Is Your Business Covid-19 Secure?
June 14, 2020
As lockdown ends, and a degree of normality appears to be resuming, people all over the country are returning to work in some form of another. Whether that be working from home for the foreseeable, returning to client facing roles, or returning to more manual construction or factory roles. So, what are you doing as an employer to keep your staff safe and your working practices Covid-19 secure? The government have stipulated that prior to restarting work, employers should ensure the safety of their workforce by carrying out a Covid-19 risk assessment in line with the HSE guidance and government specified recommendations.
A risk assessment will show you what you are doing well, identify areas you can improve and provide practical solutions to minimise risk of virus transmission. Risk assessment by an external occupational health provider has the added benefit of ensuring that any assessment completed, and recommendations made, are impartial and completed by experienced risk assessors. Here at Physiotherapy Matters Ltd. we can undertake a thorough Covid-19 risk assessment for your business considering all aspects of a working day including
- Home working
- Hygiene procedures
- Social distancing
- Equipment suitability
- Workplace management
As part of the risk assessment recommendations will be made in accordance with government guidance.
The scale of the risk assessment required will vary dependent on individual business needs and can range from individual-focussed through to company-focussed. Individual-focussed assessments look at the risks associated with one specific employee returning to work. While this is not a medical assessment, the assessor will ask the employee about any underlying health conditions which they feel may mean they are classified as ‘high risk’ and , with consent, document these and recommend further medical clarification to decide if the employee needs additional support or consideration.
Larger scale risk assessments could look at a team of workers, or a department with similar working practices. Or risk assessments could even look at the business as a whole to provide a more general overview and give recommendations on becoming Covid-19 secure.
The government also advises that the risk assessment report should be made available to the workforce and made available on the company website. This will provide evidence of steps taken by the employer to minimise risks and ensure employee safety as well as help to reassure those employees who may be anxious about returning to work.
If you feel your business would benefit from a risk assessment from an external provider, contact us today on 0191 285 8701 or email us at info@physiotherapymatters.co.uk.