Guidelines to Help Manage and Control the Risk of Covid-19 In the Workplace

Guidelines to Help Manage and Control the Risk of Covid-19 In the Workplace

The health and safety of employees and those they come into contact with must be an employer’s top priority.  The International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends that employers do the following to address COVID-19:

  1. Consider establishing an enterprise-level COVID-19 Task Force that would be responsible for developing and implementing a COVID-19 enterprise level plan.
  2. Closely monitor official guidance, advice, and updates provided by national and local authorities as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), including on work arrangements, and communicate critical information to the workforce.
  3. Assess the potential risks of business disruption.
  4. Review or draw up a business continuity plan that is consistent with guidelines offered by national and local authorities to enhance business resilience and support workers and their families.
  5. Identify and mitigate risks to workers and other persons connected to the workplace arising from exposure to COVID-19.
  6. Review internal policies and measures for infection control, including educating workers on best practices on safety and hygiene.
  7. Promote workplace hygiene and apply the principles of social distancing (also called physical distancing) in the workplace; assess business liability for workers’ compensation, particularly in sectors with high work-related exposure to COVID-19.
  8. Seek advice and support from employers and business membership organizations (EBMOs) who can channel concerns to the government and shape policy measures that are conducive for business resilience and sustainability.

The ILO recommends any of the following for identifying and controlling risks from COVID-19 to employees or other people connected to the workplace:

  • Ensure employees are aware of the isolation/quarantine periods and requirements in line with the directive/advice from the national and local authorities.
  • Provide clear advice to workers about actions they should take if they become unwell or think they may have the symptoms of COVID-19. Employees who present symptoms and are suspected of having contracted the COVID-19 virus should follow advice from the national or local health authority and seek urgent medical attention.  According to the WHO, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough while some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea.  These symptoms are usually mild and gradual.
  • Monitor the latest travel advice and restriction for anyone planning to travel for work.
  • Assess whether work activities put other people at risk.
  • Conduct contingency planning to manage staff absences and plans to manage increased workloads.
  • Provide employees with information and links to relevant services should they require support.
  • Contact relevant national and local health information hotlines or helpdesks on COVID-19 for latest information and guidelines.

For more detailed guidance, please read the ILO document entitled Safe return to work: Guide for employers on COVID-19 prevention,” which can be downloaded below or accessed at https://www.ilo.org/actemp/publications/WCMS_744033/lang--en/index.htm.  Note: This Guide has been developed by the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) and contains recommendations for health and safety practices and approaches to COVID-19 prevention.  The publication aims to provide general guidance and information to employers on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, to enable workers to return to work safely while keeping the risk of contamination as low as possible. It also provides ideas on how to protect workers’ mental well-being during the pandemic.

If any employees are working from home, please refer to guidelines in the ILO document entitled “An employers’ guide on working from home in response to the outbreak of COVID-19” which can be downloaded below or accessed at https://www.ilo.org/actemp/publications/WCMS_745024/lang--en/index.htm  Note: This guide has been developed by the International Labour Organization Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) to assist EBMOs to provide practical guidance to member companies that have implemented “working from home” protocols for their staff in 2020 as an alternative temporary arrangement during the COVID-19 crisis.