Jersey businesses planning the return to work once given the go ahead by the Government are being advised to follow a series of simple but essential steps by employment and Health and Safety specialists Law At Work (LAW).
After more than a month of working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic, many employers will be making plans to re-open their offices and business premises when the island moves out of lockdown.
LAW is issuing a checklist for businesses to follow which include a number of physical checks that need to be carried out. These include: premises inspection identifying outstanding, reactive and planned maintenance and the statutory inspections of plant and assets; assessing risks of possible sources of contamination of the water supply that may present a risk of exposure to legionella bacteria; hygiene issues including handwashing; and enhanced cleaning regimes.
Further measures which directly affect the health and well-being of employees should also be considered.
Matt Bougourd, Associate Director – Health and Safety at LAW, said: “Although there are still at least two weeks of lockdown to go before we expect to see any changes, many are looking ahead to when the island can begin the process of re-occupying workplaces and returning to normal. We will be referring to the advice given by the Government of Jersey, but employers need to start thinking about putting risk assessments and control measures in place to protect their staff before they open the doors. Practical measures such as testing all essential power supplies, emergency alarm systems, evacuation systems, and carrying out water flushing and water temperature checks of hot water storage cylinders and tanks should be carried out. Above all, they must ensure any remaining Government controls can be complied with.”
Last week, the Minister for Health and Social Services announced a two-week extension of the Stay at Home instruction and that the strategy for a safe exit from the pandemic would be made public this week.
Law At Work is continually supporting Companies, keeping them informed of their duties and assisting them to put premises re-occupation plans in place.
