra but however many people are told to stay at least 2 metres apart we still see people crowding close to each other even when they have space to follow the 2 metres guidance. Using labels and signs is an inexpensive way to quickly communicate this important information and alert employees of hazards and also instruct them to take action such as maintaining the 2 metres social distance gap and as such help them refrain from inbuilt behaviours that can cause risk to themselves and other employees. You can check out our social distancing equipment blog due in the coming week.

 

5. Keep an open dialogue with staff

The effectiveness and benefits of a good health and safety awareness programme should not be underestimated and therefore raising awareness through open dialogue should be encouraged. Involving the employees is a good start as they are the most important stakeholders in your business. They will be 100% up to support suggestions they have been actively involved to draw and you will be surprised at the level of commitment they will display to follow this guidance if they associate it with their work culture. Communication is essential and can never be encouraged enough.

 

6. Maintain records & seek specialist advice

It may be necessary to breach the 2 metres guideline and if this is happening more often you need to consider mitigating this risks by using PPE workwear such as face masks, gloves and face visors, hairnets and also shorten the risk duration. In areas that warrant difficult decisions, you may want specialist advice from a legal practitioner like a health and safety lawyer that would cover your business with legal privileges in case you need to display sensitive documentation to HSE, local authorities and future claimants.

 

7. Review and make this a key part of your business to keep a healthy workforce

It never hurts to be over prepared. As our last point today, we encourage regular meetings to review Covid-19 health and safety rules and discuss ways to prevent this virus from ever entering your workplace. These regular review meetings on workplace safety will help everyone know their roles and what they need to do.

Stay Alert, Control the virus, Save Lives

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