Coronavir is reaching new heights: what conditions should you demand from your employer



[ad_1]

Workflow management

According to the recommendations of the State Labor Inspectorate (VDI), companies must regulate the flow of employees. To this end, employers should plan work activities, if possible by organizing remote work.

It is also recommended to minimize the number of employees in a location. For this, it is necessary to determine how the number of employees in shifts will be reduced, during work, lunch breaks, special breaks and others, meals / rest, work and changing rooms, hallways.

“Organizational arrangements to manage the flow of workers must ensure that an adequate distance of at least 1 meter is maintained between the workers employed or that partitions are installed between work stations in the premises. In the absence of such facilities, workers will be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment.

When organizing work in offices, it is recommended to make it possible for employees to work one at a time in the office, thus reducing the risk of physical contact with other employees ”, says Saulius Balčiūnas, Head of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at SLI.

In addition, it is recommended that staffing arrangements be established to regulate the number of staff in premises such as smoking rooms and bathrooms. This can be done, for example, with the help of contract posters.

Provision of security measures

The recommendations also state that employers must provide disposable gloves and respiratory protection as needed. The list of these measures includes disposable medical (surgical) masks, if possible: FFP2 respirators, face shields, goggles. After assessing the need for disinfection and the mandatory measures, your reserve should be purchased.

“It is recommended to acquire and keep in reserve from the company the amount of disinfectants and mandatory personal protective equipment – disposable gloves, disposable medical (surgical) masks – necessary to ensure the necessary functions for a period of one month”, emphasizes the Head of Occupational Health and Safety.

Coronavir is reaching new heights: what conditions should you demand from your employer

© DELFI / Domantas Pipas

Workers who are likely to have close contact with, or have been in contact with, COVID-19, or who have returned to or arrived from foreign countries on the COVID-19 affected list, should receive enhanced protection, FFP2, FFP3 – respirators, goggles and protective clothing.

Workers should be instructed on the correct use of protective equipment, how to put it on correctly and for how long to wear it. If allowed, explain how to prepare (disinfect) these devices for reuse.

Ensuring personal hygiene

It is recommended to designate and mark special places in the workplace where workers can find hand sanitizer dispensers, which are constantly being filled.

“It is recommended to prepare visual aids, providing places for them, urging employees to wash their hands with soap and warm water during breaks, disinfect their hands with disinfectants, and especially not to touch their face with their hands,” emphasizes S. Balčiūnas.

If workers are required to wear work clothing, arrangements should be made to keep personal work clothing and personal protective equipment separate from everyday clothing.

Maintenance of premises

Workplace facilities should be ventilated regularly, at least once an hour. The premises must be ventilated for at least 60 minutes after each shift, depending on its area.

Surface disinfection

Surface disinfection

“Continuous disinfection of common work tools, equipment, work surfaces, light switches, door handles is planned and ongoing, depending on the number of people using them. This should be done as often as possible, but at least twice a day, ”says S. Balčiūnas.

Third party traffic management

To reduce the likelihood of contracting coronavirus infection from third parties, it is recommended that each company provide these individuals with information on mandatory standards of personal hygiene (hand hygiene, coughing, sneezing, etc.) and other necessary protective measures.

It is also recommended to provide the possibility of measuring the body temperature of these people, not allowing fever in the room, not coming into contact with them.

“It is recommended to reduce access to third-party work facilities by restricting access to company facilities, rejecting physical communication of employees with third parties, if physical communication is necessary, minimizing its duration. The number of third parties present in the company’s facilities (territory) at the same time is limited ”, emphasizes the specialist.

What to do if an employee gets sick

Upon receiving information that a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed to an employee of the company or its unit, the National Center for Public Health should be informed immediately.

“Work at the department premises, where the sick employee worked, is immediately suspended. As far as possible, all workers who may have come into contact with the infected person will be identified and informed of the self-containment applied to them. Disinfection of workplaces is organized according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.

The works are renewed after the mandatory minimum time of operation and removal of the materials used for disinfection of the environment, in accordance with the recommendations of the company that carried out the cleaning and disinfection of the work environment ”, says S. Balčiūnas.

And only employees who have not had contact with an employee with COVID-19 can return to workplaces on company premises and resume work.

It is strictly forbidden to use the information published by DELFI on other websites, in the media or elsewhere, or to distribute our material in any way without consent, and if consent has been obtained, it is necessary to indicate DELFI as the source .



[ad_2]