Health and Safety: Back to the Office

Scottish Government has released guidance for workers and employers on returning to work safely during the current COVID-19 pandemic, based on Scotland’s route map and decision-making framework.

As stated in the guidance:

“All business workplaces that are not being specifically required to close should consider a set of key questions – and at all times work on the precautionary basis:

• is what you do essential or material to the effort against the virus or to the wellbeing of society?
• is your business able to open in accordance with the current position in the Scotland’s Route Map?
• are you able to demonstrate and give confidence to your workforce that you can consistently practice safe physical distancing and comply with ALL other standard health and safety requirements

Essential services are the fundamental services that underpin daily life and ensure the country continues to function. There are 13 designated Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors (including food production, energy and transport,) but not everything within a national infrastructure sector is ‘critical’.

Even where businesses are in the CNI category and judge themselves to be exempt from closure of business premises, not all of their operations may count as essential.”

To read the guidance in full, please visit the Scottish Government website.

Our friends at Community Focus Scotland CIC have created a Social Distancing Policy for their own use, which they have kindly allowed us to share with the wider third sector, as a starting point for your own group or organisation. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about adapting the policy to suit your needs.

Social distancing measures are for everyone, including business, charities and other third sector organisations and groups. We should all be trying to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Every person in Scotland must comply with the Scottish Government measures, which first came into effect on Thursday 26^th March 2020.

To view or download this policy, please visit the CVS Falkirk website.

Nina Fairweather, a chartered safety and health practitioner based in Dundee with more than 25 years experience in the international hospitality industry, has published a short, FREE training session on how to complete a COVID-19 risk assessment.

The session covers some of the key controls that must be taken into consideration when carrying out a specific Covid-19 risk assessment for your group, organisation or business (including social enterprises), and provides participants with informed considerations on how to carry out a risk assessment to re-open your business safely.

The session takes 45 minutes and is available at any time.

To access the training, or for further information (including other available courses), please visit the Fairweather Safety Consulting course website.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has complied a range of workplace advice on gas safety, air conditioning and ventilation, and other guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be useful during this next recovery phase, covering air conditioning and ventilation, gas safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, Display Screen Equipment and face coverings.

For further information (including a full list of the guidance available), please view the full web article.

The Skills Network Scotland provides a range of accredited and fully-funded online training courses for people in Scotland.

Courses include a Cleaning Knowledge and Skills course, which covers learning about infection control, and may be particularly useful for local groups and organisations who are considering how to safely resume their services and activities as lockdown restrictions ease.

To qualify for funding for the courses, participants must:

• be aged 16 years old or over
• live in Scotland
• have been living within the EU for at least the last 3 years

For further information on all available courses, please visit the The Skills Network Scotland website, or go directly to the Cleaning Skills and Knowledge course page.

• PPE for Early Learning and Childcare Services

To offer a route to buying Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for private, voluntary and independent early learning and childcare services (including childminders and out-of-school care), Scottish Government has set up a framework agreement with third-party supplier Lyreco.

The products offered via the framework include face masks, aprons, gloves, visors, hand sanitiser, goggles and safety glasses. All products are subject to availability and prices are updated regularly on the Lyreco website.

Please note that this is a “pay for” service, and the childcare provider will be responsible for paying for any products purchased from Lyreco under this agreement.

For further information, including how to open an account with Lyrceo, please visit the Care Inspectorate website.

• Local Safety Equipment: MinuteMan Press Falkirk Clear Banners

As mentioned above, part of our focus on the recovery phase means we are highlighting local Falkirk providers of PPE and other safety equipment.

MinuteMan Press in Falkirk has launched new Clear Protective Roll Up Banners. The banners stand at 800mm wide and 2 metres high, costing £48 + VAT each (with a free carry bag as standard).

The banners are designed for a range of sectors, environments and businesses, including offices, industrial or retail environments, mobile setups, salons, nail bars and barbers.

Fitting is not required; the banners are designed to be lightweight and easy to set up, move and take down, and can be relocated as required.

For further information, please contact MinuteMan Press by phone: 01324 613636, or email: info@minutemanfalkirk.co.uk

• Health Protection Scotland PPE Posters

To provide clarity on what the revised PPE changes mean for health and social care staff , Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has produced visual posters specifying what kind of PPE should be worn in which setting or scenario, with a poster for each of the following environments:

• Healthcare settings: Caring for patients not suspected or known to have COVID-19
• Community settings: Caring for patients or residents not suspected or known to have COVID-19
• All health and social care settings: Caring for patients who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19
• High risk acute areas: Caring for patients who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19

All posters are available to download as pdf documents in sizes A4 and A3 from the Scottish Care website.

• HPS Workforce Educational Resources

In addition to the PPE posters linked above, HPS has a number of resources available for use in a range of settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, including their Workforce Educational Resources.

The page features videos on hand hygiene (both using alcohol-based hand rub, and using soap and water) and the correct way to put on, remove and dispose of PPE, and links to further NHS Education Scotland (NES) resources for all health and social care staff and volunteers deployed to support clinic services.

For further information (including links to other HPS pages), please visit the HPS website.

Scotland’s Care Inspectorate has released a range of resources to support staff working in care homes, in childcare and as childminders during COVID-19, including:

• a dedicated Guidance for Services COVID-19 page (including support and information for childcare providers)
• “Safe Practice in Care Homes: Key Infection Prevention and Control Measures” display notice
  • available to view or download as a pdf (A3 size) from the Care Inspectorate website, or as an image file via CVS Falkirk

Falkirk Council has updated their Support for Business page to reflect that many businesses and social enterprises are reopening, including the support and assistance they provide to help make sure businesses are ready and prepared to reopen safely, and in line with the latest regulations. They have also listed the contact details of key teams who may need to be consulted prior to reopening, along with an FAQ.

Additionally, there is information on the “We’re Good to Go” accreditation scheme, a national quality consumer mark introduced by Visit Britain in conjunction with Visit Scotland, Wales, England and Tourism Northern Ireland. The mark means businesses can demonstrate that they’re adhering to the respective government and public health guidance, and have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment to check they have the required processes and protocols in place.

For further information, please visit the Falkirk Council website. (Please note, this may be updated on the source website before this page.)

In addition to their guidance above, Scottish Government has also produced a poster (available to view or download as a pdf or jpeg), which can be displayed in workplaces, with key information in plain language on the spread of COVID-19 and how to minimise this. There is also simplistic and instructive graphics.

To view or download the poster, or share it online, please click on the links below:

• pdf:  “COVID-19 in the Workplace – Protecting Yourself and Others”
• jpeg:  “COVID-19 in the Workplace – Protecting Yourself and Others”

The UK Government has released a poster (available to view or download as a pdf) which can be displayed in workplaces and details 5 key steps all workplaces should take to manage the risk of COVID-19.

The poster also assures visitors that these steps have been taken, and can be signed and dated, with contact information for Health and Safety Officers.

“Staying COVID-19 Secure in 2020

We confirm we have complied with the [UK] government’s guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19.

FIVE STEPS TO SAFER WORKING TOGETHER:

• We have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the people who work here.
• We have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with guidance.
• We have taken all reasonable steps to help people work safely from a COVID-19 Secure workplace or work from home.
• We have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace.
• Where people cannot keep 2m apart we have ensured at least a 1m distance and taken all the mitigating actions possible to manage transmission risk.”

To view or download the poster, please visit the UK Government website. (Please note, this poster may be updated on the source website before this page.)

ACAS has a range of resources, free to access and use, available to support organisations through the changes COVID-19 has brought, including:

• “Return to the Workplace” Process Map

The process map below is designed for employers who are preparing for a return to the workplace. It is an interactive resource which signposts some recommended actions and further guidance available.

To access the map, please visit the ACAS website.

• Additional “Return to the Workplace” Resources

Legislation

If you want or need to refer to specific health and safety legislation, ACAS has provided links to relevant Acts and Regulations in the UK:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The Management of H&S at Work Regs 1999
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• The PPE at Work Regulations 1992
• The Control of Substance Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• Employment Rights Act 1996 (“ERA”) – 44(1)(d); s.100(1)(d)

Podcasts on returning to work

ACAS advisers share insights to help organisations successfully navigate returning to the workplace after lockdown on The Acas Podcast:

• “How can we return to work well?” (Duration: 19 mins; transcripted)
• “Managing the transition from furlough.” (Duration: 16 mins; transcripted)

You can listen and subscribe to The ACAS Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

• Redundancy Process Map

The Redundancy Process Map is designed for employers who are unfortunately having to consider making redundancies within their organisation.

This interactive resource has been designed to help employers better understand redundancy processes, required steps and also good practice when engaging with employees. It also provides details of options and alternatives to making redundancies, and prompts employers to consider further support they can provide to their employees.

It should be noted that this resource provides an overview of the steps and processes involved.

Further guidance and information is also available on ACAS’ main Redundancy page.

To download the Redundancy Process Map, or for further resources, visit the ACAS website.

• Senior Advisers

Senior Advisers are available to help your organisation with whatever changes or challenges you may be facing. Some examples of support are:

• helping you manage organisational change
• bringing your management and staff representatives together to solve problems, running workshops and focus groups
• carrying out employee surveys, identifying concerns and setting up employee forums
• advising on redundancy or restructuring including consultation processes, discrimination considerations and training for redundancy representatives

To request support from the Senior Advisers, or from ACAS in general, please complete their online Contact form.

The global HR services industry has formed an alliance (spearheaded by Dutch company Randstad NV, the Adecco Group, and ManpowerGroup) to enable companies and workers to return to work safely when the time is right.

They have produced a series of resources, “Safely Back to Work in the New Normal” (available on the Ranstad RV website), which includes:

• “A Practical Guide for a Safe Restart”
• “Best Practice Protocols”
• “White Paper: Safely Back to Work in the New Normal” (detailing the alliance’s view that a disciplined return to work will be key to economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic)

To view or download any of these documents, please click on the document title above. Alternatively, for further information, visit the Ranstad RV website.