The main 5 changes are: –
• Completing an up to date Risk assessment
• Maintaining Social distancing
• Ensuring Cleaning, hygiene and handwashing
• Talking to your employees and providing up to date information
• Allowing your employees to work from home where possible
• Understanding the risks to Vulnerable workers
Over the next 5 blogs, we will be going into each step in depth to help you protect your business.
Step 1 – Writing a Covid Risk Assessment
The first thing an employer sure ensure is that a sufficient Covid19 Risk Assessment has been completed including reasonable adjustments to protect both your employees and visitors from Coronavirus. If you employee less than 5 personnel then you do not have to write anything down but it would be advisable to do so.
It is essential that you: –
• Include your company name, date the assessment was completed and who by
• Identify the areas in which the virus may be transmitted and how.
• Consider who will or can be at risk
• Determine the possibility that someone could be exposed
• Take action to eliminate the risk of a specific situation, if this is not possible, take action to control the risk
Include practical steps (for example and not limited to): –
• Cleaning measures
• Social Distancing
• Working from home or rotating shifts
Always consider your vulnerable employees whilst writing your risk assessment as they may be susceptible to the disease more than others and/or have more serious consequences if they become infected.
Communicating with your employees whilst compiling your risk assessment can be beneficial as they may provide ideas and advice of how you could control the risk in their area of work. It will also help them to understand the measures you are taking to protect them and may ease any anxiety they may be feeling.
Once your risk assessment has been completed and initiated, it is important to monitor that this is being adhered to and working correctly, and make changes if needed.
