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Reopening of
buildings and working
safely during COVID19
Reopening of buildings during COVID-19
2 | Andy Fletcher | Version 1.1 | 03/06/2020
Most recent update
06/07/2020
Public toilet risk assessment and checklist can be found on page 4 under ‘Related Documents’
Introduction This document is to provide guidance on the opening and use of our buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is based on the HM Government document ‘Working Safely during COVID-19 in Offices and Contact Centres - 11 May 2020’ and aims to protect our workforce, minimise the spread of COVID-19 and ensure we are legally compliant. The Covid-19 Building Closure Protocol outlined weekly inspections of the buildings to ensure they were kept secure, wind and watertight. Further to this, the Agency ensures that all statutory inspections and maintenance are undertaken periodically at the prescribed intervals. However, due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns to movement, some shorter-interval compliance checks performed by service providers will have been missed, such as measures to counter Legionella water safety. It is therefore important that this guidance is followed to ensure our buildings are safe, compliant and opened in a controlled manner.
Purpose This document details the potential risks and the required steps to be taken to safely re-open our buildings and ensure safe working, while still maintaining physical distancing. As an employer we have a legal duty under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020’ namely -
(a) take all reasonable measures to ensure that a distance of two metres is maintained between any persons on the premises (except between two members of the same household, or a carer and the person assisted by the carer), (b) take all reasonable measures to ensure that it only admits people to its premises in sufficiently small numbers to make it
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possible to maintain that distance, (c) take all reasonable measures to ensure that a distance of two metres is maintained between any person waiting to enter its premises (except between two members of the same household, or a carer and the person assisted by the carer).
It is therefore essential you familiarise yourself with and understand the contents of this document, seeking clarification if anything remains unclear.
Scope This document covers all Agency operational buildings including offices, workshops, deer larders and stores. Separate guidance will be provided for Visitor facilities, Cafes and Commercial leases. When considering how to apply this guidance, you must take into account agency workers; contractors, other visitors in addition to our employees. This document and associated risk assessments are to ensure we meet our legal duties under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020’ and other health and safety legislation. We must also meet our existing legal obligations, including those relating to individuals with protected characteristics, as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The guidance also contains non-statutory guidance to take into account when complying with these existing obligations. Should you have any building specific queries, please direct them to the National Buildings Team, specifically your regional Building Surveyor or the National Building Compliance Officer. We have asset registers and schematic drawings to assist, as well as access to specialist service providers.
Principles The guidance is based on the following principles:
Staff and visitor safety is our primary concern
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Staff will work from home wherever possible
Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing and keeping 2 metres apart at all times
Good personal hygiene and work place hygiene are key
Reduce the use of shared areas and high touch items
Take a risk based approach
Strict management and assurance recording to ensure compliance with the guidance
Buildings, as supporting infrastructure, will open in a prioritised manner in line with business activities
Ongoing review and support will be provided to local staff
Related documents This guidance forms part of a suite of documents for the opening and use of
our buildings comprising:
Working safely during COVID-19: Managers Guide
Working safely during COVID-19: Employees Guide
Buildings Pre-Opening Checklist
COVID-19 Buildings checklists and risk assessments
COVID-19 public toilet checklist
COVID-19 Management of public toilets risk assessment
Managers Guide on staff returning to work away from home This guidance and supporting documents will be updated over time as scientific data and government advice is revised. You can check for updates on the Advice for FLS colleagues page. If you have any feedback for us, please email [email protected]
When to use this guidance The following guidance and procedures are to be followed when the Regional Manager, Cost Centre Manager or Conservator gives consent to reactivate a building from ‘closed’ to ‘active’ status. This consent will be recorded on the Pre-Opening Checklist documentation. Buildings cannot be reactivated without Regional Manager, Cost Centre Manager Approval or Conservator approval
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In the event the building is only partially reactivated, a review should be completed by the FLS Buildings Team, specifically your regional Building Surveyor or the National Building Compliance Officer to determine which systems, or partial systems, are required and the steps to use these safely
How to use this guidance This document sets out guidance on how to work safely in our buildings. It sets out our objective and gives some practical considerations of how this can be achieved in the workplace. Each local Buildings Manager will need to work through each section, understand the objective and translate the practical steps into the specific actions they needs to take, depending on the type of building, its use, and local working arrangements. To help you decide which actions to take, you need to carry out an appropriate
COVID-19 risk assessment, just as you would for other health and safety
related hazards. Generic risk assessments for different types of buildings have
been created by FLS HS&W team and can be found here.
A Buildings Re-Opening Checklist must be completed prior to the building
being put back in to use.
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Contents: 1 Assessing and Managing Risk
2 Who should go to work
3 Building Re-Opening
4 Social distancing at work
5 Managing Visitors and Contractors
6 Cleaning the workplace
7 PPE and face coverings
8 Workforce Management
9 Inbound and outbound goods
10 Communications and training
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1. Assessing and Managing risk
Objective: To assess risk and reduce it to the lowest reasonably practicable
level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority.
Everyone needs to assess and manage the risks of COVID-19. We must work
with any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace so that
everybody's health and safety is protected. Protecting people from COVID-19
in our buildings means working through the following steps in order.
We can achieve this by:
• Working from home where possible
• Increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning in every
workplace
• Identifying whether the people doing the work are especially vulnerable
to COVID-19
• Taking all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing, keeping
people 2 metres apart wherever possible
Where the physical distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, consider
whether that activity needs to continue, and if so, take all actions possible to
reduce the risk of transmission between workers. Further mitigating actions
include:
Limiting the sharing of equipment and identifying regularly touched surfaces and items
Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-
face) whenever possible
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Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)
No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.
If you have not already done so, you should carry out an assessment of the
risks posed by COVID-19 as soon as possible. It is essential that risk
assessments are carried out for our buildings prior to them reopening. To help
this, generic risk assessments, along with checklists have been drawn up for
different types of buildings:
• Large Offices
• Outstation Offices
• Outstation Workshops/Tool Stores/Drying Room
• Deer Larders
• Chemical stores
• MES Workshops
The risk assessments are available on the Covid 19 buildings checklists and risk
assessments Saltire page.
These risk assessments consider how people access and move around our
buildings and how to prevent the spread of infection of COVID-19. Each local
Buildings Manager should use these generic risk assessments to develop
location-specific building risk assessments, in consultation with relevant staff
and Forestry Trades Unions. These, in addition to this guidance will help you
manage the risks of COVID-19 following the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach.
Ensure that the results of your risk assessment are shared with all relevant
staff and other relevant parties and are kept under review.
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Further guidance on carrying out risk assessments is available in the Risk
Assessment and Risk Management Standard Operating procedure . Advice and
support on risk assessment is also available from the Health Safety and
Wellbeing Team.
Prior to reopening buildings, compliance issues such as asbestos, legionella,
electricity, work equipment, gas, pest control, fire safety and first aid provision
need to be assessed and adequate checks and controls put in place. For more
information on this see Section 3 of this document.
The following notice should be displayed in each workplace to show you have
followed this guidance:
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2. Who Should Go To Work
Objective: That everyone who can work from home, does work from home.
All employers in Scotland have a legal duty to take all reasonable measures to
ensure that it only admits people to its premises in sufficiently small numbers to
make it possible to maintain that distance
We can achieve this by:
• Working from home if at all possible. This still applies even when
restrictions are lifted on outdoor work i.e. when forestry and associated
operational activities are allowed to recommence.
• Staff working on-site should only include:
Those in roles critical for business and operational continuity, safe facility management, or regulatory requirements and which cannot be performed remotely.
Those in critical roles which might be performed remotely, but who are unable to work remotely due to home circumstances or the unavailability of safe enabling equipment.
• Planning for the minimum number of people needed on site to operate
safely and effectively.
• Managers keeping in touch with staff who are working from home to
help them stay connected to the rest of the workforce and discuss their
working arrangements including their welfare, mental and physical health and
personal security.
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• Equipment will be provided for people to work at home safely and
effectively, for example, remote access to work systems.
Protecting people who are at higher risk
Objective: To protect clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable
individuals
We can achieve this by:
• Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals are strongly advised not to
work outside the home. See Managers Guide on staff returning to work away
from home for details.
• Clinically vulnerable individuals, who are at higher risk of severe illness
(for example, people with some pre-existing conditions), should take extra care
in observing physical distancing and will be helped to work from home, either
in their current role or in an alternative role.
• If clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable)
individuals cannot work from home, they will be offered the option of the
safest available on-site roles, enabling them to stay 2 metres away from
others. If they have to spend time within 2 metres of others, we will carefully
assess whether this involves an acceptable level of risk. As for any workplace
risk we will take into account specific duties to those with protected
characteristics, including, for example, expectant mothers who are, as always,
entitled to suspension on full pay if suitable roles cannot be found. Particular
attention will also be paid to people who live with clinically extremely
vulnerable individuals.
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• We will provide support for staff around mental health and wellbeing.
We have a range of wellbeing resources including an Employee Assistance
Programme, mental health first aiders, online courses and guidance for
managers.
People who need to self-isolate
Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under
existing government guidance do not physically come to work. This includes
individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a
household with someone who has symptoms.
We can achieve this by:
• Where possible, enable staff to work from home while self-isolating.
• Providing guidance for people who have symptoms and those who live
with others who have symptoms.
• Paying employees who need to self-isolate as normal (in line with HR
Guidance)
Equality in the workplace
Objective: To treat everyone fairly and with equal consideration.
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We can achieve this by:
• Being mindful of the needs of different groups of staff or individuals. As
plans develop to reopen buildings, managers will discuss individual needs
(measures / adjustments) and any concerns about returning to the workplace
with their staff.
• Not discriminating, directly or indirectly, against anyone because of a
protected characteristic such as age, sex, disability, pregnancy etc. when
considering who should return to the workplace and who should remain at
home.
• Making sure that steps taken to enable buildings to reopen do not have
an unjustifiable negative impact on some groups compared with others, for
example, those with caring responsibilities or religious commitments.
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3. Pre-Opening Checklist
Objective: To ensure that any building that has been closed or partially
operated during lockdown is safe, compliant, clean and ready to restart
Due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 some shorter-interval compliance checks performed by service providers will have been missed, such as measures to counter Legionella water safety. It is therefore important that this guidance is followed to protect our staff, including:
• Completion of a Pre-opening Checklist to record building compliance and
safety systems are in place
• Ensuring a cleaning procedure, cleaning materials and ensuring hand
washing facilities and sanitiser are available before restarting work.
If a building has outstanding compliance items these must be immediately
communicated to our national Building Compliance Officer for advice and
rectification
We can achieve this by:
Identifying a Building Manager for each building who is responsible for the application of this re-opening guidance
Completing the Pre-Opening Checklist before the building is opened for active use. A signed and dated copy of this must be sent to the buildings team at [email protected] to as part of the assurance for opening buildings. This will be actively monitored during the
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reactivation programme for buildings.
Undertaking a visual inspection of the building fabric to check for any obvious damage, defect or vandalism. Any items shall be reported to the Buildings Team
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4 Physical Distancing At Work
Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing and
keeping 2 metres apart at all times, including while arriving at and departing
from work, while in work and when travelling between sites
All employers in Scotland also have a legal duty to take all reasonable
measures to ensure that it only admits people to its premises in sufficiently
small numbers to make it possible to maintain that distance.
We can achieve this by:
• Putting in place all reasonable measures to maintain 2 metres physical
distancing in the workplace
• Assessing work situations where people need to work in close proximity.
These need to be reviewed to see if they can be done differently so that
workers can stay 2 metres apart.
Mitigating measures include:
Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible. Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other. Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-
face) whenever possible. Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by
using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only
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a few others).
Physical distancing applies to all parts of our activities, not just the place where
people spend most of their time, but also entrances and exits, kitchens and
break rooms, canteens and similar settings. These are often the most
challenging areas to maintain physical distancing
Arriving at and leaving work
Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing, on
arrival and leaving and to ensure hand sanitising facilities are available on
arriving and leaving
We can achieve this by:
Minimising the number of staff using buildings
Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics.
Displaying COVID-19 signage on physical distancing in car parks
Providing facilities such as bike- racks to help people walk, run, or cycle to work, with a means of cleaning these after use.
Staff arriving at the same time shall self-manage and wait in their vehicle or at an appropriate distance to maintain 2 metre physical distance. There is no requirement to park vehicles at 2 metres distance from each other.
Reverse parking vehicles at all times to ensure staff do not come in to
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close contact with one another when exiting cars.
Considering having more entry and exit points to the workplace, whilst maintaining security
Where building layout allows introducing one-way flows at entry and exit points.
Providing handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser, at entry/exit points.
Treating door handles and hand rails, which are high touch areas, as a possible source of cross contamination. In multiple occupancy buildings regular cleaning of handles during the day shall be undertaken, and immediate washing or application of hand sanitiser shall be used after use.
Avoiding where possible using touch-based security devices such as entry keypads. If they have to be used, such as an alarm panel, then this should be treated as a possible source of cross contamination. Regular cleaning of entry touchpads during the day should be undertaken and immediate washing or application of hand sanitiser shall be used after use
Providing clear signage at entry points to inform staff of entry protocols and directing staff and visitors to hand cleaning stations
Removing superseded temporary closure signage and ensure COVID-19 signage is as clear as possible
Assessing reception areas to ensure they are operating only where absolutely necessary as a control.
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Arranging reception areas to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. Clear floor demarcation shall be used in open reception areas to maintain physical distancing. Where this cannot be maintained the use of plexiglass screens should be considered, in line with the fire risk assessment for the building.
Signing in/out logs shall be maintained by a single person to prevent cross contamination from logs and pens.
Moving around buildings and worksites
Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing while
people travel through the workplace
We can achieve this by:
Adopting a 1 in, 1 out policy for small stores and deer larders
Identifying a single person, where possible, for stores who has sole access and can distribute items
Reducing movement of staff within buildings by discouraging non-essential trips and restrict access between different areas of a building
Introducing one-way routes through buildings where possible, utilising floor marking and additional entry and exit points. Where one way systems are not possible, pinch points, narrow corridors and dead ends shall be identified and managed via a ‘stop, look, listen’ approach to ensure it is safe to proceed.
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Limiting the maximum occupancy of lifts to 1 person, unless assistance is required. Hand sanitiser shall be stationed outside of all lifts
Staff using the stairs wherever possible
Regulating high traffic areas including corridors and walkways to maintain social distancing with the use of floor markings
Considering the use of hold open devices on doors, especially to common areas. THESE SHALL NOT BE USED ON FIRE DOORS.
Workplaces and workstations
Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing when at
desks and workstations
The primary control for physical distancing is the number of staff using the
building. The principle of working from home where possible always applies.
Desks or workstations should be arranged to maintain physical distancing
wherever possible and should be assigned to an individual and not shared.
If it is not possible to keep workstations 2 metres apart then an assessment on
whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate is required
and if so, to take all reasonable mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of
transmission.
We can achieve this by:
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Stopping the use of shared and hot desks
Reviewing workplace layouts and processes to allow people to work further apart from each other
Assigning desks to individuals
Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help staff keep to a 2 metre distance.
Not using desks or workstations which are face-to-face at the same time
Tape off desks and workstations or use signage to create 2 metre spacing between those being used
Creating staff rota systems to ensure single use, in small cellular rooms with multiple occupancy, where 2 metre distancing cannot be maintained for entry or exit
Considering where it is not possible to move desks further apart, and staff must be at work at the same time, the use of screens to separate people from each other.
Applying a clear desk policy in all work places to allow for effective daily cleaning of desk areas
Providing cleaning materials for desks and workstations to allow the user to regularly clean their desks and equipment
Providing individuals with their own mouse and keyboard
Providing cleaning materials for equipment and tools
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Avoiding the use of desks adjacent to doors or high use walkways
Employees thoroughly cleaning borrowed homeworking equipment, prior to returning chairs, monitors etc. Office equipment or furniture should be clearly marked as returned items and left for a minimum of 72 hours before being used
Not allowing the use of personal fans or blown heaters
Shared IT equipment
Objective: To allow the safe use of shared IT equipment by maintaining good
hygiene
For printers, especially Multi-Function Devices (MFD), these have touchscreens
and buttons which means that they will be constantly in use and constantly
touched. As such they should be treated as “always” contaminated. Under
these conditions it is important to clearly signpost them as such and provide
cleaning materials.
We can achieve this by:
Avoiding printing where possible
Providing disinfectant cleaner, preferably 70% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) in spray or wipe form shall be positioned at each printer station. Alcohol based disinfectants are preferred as they will evaporate more quickly than other non-alcohol based disinfectants
spraying the solution (if in spray form) on to a disposable paper roll before wiping and not directly spraying onto the surface. This will avoid
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droplets entering gaps and affecting the function of the device. Alcohol based disinfectants are preferred as they will evaporate more quickly than other non-alcohol based disinfectants.
Issuing clear instructions which state that the user should wipe down all touched surfaces before and after use.
Users cleaning their hands after use with sanitiser This guidance shall also apply to all other communal IT equipment, such as conference phones, plotters and remote controls etc.
Meetings
Objective: To reduce transmission due to face-to-face meetings and take all
reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing
We can achieve this by:
Avoiding in-person meetings by the use of telecom or videoconferencing systems
Where absolutely necessary participants attending face to face meetings should maintain 2 metre separation throughout.
Marking seating around meeting tables at 2 metre spacing minimum on the table or floor
Removing additional chairs from the meeting room or clearly marking ‘not for use’
Avoiding sharing pens and other objects during meeting.
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Cleaning high touch items such as conference telephones and remote controls before and after each use
Providing sanitiser and wipes in all meeting rooms.
Considering holding meetings outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms whenever possible.
Common areas
Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing while
using common areas
We can achieve this by:
Ensuring landlords/tenants have consistent and agreed guidance across common areas such as receptions and staircases and that all staff are informed
Staggering break times to reduce pressure on break rooms or canteens.
Using safe outside areas for breaks where possible
Using additional space that may have been freed up by remote working
Discouraging the use of shared kitchen equipment (crockery, cutlery etc) and where possible restricting. If it is used then this must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water before and after use.
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Encouraging staff to bring their own food to work and if possible avoid the use of kitchen facilities
Providing supplies of cleaning materials where kitchens and kitchen equipment are used and ensuring staff shall wipe down surfaces prior to and after use, such as refrigerator handles
Reconfiguring common areas to maintain 2 metre spacing and reduce face-to-face interactions.
Encouraging office based staff to remain on-site and, when not possible, maintain strict physical distancing while off-site.
Applying a 1 in 1 out policy for the use of locker rooms, changing areas and other facilities to eliminate concurrent usage
Storing personal items and clothing in personal storage spaces such as lockers or at individual’s desk
Accidents, security and other incidents
Objective: To prioritise safety during incidents
We can achieve this by:
Staff and visitors understanding that an emergency, for example, an accident or fire, people do not have to stay 2 metres apart if it would be unsafe.
Employees involved in the provision of assistance to others should pay particular attention to sanitation measures immediately afterwards, including washing hands.
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5. Managing customers, visitors and
contractors
Objective: To minimise the number of unnecessary visits to our buildings
We can achieve this by:
Encouraging visits via remote connection/working where this is an option.
Ensuring physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place for receiving visitors and managing them while on site
Where site visits are required, providing clearly signed guidance on physical distancing and hygiene and information to visitors on or before arrival
Limiting the number of visitors at any one time
Limiting visitor times to a specific time window and restricting access to required visitors only and to the minimum areas of the building
Ensuring essential services and contractor visits are timed to reduce interaction and overlap between people
Recording of all visitors to our buildings
Removing furniture in lobbies and waiting areas
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Signing in/out logs shall be maintained by a single person to prevent cross contamination from the log and pens
Assessing reception areas to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. Clear floor demarcation shall be used in open reception areas to maintain physical distancing. Where physical distancing cannot be maintained in a reception area the use of plexiglass screens should be considered.
Clearly marking a designated area for deliveries. Where possible this shall be outside to negate the need for access to the building.
Providing and explaining available guidance to visitors
Objective: To make sure people understand what they need to do to maintain
safety
We can achieve this by:
Providing clear guidance on physical distancing and hygiene and explaining measures in place to visitors on arrival.
Clearly displaying signage or visual aids at the point of entry to the building
Providing guidance where possible before arrival by phone, email or via our website
Providing a single point of contact for visitors to act as host and who has responsibility for the visitor while on site
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Reviewing entry and exit routes for visitors and contractors to minimise contact with staff
In shared buildings coordination between building users on the guidance of workplace visitors must be agreed
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6. Cleaning the Workplace
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission of COVID-19
by touching contaminated surfaces.
We can achieve this by:
Frequent cleaning of individual work areas and equipment between uses shall be maintained
Having cleaning regimes of high touch objects and surfaces such as door handles, stair bannisters and keyboards undertaken throughout the day
Cleaning arrangements being in place for all buildings. The timing of cleaning should be outside of general building hours when there are minimal staff and desk areas and workstations are clear.
Considering the provision of an additional day cleaner for larger buildings and busy locations
Providing adequate wipes, hand sanitiser and cleaning products
Adequate disposal arrangements for used cleaning equipment
Use of ‘hands free’ operated bins where possible
Cleaning workstations and desks at the end of each day and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift
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Limiting or restricting use of high-touch items and equipment, for example, printers or whiteboards
If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you
should refer to the specific guidance here
Hygiene – Handwashing, Sanitation Facilities and
Toilets
Objective: To help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day
We can achieve this by:
Displaying signage and posters throughout the building to encourage and enforce awareness. Signage shall include as a minimum good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency and avoid touching your face, to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available, to maintain physical distancing and for the cleaning of desks and work areas.
Provision of hand sanitiser in multiple locations in addition to washrooms. This must include entry and exit points, kitchen facilities and outside toilet areas
Providing clear guidance on the usage of the toilet facilities
Considering the use of all available toilet facilities to maintain 2 metre physical distancing. This may include single person use of the facilities at any one time, and may require locks fitting to the facilities doors.
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All toilets must have a closable lid and be flushed with the lid down to prevent airborne droplets
Mechanical ventilation in toilets being left on full time to ensure good ventilation of toilet areas
The use of urinals is not being permitted to prevent airborne droplets
Provision of hand drying facilities and ensuring hands thoroughly dried after washing
Discouraging the use of hand driers in favour of paper towels
Providing more waste facilities and if required more frequent rubbish collection
Changing Rooms and Showers
Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission in changing rooms and showers
We can achieve this by:
Displaying clear use and cleaning guidance for showers, lockers and changing rooms
Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing is maintained while using these facilities
Applying a one in one out policy to locker rooms, changing areas and other facility areas to eliminate concurrent usage. Locks or signage may be required to indicate when it is in use
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Heating and Ventilation
Objective: To maintain a healthy environment and reduce airborne
transmission
We can achieve this by:
Maintaining good building ventilation
Leaving direct external clean air fans on where possible
Opening of windows for ventilation
Not permitting the use of personal fans or blown heaters
Handling Goods, Merchandise and Other Materials
Objective: To reduce transmission through contact with objects that come into
the workplace
We can achieve this by:
Putting cleaning procedures in place for goods and merchandise entering the site, and the handling of packaging
Providing a clearly marked designated area for deliveries. Where possible this shall be outside to negate the need for access to the building.
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Providing handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser for staff handling goods and merchandise.
Discouraging non-business deliveries, for example, personal deliveries to employees where possible
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7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Objective: To provide information to staff on the use of additional PPE in the
workplace
Current HSE guidance on protecting against COVID-19 clearly states that
additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because
COVID-19 is a different type of risk and needs to be managed through physical
distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.
Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very
high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in
providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk
assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE
free of charge to workers who need it
Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-
COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so. Workplaces should not
encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19
outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case
of COVID-19.
Face-Coverings Wearing a face-covering is optional and is not required by law, including in the
workplace. A face covering is not the same as a face mask, such as the surgical
masks or respirators used by health and care workers
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The evidence on the use of face coverings is limited, but there may be some
benefit in wearing a facial covering when you leave the house and enter
enclosed spaces, especially where physical distancing is more difficult and
where there is a risk of close contact with multiple people you do not usually
meet. Examples include, traveling on public transport or entering a food shop
where it is not always possible to maintain a 2 metre distance from another
customer. There is no evidence to suggest there might be a benefit outdoors,
unless in an unavoidable crowded situation, where there may be some benefit.
There are some circumstances when wearing a face covering may provide
minimal benefits as a precautionary measure. The evidence suggests that
wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you
are infected but have not developed symptoms.
A face covering can be very simple, should cover the mouth and nose and may
be worn in enclosed spaces where physical (social) distancing isn’t
possible. They are unlikely to provide any benefit when working outdoors in
the forest. Face coverings are not a replacement for the other ways of
managing risk, including minimising time spent in contact, using fixed teams
and partnering for close-up work, and increasing hand and surface washing.
Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely if they
choose to wear one. This means telling workers:
wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use
hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it
when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering,
as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands
change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it.
continue to wash your hands regularly
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change and wash your face covering daily
if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s
instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual
waste
practise physical distancing wherever possible
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8. Workforce Management
Shift patterns and Working Groups
Objective: To change the way work is organised to create distinct groups and
reduce the number of contacts each employee has.
We can achieve this by:
• Designating team areas so that where contact is unavoidable, this
happens between the same people. Staff will have a designated desk.
• Reducing the numbers of employees who are in the office at the same time, in order to comply with physical distancing regulations. When identifying who should attend the office on a regular basis, individual circumstances will be taken into account e.g. priority given for those who are experiencing significant difficulty working from home. The majority of employees are therefore likely to alternate between home and office depending on both business and individual needs.
• Identify areas, where the exchange of items can take place without
direct contact, for example office supplies / files, and finding ways to remove
direct contact, such as using drop-off points or transfer zones.
Accommodation and visits
Objective: To avoid unnecessary work travel and keep people safe when they
do need to travel between locations.
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We can achieve this by:
• Minimising non-essential travel and consider remote options first.
• Staff checking that any overnight accommodation they book meets
physical distancing guidelines, if travel away from home cannot be avoided
Deliveries to Other Sites
Objective: To help staff delivering to other sites such as agency offices, or
suppliers’ or customers’ premises to maintain social distancing and hygiene
practices.
We can achieve this by:
• Minimising person-to-person contact during deliveries to other sites
• maintaining constant pairing where two-person deliveries are required
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9. Inbound and Outbound Goods
Objective: To maintain social distancing and avoid surface transmission when
goods enter and leave the site
We can achieve this by:
Revising pick-up and drop-off collection points, procedures, signage and markings.
Minimising unnecessary contact at site security, yard and warehouse. For example, non-contact deliveries where the nature of the product allows for use of electronic pre- booking.
Considering methods to reduce frequency of deliveries, for example by ordering larger quantities less often.
Where possible and safe, having single workers load or unload vehicles.
Where possible, using the same pairs of people for loads where more than one is needed.
Enabling drivers to access welfare facilities when required, consistent with other guidance.
Encouraging drivers to stay in their vehicles where this does not compromise their safety and existing safe working practice
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10 Communications and Training
Returning to Work
Objective: To make sure all workers understand COVID-19 related
safety procedures.
We can achieve this by:
• Providing clear, consistent and regular communication to improve
understanding and consistency of ways of working.
• Engaging with employees and FTUS through existing communication
routes to explain and agree any changes in working arrangements.
• Developing communication and training materials for staff prior to returning to site, especially around any new procedures for arrival at work.
Ongoing communications and signage
Objective: To make sure all staff are kept up to date with how safety measures
are being implemented or updated.
We can achieve this by:
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• Ongoing engagement with employees and FTUS to monitor and
understand any unforeseen impacts of changes to working environments.
• Maintaining focus and awareness on the importance of mental health at times of uncertainty and continue to provide wellbeing resources. • Use simple, clear messaging to explain guidelines, using images and clear language, with consideration of groups for which English may not be their first language. • Communicating approaches and operational procedures to suppliers, customers etc. to help their adoption of our measures and to share experience.