Reopening of buildings and working safely during COVID19 · restrictions are lifted on outdoor work...

Reopening of

buildings and working

safely during COVID19

Reopening of buildings during COVID-19

2 | Andy Fletcher | Version 1.2 | 07/07/2020

Most recent update

07/07/2020

Updated information following Scottish Government guidelines regarding face coverings from page 34

Public toilet risk assessment and checklist can be found on page 4 under ‘Related Documents’

Introduction This document is to provide guidance on the opening and use of our buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is based on the HM Government document ‘Working Safely during COVID-19 in Offices and Contact Centres - 11 May 2020’ and aims to protect our workforce, minimise the spread of COVID-19 and ensure we are legally compliant. The Covid-19 Building Closure Protocol outlined weekly inspections of the buildings to ensure they were kept secure, wind and watertight. Further to this, the Agency ensures that all statutory inspections and maintenance are undertaken periodically at the prescribed intervals. However, due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns to movement, some shorter-interval compliance checks performed by service providers will have been missed, such as measures to counter Legionella water safety. It is therefore important that this guidance is followed to ensure our buildings are safe, compliant and opened in a controlled manner.

Purpose This document details the potential risks and the required steps to be taken to safely re-open our buildings and ensure safe working, while still maintaining physical distancing. As an employer we have a legal duty under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020’ namely -

(a) take all reasonable measures to ensure that a distance of two metres is maintained between any persons on the premises (except between two members of the same household, or a carer and the person assisted by the carer), (b) take all reasonable measures to ensure that it only admits



people to its premises in sufficiently small numbers to make it possible to maintain that distance, (c) take all reasonable measures to ensure that a distance of two metres is maintained between any person waiting to enter its premises (except between two members of the same household, or a carer and the person assisted by the carer).

It is therefore essential you familiarise yourself with and understand the contents of this document, seeking clarification if anything remains unclear.

Scope This document covers all Agency operational buildings including offices, workshops, deer larders and stores. Separate guidance will be provided for Visitor facilities, Cafes and Commercial leases. When considering how to apply this guidance, you must take into account agency workers; contractors, other visitors in addition to our employees. This document and associated risk assessments are to ensure we meet our legal duties under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020’ and other health and safety legislation. We must also meet our existing legal obligations, including those relating to individuals with protected characteristics, as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The guidance also contains non-statutory guidance to take into account when complying with these existing obligations. Should you have any building specific queries, please direct them to the National Buildings Team, specifically your regional Building Surveyor or the National Building Compliance Officer. We have asset registers and schematic drawings to assist, as well as access to specialist service providers.

Principles The guidance is based on the following principles:



Staff and visitor safety is our primary concern

Staff will work from home wherever possible

Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing and keeping 2 metres apart at all times

Good personal hygiene and work place hygiene are key

Reduce the use of shared areas and high touch items

Take a risk based approach

Strict management and assurance recording to ensure compliance with the guidance

Buildings, as supporting infrastructure, will open in a prioritised manner in line with business activities

Ongoing review and support will be provided to local staff

Related documents This guidance forms part of a suite of documents for the opening and use of

our buildings comprising:

Working safely during COVID-19: Managers Guide

Working safely during COVID-19: Employees Guide

Buildings Pre-Opening Checklist

COVID-19 Buildings checklists and risk assessments

COVID-19 public toilet checklist

COVID-19 Management of public toilets risk assessment

Managers Guide on staff returning to work away from home This guidance and supporting documents will be updated over time as scientific data and government advice is revised. You can check for updates on the Advice for FLS colleagues page. If you have any feedback for us, please email [email protected]

When to use this guidance The following guidance and procedures are to be followed when the Regional Manager, Cost Centre Manager or Conservator gives consent to reactivate a building from ‘closed’ to ‘active’ status. This consent will be recorded on the Pre-Opening Checklist documentation. Buildings cannot be reactivated without Regional Manager, Cost Centre

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http://saltire/my-workplace/Health-safety-and-wellbeing/Buildings/Pages/Covid-19-buildings-checklists-and-risk-assessments.aspx

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http://saltire/my-workplace/Coronavirus-COVID19-advice/Pages/Advice-for-FLS-colleagues.aspx

mailto:[email protected]



Manager Approval or Conservator approval In the event the building is only partially reactivated, a review should be completed by the FLS Buildings Team, specifically your regional Building Surveyor or the National Building Compliance Officer to determine which systems, or partial systems, are required and the steps to use these safely

How to use this guidance This document sets out guidance on how to work safely in our buildings. It sets out our objective and gives some practical considerations of how this can be achieved in the workplace. Each local Buildings Manager will need to work through each section, understand the objective and translate the practical steps into the specific actions they needs to take, depending on the type of building, its use, and local working arrangements. To help you decide which actions to take, you need to carry out an appropriate

COVID-19 risk assessment, just as you would for other health and safety

related hazards. Generic risk assessments for different types of buildings have

been created by FLS HS&W team and can be found here.

A Buildings Re-Opening Checklist must be completed prior to the building

being put back in to use.




Contents: 1 Assessing and Managing Risk

2 Who should go to work

3 Building Re-Opening

4 Social distancing at work

5 Managing Visitors and Contractors

6 Cleaning the workplace

7 PPE and face coverings

8 Workforce Management

9 Inbound and outbound goods

10 Communications and training



1. Assessing and Managing risk

Objective: To assess risk and reduce it to the lowest reasonably practicable

level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority.

Everyone needs to assess and manage the risks of COVID-19. We must work

with any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace so that

everybody's health and safety is protected. Protecting people from COVID-19

in our buildings means working through the following steps in order.

We can achieve this by:

• Working from home where possible

• Increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning in every

workplace

• Identifying whether the people doing the work are especially vulnerable

to COVID-19

• Taking all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing, keeping

people 2 metres apart wherever possible

Where the physical distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, consider

whether that activity needs to continue, and if so, take all actions possible to

reduce the risk of transmission between workers. Further mitigating actions

include:

Limiting the sharing of equipment and identifying regularly touched surfaces and items

Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-

face) whenever possible



Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)

No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.

If you have not already done so, you should carry out an assessment of the

risks posed by COVID-19 as soon as possible. It is essential that risk

assessments are carried out for our buildings prior to them reopening. To help

this, generic risk assessments, along with checklists have been drawn up for

different types of buildings:

• Large Offices

• Outstation Offices

• Outstation Workshops/Tool Stores/Drying Room

• Deer Larders

• Chemical stores

• MES Workshops

The risk assessments are available on the Covid 19 buildings checklists and risk

assessments Saltire page.

These risk assessments consider how people access and move around our

buildings and how to prevent the spread of infection of COVID-19. Each local

Buildings Manager should use these generic risk assessments to develop

location-specific building risk assessments, in consultation with relevant staff

and Forestry Trades Unions. These, in addition to this guidance will help you

manage the risks of COVID-19 following the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach.

Ensure that the results of your risk assessment are shared with all relevant

staff and other relevant parties and are kept under review.





Further guidance on carrying out risk assessments is available in the Risk

Assessment and Risk Management Standard Operating procedure . Advice and

support on risk assessment is also available from the Health Safety and

Wellbeing Team.

Prior to reopening buildings, compliance issues such as asbestos, legionella,

electricity, work equipment, gas, pest control, fire safety and first aid provision

need to be assessed and adequate checks and controls put in place. For more

information on this see Section 3 of this document.

The following notice should be displayed in each workplace to show you have

followed this guidance:

http://saltire/my-workplace/Health-safety-and-wellbeing/Risk-assessment/Pages/Risk-assessment-and-risk-management.aspx

http://saltire/my-workplace/Health-safety-and-wellbeing/Risk-assessment/Pages/Risk-assessment-and-risk-management.aspx

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2. Who Should Go To Work

Objective: That everyone who can work from home, does work from home.

All employers in Scotland have a legal duty to take all reasonable measures to

ensure that it only admits people to its premises in sufficiently small numbers to

make it possible to maintain that distance


• Working from home if at all possible. This still applies even when

restrictions are lifted on outdoor work i.e. when forestry and associated

operational activities are allowed to recommence.

• Staff working on-site should only include:

Those in roles critical for business and operational continuity, safe facility management, or regulatory requirements and which cannot be performed remotely.

Those in critical roles which might be performed remotely, but who are unable to work remotely due to home circumstances or the unavailability of safe enabling equipment.

• Planning for the minimum number of people needed on site to operate

safely and effectively.

• Managers keeping in touch with staff who are working from home to

help them stay connected to the rest of the workforce and discuss their

working arrangements including their welfare, mental and physical health and

personal security.



• Equipment will be provided for people to work at home safely and

effectively, for example, remote access to work systems.

Protecting people who are at higher risk

Objective: To protect clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable

individuals


• Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals are strongly advised not to

work outside the home. See Managers Guide on staff returning to work away

from home for details.

• Clinically vulnerable individuals, who are at higher risk of severe illness

(for example, people with some pre-existing conditions), should take extra care

in observing physical distancing and will be helped to work from home, either

in their current role or in an alternative role.

• If clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable)

individuals cannot work from home, they will be offered the option of the

safest available on-site roles, enabling them to stay 2 metres away from

others. If they have to spend time within 2 metres of others, we will carefully

assess whether this involves an acceptable level of risk. As for any workplace

risk we will take into account specific duties to those with protected

characteristics, including, for example, expectant mothers who are, as always,

entitled to suspension on full pay if suitable roles cannot be found. Particular

attention will also be paid to people who live with clinically extremely

vulnerable individuals.



• We will provide support for staff around mental health and wellbeing.

We have a range of wellbeing resources including an Employee Assistance

Programme, mental health first aiders, online courses and guidance for

managers.

People who need to self-isolate

Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under

existing government guidance do not physically come to work. This includes

individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a

household with someone who has symptoms.


• Where possible, enable staff to work from home while self-isolating.

• Providing guidance for people who have symptoms and those who live

with others who have symptoms.

• Paying employees who need to self-isolate as normal (in line with HR

Guidance)

Equality in the workplace

Objective: To treat everyone fairly and with equal consideration.




• Being mindful of the needs of different groups of staff or individuals. As

plans develop to reopen buildings, managers will discuss individual needs

(measures / adjustments) and any concerns about returning to the workplace

with their staff.

• Not discriminating, directly or indirectly, against anyone because of a

protected characteristic such as age, sex, disability, pregnancy etc. when

considering who should return to the workplace and who should remain at

home.

• Making sure that steps taken to enable buildings to reopen do not have

an unjustifiable negative impact on some groups compared with others, for

example, those with caring responsibilities or religious commitments.



3. Pre-Opening Checklist

Objective: To ensure that any building that has been closed or partially

operated during lockdown is safe, compliant, clean and ready to restart

Due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 some shorter-interval compliance checks performed by service providers will have been missed, such as measures to counter Legionella water safety. It is therefore important that this guidance is followed to protect our staff, including:

• Completion of a Pre-opening Checklist to record building compliance and

safety systems are in place

• Ensuring a cleaning procedure, cleaning materials and ensuring hand

washing facilities and sanitiser are available before restarting work.

If a building has outstanding compliance items these must be immediately

communicated to our national Building Compliance Officer for advice and

rectification


Identifying a Building Manager for each building who is responsible for the application of this re-opening guidance

Completing the Pre-Opening Checklist before the building is opened for active use. A signed and dated copy of this must be sent to the buildings team at [email protected] to as part of the assurance for opening buildings. This will be actively monitored during the

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reactivation programme for buildings.

Undertaking a visual inspection of the building fabric to check for any obvious damage, defect or vandalism. Any items shall be reported to the Buildings Team



4 Physical Distancing At Work

Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing and

keeping 2 metres apart at all times, including while arriving at and departing

from work, while in work and when travelling between sites

All employers in Scotland also have a legal duty to take all reasonable

measures to ensure that it only admits people to its premises in sufficiently

small numbers to make it possible to maintain that distance.


• Putting in place all reasonable measures to maintain 2 metres physical

distancing in the workplace

• Assessing work situations where people need to work in close proximity.

These need to be reviewed to see if they can be done differently so that

workers can stay 2 metres apart.

Mitigating measures include:

Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.

Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible. Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other. Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-

face) whenever possible. Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by

using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only



a few others).

Physical distancing applies to all parts of our activities, not just the place where

people spend most of their time, but also entrances and exits, kitchens and

break rooms, canteens and similar settings. These are often the most

challenging areas to maintain physical distancing

Arriving at and leaving work

Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing, on

arrival and leaving and to ensure hand sanitising facilities are available on

arriving and leaving


Minimising the number of staff using buildings

Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics.

Displaying COVID-19 signage on physical distancing in car parks

Providing facilities such as bike- racks to help people walk, run, or cycle to work, with a means of cleaning these after use.

Staff arriving at the same time shall self-manage and wait in their vehicle or at an appropriate distance to maintain 2 metre physical distance. There is no requirement to park vehicles at 2 metres distance from each other.

Reverse parking vehicles at all times to ensure staff do not come in to



close contact with one another when exiting cars.

Considering having more entry and exit points to the workplace, whilst maintaining security

Where building layout allows introducing one-way flows at entry and exit points.

Providing handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser, at entry/exit points.

Treating door handles and hand rails, which are high touch areas, as a possible source of cross contamination. In multiple occupancy buildings regular cleaning of handles during the day shall be undertaken, and immediate washing or application of hand sanitiser shall be used after use.

Avoiding where possible using touch-based security devices such as entry keypads. If they have to be used, such as an alarm panel, then this should be treated as a possible source of cross contamination. Regular cleaning of entry touchpads during the day should be undertaken and immediate washing or application of hand sanitiser shall be used after use

Providing clear signage at entry points to inform staff of entry protocols and directing staff and visitors to hand cleaning stations

Removing superseded temporary closure signage and ensure COVID-19 signage is as clear as possible

Assessing reception areas to ensure they are operating only where absolutely necessary as a control.



Arranging reception areas to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. Clear floor demarcation shall be used in open reception areas to maintain physical distancing. Where this cannot be maintained the use of plexiglass screens should be considered, in line with the fire risk assessment for the building.

Signing in/out logs shall be maintained by a single person to prevent cross contamination from logs and pens.

Moving around buildings and worksites

Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing while

people travel through the workplace


Adopting a 1 in, 1 out policy for small stores and deer larders

Identifying a single person, where possible, for stores who has sole access and can distribute items

Reducing movement of staff within buildings by discouraging non-essential trips and restrict access between different areas of a building

Introducing one-way routes through buildings where possible, utilising floor marking and additional entry and exit points. Where one way systems are not possible, pinch points, narrow corridors and dead ends shall be identified and managed via a ‘stop, look, listen’ approach to ensure it is safe to proceed.



Limiting the maximum occupancy of lifts to 1 person, unless assistance is required. Hand sanitiser shall be stationed outside of all lifts

Staff using the stairs wherever possible

Regulating high traffic areas including corridors and walkways to maintain social distancing with the use of floor markings

Considering the use of hold open devices on doors, especially to common areas. THESE SHALL NOT BE USED ON FIRE DOORS.

Workplaces and workstations

Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing when at

desks and workstations

The primary control for physical distancing is the number of staff using the

building. The principle of working from home where possible always applies.

Desks or workstations should be arranged to maintain physical distancing

wherever possible and should be assigned to an individual and not shared.

If it is not possible to keep workstations 2 metres apart then an assessment on

whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate is required

and if so, to take all reasonable mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of

transmission.




Stopping the use of shared and hot desks

Reviewing workplace layouts and processes to allow people to work further apart from each other

Assigning desks to individuals

Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help staff keep to a 2 metre distance.

Not using desks or workstations which are face-to-face at the same time

Tape off desks and workstations or use signage to create 2 metre spacing between those being used

Creating staff rota systems to ensure single use, in small cellular rooms with multiple occupancy, where 2 metre distancing cannot be maintained for entry or exit

Considering where it is not possible to move desks further apart, and staff must be at work at the same time, the use of screens to separate people from each other.

Applying a clear desk policy in all work places to allow for effective daily cleaning of desk areas

Providing cleaning materials for desks and workstations to allow the user to regularly clean their desks and equipment

Providing individuals with their own mouse and keyboard

Providing cleaning materials for equipment and tools



Avoiding the use of desks adjacent to doors or high use walkways

Employees thoroughly cleaning borrowed homeworking equipment, prior to returning chairs, monitors etc. Office equipment or furniture should be clearly marked as returned items and left for a minimum of 72 hours before being used

Not allowing the use of personal fans or blown heaters

Shared IT equipment

Objective: To allow the safe use of shared IT equipment by maintaining good

hygiene

For printers, especially Multi-Function Devices (MFD), these have touchscreens

and buttons which means that they will be constantly in use and constantly

touched. As such they should be treated as “always” contaminated. Under

these conditions it is important to clearly signpost them as such and provide

cleaning materials.


Avoiding printing where possible

Providing disinfectant cleaner, preferably 70% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) in spray or wipe form shall be positioned at each printer station. Alcohol based disinfectants are preferred as they will evaporate more quickly than other non-alcohol based disinfectants

spraying the solution (if in spray form) on to a disposable paper roll before wiping and not directly spraying onto the surface. This will avoid



droplets entering gaps and affecting the function of the device. Alcohol based disinfectants are preferred as they will evaporate more quickly than other non-alcohol based disinfectants.

Issuing clear instructions which state that the user should wipe down all touched surfaces before and after use.

Users cleaning their hands after use with sanitiser This guidance shall also apply to all other communal IT equipment, such as conference phones, plotters and remote controls etc.

Meetings

Objective: To reduce transmission due to face-to-face meetings and take all

reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing


Avoiding in-person meetings by the use of telecom or videoconferencing systems

Where absolutely necessary participants attending face to face meetings should maintain 2 metre separation throughout.

Marking seating around meeting tables at 2 metre spacing minimum on the table or floor

Removing additional chairs from the meeting room or clearly marking ‘not for use’

Avoiding sharing pens and other objects during meeting.



Cleaning high touch items such as conference telephones and remote controls before and after each use

Providing sanitiser and wipes in all meeting rooms.

Considering holding meetings outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms whenever possible.

Common areas

Objective: Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing while

using common areas


Ensuring landlords/tenants have consistent and agreed guidance across common areas such as receptions and staircases and that all staff are informed

Staggering break times to reduce pressure on break rooms or canteens.

Using safe outside areas for breaks where possible

Using additional space that may have been freed up by remote working

Discouraging the use of shared kitchen equipment (crockery, cutlery etc) and where possible restricting. If it is used then this must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water before and after use.



Encouraging staff to bring their own food to work and if possible avoid the use of kitchen facilities

Providing supplies of cleaning materials where kitchens and kitchen equipment are used and ensuring staff shall wipe down surfaces prior to and after use, such as refrigerator handles

Reconfiguring common areas to maintain 2 metre spacing and reduce face-to-face interactions.

Encouraging office based staff to remain on-site and, when not possible, maintain strict physical distancing while off-site.

Applying a 1 in 1 out policy for the use of locker rooms, changing areas and other facilities to eliminate concurrent usage

Storing personal items and clothing in personal storage spaces such as lockers or at individual’s desk

Accidents, security and other incidents

Objective: To prioritise safety during incidents


Staff and visitors understanding that an emergency, for example, an accident or fire, people do not have to stay 2 metres apart if it would be unsafe.

Employees involved in the provision of assistance to others should pay particular attention to sanitation measures immediately afterwards, including washing hands.



5. Managing customers, visitors and

contractors

Objective: To minimise the number of unnecessary visits to our buildings


Encouraging visits via remote connection/working where this is an option.

Ensuring physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place for receiving visitors and managing them while on site

Where site visits are required, providing clearly signed guidance on physical distancing and hygiene and information to visitors on or before arrival

Limiting the number of visitors at any one time

Limiting visitor times to a specific time window and restricting access to required visitors only and to the minimum areas of the building

Ensuring essential services and contractor visits are timed to reduce interaction and overlap between people

Recording of all visitors to our buildings

Removing furniture in lobbies and waiting areas



Signing in/out logs shall be maintained by a single person to prevent cross contamination from the log and pens

Assessing reception areas to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. Clear floor demarcation shall be used in open reception areas to maintain physical distancing. Where physical distancing cannot be maintained in a reception area the use of plexiglass screens should be considered.

Clearly marking a designated area for deliveries. Where possible this shall be outside to negate the need for access to the building.

Providing and explaining available guidance to visitors

Objective: To make sure people understand what they need to do to maintain

safety


Providing clear guidance on physical distancing and hygiene and explaining measures in place to visitors on arrival.

Clearly displaying signage or visual aids at the point of entry to the building

Providing guidance where possible before arrival by phone, email or via our website

Providing a single point of contact for visitors to act as host and who has responsibility for the visitor while on site



Reviewing entry and exit routes for visitors and contractors to minimise contact with staff

In shared buildings coordination between building users on the guidance of workplace visitors must be agreed



6. Cleaning the Workplace

Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission of COVID-19

by touching contaminated surfaces.


Frequent cleaning of individual work areas and equipment between uses shall be maintained

Having cleaning regimes of high touch objects and surfaces such as door handles, stair bannisters and keyboards undertaken throughout the day

Cleaning arrangements being in place for all buildings. The timing of cleaning should be outside of general building hours when there are minimal staff and desk areas and workstations are clear.

Considering the provision of an additional day cleaner for larger buildings and busy locations

Providing adequate wipes, hand sanitiser and cleaning products

Adequate disposal arrangements for used cleaning equipment

Use of ‘hands free’ operated bins where possible

Cleaning workstations and desks at the end of each day and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift



Limiting or restricting use of high-touch items and equipment, for example, printers or whiteboards

If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you

should refer to the specific guidance here

Hygiene – Handwashing, Sanitation Facilities and

Toilets

Objective: To help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day


Displaying signage and posters throughout the building to encourage and enforce awareness. Signage shall include as a minimum good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency and avoid touching your face, to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available, to maintain physical distancing and for the cleaning of desks and work areas.

Provision of hand sanitiser in multiple locations in addition to washrooms. This must include entry and exit points, kitchen facilities and outside toilet areas

Providing clear guidance on the usage of the toilet facilities

Considering the use of all available toilet facilities to maintain 2 metre physical distancing. This may include single person use of the facilities at any one time, and may require locks fitting to the facilities doors.

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All toilets must have a closable lid and be flushed with the lid down to prevent airborne droplets

Mechanical ventilation in toilets being left on full time to ensure good ventilation of toilet areas

The use of urinals is not being permitted to prevent airborne droplets

Provision of hand drying facilities and ensuring hands thoroughly dried after washing

Discouraging the use of hand driers in favour of paper towels

Providing more waste facilities and if required more frequent rubbish collection

Changing Rooms and Showers

Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission in changing rooms and showers


Displaying clear use and cleaning guidance for showers, lockers and changing rooms

Take all reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing is maintained while using these facilities

Applying a one in one out policy to locker rooms, changing areas and other facility areas to eliminate concurrent usage. Locks or signage may be required to indicate when it is in use



Heating and Ventilation

Objective: To maintain a healthy environment and reduce airborne

transmission


Maintaining good building ventilation

Leaving direct external clean air fans on where possible

Opening of windows for ventilation

Not permitting the use of personal fans or blown heaters

Handling Goods, Merchandise and Other Materials

Objective: To reduce transmission through contact with objects that come into

the workplace


Putting cleaning procedures in place for goods and merchandise entering the site, and the handling of packaging

Providing a clearly marked designated area for deliveries. Where possible this shall be outside to negate the need for access to the building.



Providing handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser for staff handling goods and merchandise.

Discouraging non-business deliveries, for example, personal deliveries to employees where possible



7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Objective: To provide information to staff on the use of additional PPE in the

workplace

Current HSE guidance on protecting against COVID-19 clearly states that

additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because

COVID-19 is a different type of risk and needs to be managed through physical

distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.

Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very

high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in

providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk

assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE

free of charge to workers who need it

Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-

COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so. Workplaces should not

encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19

outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case

of COVID-19.

Face-Coverings

As of 22 June, face coverings are now mandatory on all public transport in

Scotland. This includes the likes of taxis, private hire cabs, buses, trains,

subway, trams, planes and enclosed areas on ferries. There are some



exemptions to this, children under the age of five, people with breathing

difficulties and those who have physical conditions which make it hard to keep

the mask in place.

When we move into phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s Route Map (which is

expected from 10 July) face coverings will also be mandatory in shops with the

only exemptions being children under the age of 5 and those with certain

medical conditions.

The Scottish Government has also advised that face coverings should be worn

in other instances when entering enclosed spaces, where physical distancing is

more difficult and there is a risk of close contact with multiple people.

This includes the following instances:

- visits to a care home for the elderly

- visits to adult hospitals as an outpatient

- entering GP surgeries or pharmacies

Face coverings do not include surgical or other medical grade masks, but rather

a covering of the nose and mouth that is made of cloth, or other textiles,

through which you can breathe, such as a scarf. Surgical face coverings should

be left for medical professionals.

There is no evidence to suggest there might be a benefit outdoors, unless in an

unavoidable crowded situation, where there may still be some benefit.



Face coverings are not a replacement for the other ways of managing risk,

including minimising time spent in contact, using fixed teams and partnering

for close-up work, and increasing hand and surface washing.

Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely. This

means telling workers:

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use

hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it

when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering,

as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands

change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it.

continue to wash your hands regularly

change and wash your face covering daily

if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s

instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual

waste

practise physical distancing wherever possible



8. Workforce Management

Shift patterns and Working Groups

Objective: To change the way work is organised to create distinct groups and

reduce the number of contacts each employee has.


• Designating team areas so that where contact is unavoidable, this

happens between the same people. Staff will have a designated desk.

• Reducing the numbers of employees who are in the office at the same time, in order to comply with physical distancing regulations. When identifying who should attend the office on a regular basis, individual circumstances will be taken into account e.g. priority given for those who are experiencing significant difficulty working from home. The majority of employees are therefore likely to alternate between home and office depending on both business and individual needs.

• Identify areas, where the exchange of items can take place without

direct contact, for example office supplies / files, and finding ways to remove

direct contact, such as using drop-off points or transfer zones.

Accommodation and visits

Objective: To avoid unnecessary work travel and keep people safe when they

do need to travel between locations.




• Minimising non-essential travel and consider remote options first.

• Staff checking that any overnight accommodation they book meets

physical distancing guidelines, if travel away from home cannot be avoided

Deliveries to Other Sites

Objective: To help staff delivering to other sites such as agency offices, or

suppliers’ or customers’ premises to maintain social distancing and hygiene

practices.


• Minimising person-to-person contact during deliveries to other sites

• maintaining constant pairing where two-person deliveries are required



9. Inbound and Outbound Goods

Objective: To maintain social distancing and avoid surface transmission when

goods enter and leave the site


Revising pick-up and drop-off collection points, procedures, signage and markings.

Minimising unnecessary contact at site security, yard and warehouse. For example, non-contact deliveries where the nature of the product allows for use of electronic pre- booking.

Considering methods to reduce frequency of deliveries, for example by ordering larger quantities less often.

Where possible and safe, having single workers load or unload vehicles.

Where possible, using the same pairs of people for loads where more than one is needed.

Enabling drivers to access welfare facilities when required, consistent with other guidance.

Encouraging drivers to stay in their vehicles where this does not compromise their safety and existing safe working practice



10 Communications and Training

Returning to Work

Objective: To make sure all workers understand COVID-19 related

safety procedures.


• Providing clear, consistent and regular communication to improve

understanding and consistency of ways of working.

• Engaging with employees and FTUS through existing communication

routes to explain and agree any changes in working arrangements.

• Developing communication and training materials for staff prior to returning to site, especially around any new procedures for arrival at work.

Ongoing communications and signage

Objective: To make sure all staff are kept up to date with how safety measures

are being implemented or updated.




• Ongoing engagement with employees and FTUS to monitor and

understand any unforeseen impacts of changes to working environments.

• Maintaining focus and awareness on the importance of mental health at times of uncertainty and continue to provide wellbeing resources. • Use simple, clear messaging to explain guidelines, using images and clear language, with consideration of groups for which English may not be their first language. • Communicating approaches and operational procedures to suppliers, customers etc. to help their adoption of our measures and to share experience.

Reopening of buildings and working safely during COVID19 · restrictions are lifted on outdoor work...

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