This guidance has been developed to assist managers and staff with the risk assessment process in relation to the specific risk of COVID-19 to individuals in the workplace. In particular for members of staff returning to work after shielding, employees returning to normal duties after COVID-19 related constraints, those who are returning to the workplace after working from home or anyone who has a concern about a particular vulnerability to COVID-19.

As we move through the phases in Scotland’s route map, it is crucial that we acknowledge that COVID-19 has not gone away. Moving forward means us all working together and sticking with it, for yourselves, each other and for us.

This campaign has been designed to help embed a greater sense of collective responsibility in fighting COVID-19 and support you and your fellow businesses to reopen as safely as possible. Running in conjunction with FACTS protection campaign, Test & Protect and further restriction changing messaging.

A guide for businesses who make or get deliveries to make sure they provide drivers with easy access to welfare facilities like toilets and hand washing amenities.

It is a legal responsibility to whoever controls the premises to provide access to these services.

Guidance on the various options available for disinfecting larger spaces in the workplace to help control the spread of COVID-19. Options include fog, vapour, and Ultraviolet treatments.

20-21- Covid 19 Routemap – Phase 3 – Stakeholder – Stakeholder Toolkit

This outlines the Scottish Government messaging available in relation to Phase 3 guidance covering the following  information:

  • Scotland’s Route Map
  • Phase 3: A Staged Approach
  • We Are Scotland Campaign Introduction
  • Phase 3 Latest Restrictions Assets
  • Phase 3 Retail Assets
  • Phase 3 Back to Work Assets
  • FACTS Protection Campaign Assets

If you would like one link for all assets noted in the document, you can download the full suite of assets here.

 

As a result of COVID-19 commercial waste volumes have fallen considerably whilst household volumes have risen, resulting in many London boroughs having to change their services. As lockdown eases there will be additional implications for the waste industry, many of which are currently unknown.

To view and download the latest version (v4.0) of the Considerations for London borough commercial waste services document please follow the link below:

Updates for this version (v4.0) include:

  • Government guidelines – updated
  • Operative absence levels – updated
  • Commercial waste composition
  • Appendix 2 – updated

 

HSE team up with Virtual College to develop a new online health and safety training solution for slips and trips in the workplace following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of construction workers are injured each year following a trip or slip whilst on site of which many could have been avoided with improved management of working areas and access routes for example corridors, footpaths, site cabins and stairwells.

The new online courses have been designed to help businesses meet their compliance needs, with the learner at the forefront of the creative process. For more information on the three levels of training available please follow the links below:

HSE asks waste management companies to remember to control other serious health and safety risks when operating their business, while taking measures to reduce the chances of COVID-19 infection.

At the moment many waste companies are reporting lower than usual levels of sickness absence. However, they are seeing a rise in near misses with a high potential for a serious accident and there is a perception that the workforce may be forgetting the ‘basic’ risks in their focus on COVID-19.

Thank you for your support during Phase 1 communications for Test and Protect. We’ve seen really high levels of awareness (at 86%), and there is clear evidence that the Phase 1 campaign activity has driven this, with awareness at 90% among those who had seen/heard the campaign vs 74% among those who hadn’t.

As we prepare for phase 2 of the campaign, we would love to hear your thoughts on the Phase 1 activity. I realise taking the time for a survey is a big ask given how much information is being sent out just now, but given how crucial Test and Protect is to our collective ongoing safety, we would very much like to shape future plans around our partner needs and feedback.

If you could please take some time to fill out Test and Protect Stakeholder Survey, it should take about 5-7 minutes to complete and we really value your input to help inform our future plans. If you could please fill this in by Thursday, 9th July, we would very much appreciate your help.

Click here to access the Test & Protect Survey

 Phase 2 of Test and Protect will be launching in mid-July, so I look forward to giving you further updates on this soon.

PHASS recently discussed the expectation that employers should publish their COVID risk assessments.  It’s not a legal requirements but here is the advice:

Sharing your risk assessment

You must share the results of your risk assessment with your workforce. If possible, you should consider publishing it on your website (and we would expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so). We would expect all businesses to demonstrate to their workers and customers that they have properly assessed their risk and taken appropriate measures to mitigate this. You should do this by displaying a notification in a prominent place in your business and on your website, if you have one.

Remember that Healthy Working Lives has information and advice to support the risk assessment process, a tool kit on helping employees back to work and an opportunity to offer or receive support from a mentoring network. Find out more and we would welcome you sharing case studies or risk assessments.