The last couple of years have undoubtedly been a rollercoaster ride for employers across the globe. However, now that we’re starting to see more normality return to workplaces, employers are doing everything they can to strengthen their business post-pandemic.
The pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on both businesses and individuals. Having affected every person across the globe in one way or another, many of us are becoming familiar with living in a world where COVID is at the forefront of our minds.
Whilst things are seemingly moving in the right direction, it is important that workplaces continue to treat COVID-19, and other respiratory infections, with the same caution as we did at the start and throughout the worst of the pandemic.
Understanding the severity of these infections, the UK government continues to update their ‘Living with COVID-19’ plan. In fact, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have just recently published new guidance for employers in England to help manage the risks of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.
This new guidance, titled ‘Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID, in the workplace’, replaces the existing ‘Working safely through COVID-19’ guidance and aims to help employers understand how they can best prevent the spread of respiratory infections at work. It also highlights the importance of reducing the spread of respiratory infections if there are employees who are at higher risk of serious illness through COVID-19.
“Infection prevention has always been a key area of workplace Health & Safety and long before the pandemic. It is still essential that employers continue to ensure infection prevention methods are still practised, especially with COVID cases still through the roof, in order to keep their individuals, particularly those more at risk, safe.” Says Alex Morris, Director at iHASCO eLearning. “Risk assessments, regular deep cleaning, good personal hygiene and training can all go a long way in reducing the spread of infections.”
What is covered in the new guidance?
The new guidance covers a range of areas, including:
Recognising symptoms of respiratory infections
The guidance highlights the importance for staff and employers to be aware of symptoms so they can take actions to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to other people.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:
- Continuous cough
- High temperature, fever or chills
- Loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
- Muscle aches or pains that aren’t due to exercise
- Not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
- Headache that’s unusual or longer lasting than usual
- Sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
- Diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick
What to do if a member of staff has symptoms of a respiratory infection
The guidance states that if a member of staff is unwell with symptoms of a respiratory infection such as COVID, they should follow the government guidance ‘People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19’. This guidance states that these employees should:
- Try to stay at home and avoid contact with others until their high temperature is gone or they no longer feel unwell
- Avoid close contact with people who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19
- Try to work from home if they can but, if this isn’t possible, they’re advised to talk to their employer about other available options
Actions to reduce the spread of respiratory infections
The guidance sets out the following recommendations for managing the risk of transmission:
- Encourage and enable vaccination - “Employers, in accordance with their existing legal obligations, may wish to consider how best to support and enable staff who wish to be vaccinated to get their vaccines when offered them.”
- Let fresh air in - The guidance points out that this is very important, and the risk of transmission is possible even where people don’t have close contact, especially if they are in a crowded and/or poorly ventilated space.
- Maintain a clean workplace - The guidance recommends encouraging staff to maintain a clean working environment by providing them with cleaning products, soap and hot water, and/or sanitiser.
Want to know more about the new guidance? Download our free guide here.
The importance of workplace training upon returning to work
One of the key points to take away from this guidance is the fact that COVID-19 is still present, easily transmitted, and potentially still dangerous to many. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) 1974, employers have a general duty to ensure that “so far as reasonably practicable” the health, safety, and welfare of their employees at work.
As we’ve seen over the last few years, respiratory infections have left individuals isolated from their place of work, often for an extended period of time.
Regardless of the reason for an employee’s absence, it is crucial that they are provided with the resources they need to ensure a smooth transition back to the workplace.
Some key areas to consider training employees upon returning to work include:
- Infection Prevention & Control
- Risk Assessments
- Managing Anxiety
- Resilience
Ensure your employees have a smooth transition back to work with this Returning to Work Essentials Training bundle which has been designed for all workplaces and includes courses approved by the likes of IOSH and IIRSM.
