How to Keep Your Employees Safe During COVID-19

Governments across the world have advised that if you can work at home, you should, in order to slow down the spread of the coronavirus and help the medical units cope. However, there are many companies in industries such as manufacturing, distribution, construction, and industrial that can’t do this. They are required to keep going in order to keep the country running. This puts all those that work in these industries at risk of catching the coronavirus. Therefore, as an employer, you have a duty to look after your staff and keep them safe. This guide will advise you on five different ways that you can do this.

Ensure those at risk don’t come in

The more exposed someone is, the more chance they have of catching the virus, so make sure that any employees that you have that are classed as high-risk do not come into the workplace for at least 12 weeks. Involve HR and sit down individually with each employee you believe is at high risk and discuss the situation. However, ensure that you talk to everyone, as just because they might not be high-risk doesn’t mean someone in their family isn’t.

Replace the ventilation systems

Working in manufacturing or distribution might mean there is a huge amount of dust in the air, which is the reason why ventilation systems are installed. These ventilation systems can be of great use to you during these difficult times. The clean ventilation systems in place can ensure that any airborne contaminants of coronavirus can be minimized, and in best-case scenarios, eliminated. It is vital that your ventilation systems are in exceptional working order to ensure safety. This might mean replacing your current ones with new ventilation systems for covid 19 protection. Ensure you regularly clean it, and the safety of your staff will be secured from coronavirus spreading through the air of your workplace. 

Assess the working hours

In industries such as the aforementioned, shift work is more common. One way to keep your employees safe is to stagger the shift times throughout the day. This might mean one shift finishes half an hour earlier than they would normally or the other shift comes in half an hour later. This will minimize any unnecessary contact between staff, and also ensures that your entire workforce isn’t sick at once.

Put hygiene at the forefront

It is vital that you provide your staff with the appropriate hygienic equipment needed to stop the spread of the virus. This means having enough handsoap and hand sanitizer throughout the workplace in the toilets and the canteen. It’s not just about what you provide, however. It is also about the cleaning practices that are carried out. You need to thoroughly clean all the surfaces, door handles, and machinery daily, if not multiple times a day. Ensure that your staff knows the correct way to wash their hands and that they are complying with the 2-meter rule, too! 

Keep them up to date To conclude, keeping your staff safe means keeping them uptodate with everything you know. Any new hygiene practices that come into play, they must know. The new rules you set in place, inform them of this in a timely manner too, to prevent the spread. It will make a difference in the long-run, and they will appreciate you telling them of these changes in advance.