Coronavirus:  Health & Safety Latest

Updated 5th January 2021

Following the latest Government COVID-19 announcement on the evening of Monday 4^th January 2021, below are updates on relevant changes and some key reminders on COVID-Secure Workplace Guidance.

National Lockdown: Stay At Home
(Full Text of the Guidance is HERE)

With immediate effect the UK Government Guidance for England has changed and the relevant COVID-19 Restriction Legislation will be amended accordingly in due course.

• The Key change is immediate movement away from local Tier level restrictions to one national set of rules. (Not dissimilar to those imposed in March 2020)
• Stay at Home: You must not leave or be outside of your home except where necessary – You may leave the home to;
  • Shop for basic necessities or a vulnerable person.
  • Go to work – if you cannot reasonably do so from home.
  • Exercise (Once per day and don’t leave your local area to do so).
  • Meet support & Childcare bubble – only if legally permitted to form one
  • Seek medical assistance or avoid injury
  • Attend education (For those eligible)
  • A full list of “Reasonable Excuses” to be outside of your home is HERE 
• Colleges, Primary & Secondary Schools CLOSED apart from vulnerable children and children of CRITICAL WORKERS

Going To Work:

• Work – you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home, including but not limited to people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance.
• If you need to Travel you should stay local – unless it’s necessary – where you cannot reasonably work from home.
• Where people cannot work from home – including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing – they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers.
• Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work.
• Where it is necessary for you to work in other people’s homes – for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople – you can do so. Otherwise, you should avoid meeting for work in a private home or garden, where COVID-19 Secure measures may not be in place.
• Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working.
• The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.

Sector Specific COVID-Secure Guidance for your sector can be found HERE:

Critical Actions To Take:

1. Review the latest COVID-Secure Guidance for your sector and check regularly for changes.
2. If any part of your premises is open or your employees are operational outside of their home you MUST have a COVID-19 Risk Assessment in place – Review your existing business COVID-Secure Risk Assessment to ensure it remains suitable and sufficient in light of latest guidance and threat level – contact your Lead H&S Consultant for advice and support in doing so.
3. Maintain Hygiene, Handwashing, Enhanced Cleaning and Social Distancing measures within your workplace.
4. Remind your employees and others accessing your site of the key COVID-19 symptoms and self-isolation requirements – Keep symptomatic people out of your workplace.
5. Remind your employees of your COVID-19 controls and enforce COVID-Secure rules at your location.

Please get in touch with your Lead H&S Consultant if you have any questions or need further support with COVID-19 Guidance, updating your COVID-19 risk assessment or assistance with ensuring safe homeworking arrangements are in place.