admin
New Delhi, June 26, 2020 ;
Deciding to close or re-open a workplace or suspend or downscale work activities should rely on the risk assessment, the capacity to put in place protective measures and the level of compliance, and recommendations of national authorities.
Q7.”What key measures to protect against COVID-19 should be undertaken in ALL workplaces?”
Measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19 that apply to all workplaces and all people at the workplace include frequent hand-washing or disinfection with alcohol based hand sanitizer, respiratory hygiene such as covering coughs, physical distancing of at least 1 metre or more according to the national recommendations, wearing of masks where distancing is not possible, regular environmental cleaning and disinfection, and limiting unnecessary travel. Clear policies and messages, training, and education for staff and managers to increase awareness of COVID-19 are essential. The management of people with COVID-19 or their contacts is also critical e.g. requiring workers who are unwell or who develop symptoms to stay at home, self isolate and contact a medical professional or the local COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral.
Workplaces for jobs at medium risk require daily cleaning and disinfection at least two times a day of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, including all shared rooms, surfaces, floors, bathrooms, and changing rooms. Consider suspending any activity where physical distancing of at least 1 metre cannot be implemented in full. If this is not possible, increase ventilation, implement enhanced regular hand hygiene, and require staff to wear appropriate face masks, goggles, gloves and work clothes during cleaning procedures that generate splashes, providing training on their use. Organize changing and washing of work clothes at the workplace, so that workers to do take them home.
In work areas at high risk, assess the possibility of suspending the activity; enhance regular hand hygiene; provide medical masks, disposable gowns, gloves, and eye protection for workers who must work in the homes of people who are suspected or known to have COVID-19; train workers in infection prevention and control practices and use of personal protective equipment; avoid assigning tasks with high risk to workers who have pre-existing medical conditions, are pregnant, or older than 60 years of age.
WHO recommends keeping a physical distance of at least 1 metre between each person in all settings, including in workplaces. Because transmission can occur in crowded workplaces, WHO recommends providing sufficient space, at least 10 square meters, for every worker. National recommendations for physical distancing may require greater physical distance and should be complied with.
In order to support compliance with national or local recommendations, implement physical distance guidelines in a way that is practical and feasible in the context of work tasks, and which is acceptable to both workers and employers. Stimulate workers to comply with physical distancing norms also at events outside the workplace, in the community, and in dormitories.
Risk assessment and consultation between employers and workers is very important for setting up and implementing physical distancing measures at the workplace. This may require modification of workstations, changing the use of common spaces and transport vehicles, staggered work shifts, split teams and other measures to reduce social mixing at the workplace.
If physical distancing measures at the workplace are not feasible for specific work tasks, consider whether the work can be suspended, and if this is not possible, apply additional protective measures, such as the use of screens, sneeze guards, face masks, enhanced hand hygiene, ventilation and disinfection.
Physical distancing alone can’t prevent COVID-19 transmission, it is important that it is combined with other public health measures, such as hand and respiratory hygiene, environmental clean-up and disinfection of commonly touched surfaces and objects, ventilation, wearing face masks and a policy of staying at home if unwell.
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