Updated recommendations from global standards body

UK based global standards body, BSI, has published updated Safe Working Guidelines to help organisations protect people at work from the coronavirus risks, mitigate outbreaks and build long-term resilience. The guidelines include safety planning and assessment of risks, plus advice on managing suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in all workplaces, including healthcare.

The guidelines include recommendations to:

  • Treat any person who becomes unwell in the workplace as potentially having COVID-19.
  • Ensure suitable PPE is provided for first aiders.
  • Isolate the person who is unwell and provide them with a face mask.
  • Require the affected person to go home (or to a medical facility).
  • Establish if an affected worker has been in close contact with other workers and support those workers to self-isolate.
  • Ensure the areas the affected person has been in are either isolated or cleaned.
  • Provide clear guidance on when it is safe for a worker who has had COVID-19 to return to work.

The guidelines highlight the need to make sure safety measures are inclusive and accessible to everyone, and to recognise the importance of workers’ psychological health and well-being.