In recent weeks there have been various reports in the media about employees who are unable to work from home and are worried about going to their workplace. And there’s a worrying perception that some employers aren’t doing enough to protect their staff. Clearly, there are sectors and functions that must continue in their usual working environment - the construction sector is a prime example – and Unite has issued new site operating procedures and worker safety measures as guidance.
But one of the biggest problems facing HR and Health & Safety professionals, not to mention Directors and Owners of companies, is how to effectively manage and stay on top of the heightened Covid-19 risks in workplaces that continue to operate.
Clearly the health, safety and duty of care requirements placed on employers are a legal obligation, however employees also need to understand and see evidence of what the business is doing to ensure they feel safe. Protecting the business is a two-way street which, when addressed correctly, brings positives for all parties.
It’s also important to bear in mind that the legal implications are the ultimate responsibility of the Board, not just HR and H&S professionals. Employers must ensure they get everything right, from GDPR and Statutory Sick Pay to provide safe working environments and managing absence. Get it wrong and the risk of business prosecution is a real one: so the focus is not only on adhering to guidelines and protecting staff in the short term, but it’s also vital to protect the entire business in the long-term too.
Once the initial practical elements have been addressed - such as making sanitiser and masks available, implementing social distancing measures, using screens in areas where employees are in closer proximity, cordoning off adjacent workspaces etc. – then the challenge changes. The business needs to continually monitor and evidence the practical measures taken; it must also regularly review and risk assess, and be able to show where and why adjustments are being made to maintain compliance and maximise effectiveness
Five key steps for building confidence across the on-premise workforce and keeping your business safe:
- Carry out Covid-19 specific risk assessments regularly (the frequency will obviously depend on the specific location and how it’s used).
- Ensure there is an accurate audit trail in place in the event of an HSE inspection. (The Access Organisation Resilience Solution includes risk assessment templates to support this).
- Communicate with staff on the key actions required as well as any updates to the guidance. Every employee should always be fully aware of what’s required of them and why.
- Set up Covid-19 action training to embed the practical steps that are required (cloud-based eLearning is a good way to achieve this for staff who need to learn on-the-go).
- Make it easy for employees to report Covid-19 symptoms – this data can be collected and reported on to the senior leadership team to aid planning and an agile response to staff absence.
Like any health and safety or compliance requirement, it’s important to develop and follow structured procedures, and to keep up-to-date records of the actions being taken. Tools like the Access Organisational Resilience Solution provide practical help to demonstrate and evidence compliance. Simple to implement and use, it addresses key priorities such as Covid-19 symptom reporting, risk assessment tools and templates, auditing checklists and online training all collated into a real-time digital dashboard.
For more ideas around how HR and Health & Safety professionals in businesses with on-site workers such as manufacturing, logistics and construction can improve their Covid-19 risk management, download our FREE guide – Achieving Agility: A Guide for HR, Safety, Risk and Compliance.
You can also request a free demo of the Access Organisational Resilience Solution here. This can either be used as a standalone tool or run alongside your existing risk tools to manage the current crisis. Either way, it will help your business to remain agile, compliant and able to adapt as circumstances change.