Since the announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that anyone who cannot do their job at home should be "actively encouraged" to return to work, employers have taken note.
To help businesses navigate the many challenges of returning to work and to create safe workplaces for operating, The UK Government has set out some important guidelines for working safely during COVID-19.
To be clear at the time of writing this article the UK Government guidelines state that "businesses and workplaces should make every possible effort to enable working from home as a first option. Where working from home is not possible, workplaces should make every effort to comply with the social distancing guidelines set out by the government".
Disclaimer: This article was published in May 2020, the Guidelines set out from the UK Government are subject to change over time. For the latest information, please always seek Government guidance.
At present, the guidelines stipulate;
To help reinforce this message in and around the workplace Bigprinting offer a range of high-quality Coronavrius safety signage.
To help prevent the spread, for instance, their Covid-19 signs cover everything from 'wash your hands' signage, through to social distancing vinyl floor stickers and everything in-between.
With the current advice on social distancing measures, workplaces need to obviously avoid crowding and maintain a safe distance their safety signs can remind all of this need.
The range of safety signage on offer comes in a variety of materials for indoor and outdoor use, along with stencils, which can be used within your outdoor space.
The advice of course also applies to inside the workplace and where ever staff interact with customers. The current guidelines state that staff should be reminded to wash their hands regularly using soap and water for 20 seconds. Ultimately, with this range of signage, we can help you to create safe workplaces.
With the current social distancing guidelines, employers need to consider what their new workplaces will look like. While granted, this will not be an easy task, with 2m social distancing signage in place, you can remind all of the need to maintain safe social distancing.
We've already seen in some airports, public transport, and other public settings such as supermarkets from around the world use creative social distancing signage, in the form of vinyl floor stickers, and even social distancing seat stickers too.
Ultimately, returning to the workplace will be a challenge that many employers will need to navigate, and of course, as always employee safety should always come first. To help get through these challenging times employers should seek the latest advice from the UK Government and implement their recommended safety measures for returning to work.
Carla Crocombe is the Founder and Managing Director of Safety Rocks Limited. She is an experienced occupational health and safety professional, alongside being a dedicated tutor. Carla regularly presents webinars and events as a specialist in her field. Safety Rocks Limited delivers bespoke in-company health, safety, environmental and management training with the objectives of improving safety culture, reducing accidents and incidents, increasing employee engagement and ultimately saving companies time and money".
