Helping Staff Return to Work Safely
9th June 2020
Since the launch of our Manager’s Lockdown Toolkit in May – a new resource to support leaders while managing remote teams during the Covid-19 crisis – we received a number of queries about how to transition staff safely back to the workplace. So, in response, we have added a brand-new course module, Safely Returning to Work.
Employers have a legal and moral responsibility to take all practical measures to create a safe working environment for all employees returning to the workplace. This can appear daunting, as it’s not all just ‘common sense’; however, in Safely Returning to Work, we have provided all the necessary information needed to put the changes into place and create a COVID-secure workplace.
Your ultimate responsibility is to minimise any potential exposure of your staff to COVID-19. This means you should allow all workers who can reasonably work from home to continue to do so, including those who are shielding or vulnerable.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about our Lockdown Toolkit and requests to continue to expand and adapt the content as the situation develops. With the talk of lockdown slowly easing and some businesses looking to safely transition workers back into the office, we’ve developed a comprehensive course that covers all the major practical considerations a responsible employer should take.” Says David Marshall MD and Founder.
It’s also important to work in partnership with your staff as you consider new ways of working in a post-COVID-19 world. This includes from the time you conduct a risk assessment, to setting-up alternative schedules and working patterns, thinking of new layout options for the office and the location of hygiene stations.
This module will give you the key information you need to:
- manage the risks by understanding your legal responsibilities
- understand who should return to work and how to protect those at higher risk
- mitigate the risks associated with coming into and leaving the workplace, as well as high-traffic areas where staff will congregate
- strategies for cleaning the workplace and promoting good hygiene practices
- plan shift patterns and working groups
- decide whether to implement PPE or face coverings
- safely manage deliveries
- plan safe work-related travel
- remember that existing health and safety practices still need to be adhered to and need review
- communicate guidelines clearly and effectively, and
- source further support and information.
The course is split into 23 sections, covering all the necessary aspects of ensuring staff safety.
- Before reopening
- Preventative measures in order of priority
- Managing risk
- Who should go to work?
- Protecting people who are at higher risk
- Clinically vulnerable people
- Equality in the workplace
- Getting into and leaving work
- Work area hotspots
- Workplaces and workstations
- Keeping the work area clean
- Moving around
- Meetings
- Common areas
- Cleaning the workplace
- Hygiene
- Handling goods
- PPE
- Face coverings
- Shift patterns
- Work-related travel
- Workplace emergencies
- Communications and training
Adapting to a world with COVID-19 is challenging, but it’s not impossible. With this course, we aim to help team leaders get to grips with the necessary changes as quickly and smoothly as possible.
If you’ve not seen the Manager’s Lockdown Toolkit yet, which has been renamed to Future Ways of Working, contact us today and we’ll send you the details. The Toolkit is available as a FREE version to all our clients and there’s also a commercial version, so you can still make use of the resource without being a client.
Get in touch
If you would like a free trial of this course or find out more about our training courses please call +44 (0)845 123 3909 or get in touch using our contact form.
