The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides the latest COVID-19 updates with regards to working safely during the coronavirus outbreak.
HSE’s new guidance will help you keep workers safe (COVID secure) during the outbreak.
This guidance is for employers and those who are self-employed and work with or near other people. It may also be useful to workers and their representatives.
During the coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak, it is important for businesses to operate where it is safe to do so. This guidance is designed to help you work safely and control the risks associated with running your business at this time.
The guidance explains measures you can take to help you carry on working safely during coronavirus (sometimes known as being ‘COVID secure’), for example by putting in place social distancing measures, staggering shifts, providing additional handwashing facilities and how to talk with workers to help them stay safe.
Further detailed guidance is also available on GOV.UK for the following specific work settings:
- construction and other outdoor work
- factories, plants and warehouses
- other people’s homes
- labs and research facilities
- offices and contact centres
- restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
- shops and branches
- vehicles
Putting in place plans to work safely
The plans businesses put in place mean that work is likely to be organised differently from how it was before lockdown. These guides are designed to help you to know what you can do to control risks associated with running your business during this time.
These guides should not be used on their own, to decide on the actions that you need to take, but as a starting point to consider what you can do. Further detailed guidance is also available on GOV.UK.
The following guides will help you manage the risk from coronavirus in your business during this time:
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Working safely during the coronavirus outbreak – a short guide
A guide to the steps you should take to help manage the risks of coronavirus in your business. These include taking measures to work at home where possible, maintaining social distancing, cleaning and hygiene. -
Talking with your workers about working safely during the coronavirus outbreak
By consulting and involving people in steps you are taking to manage the risk of coronavirus in your workplace you can:
- explain the changes you are planning to work safely
- make sure changes will work and hear their ideas
- continue to operate your business safely during the outbreak
You should share the results of your risk assessment with your workforce. If possible, you should consider publishing the results on your website (and the government expects all employers with over 50 workers to do so).
You can find a notice to download, print and display in your workplace to show you have followed this guidance at GOV.UK.
Other guidance available from the government includes:
If you need help and advice on how to protect people from coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace, you can contact:
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your employee representative
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your trade union if you have one
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HSE using their working safely enquiry form
HSE has published a range of guidance, which you may find useful which includes information on:
- RIDDOR reporting of COVID-19
When, what and how you should report under RIDDOR - Fit testing face masks
Guidance (and a video) explaining how to put on tight-fitting RPE correctly - Protecting homeworkers
This includes a short video showing how you can achieve a reasonable posture, while temporarily working with display screen equipment at home
For all the latest information and advice visit the HSE coronavirus microsite.
