The Scottish Government has now removed the remaining legal requirements in the Coronavirus regulations. However, all organisations should continue to follow good practice to manage the risk of virus transmission. The Scottish Government have produced some useful guidance to help you keep everyone safe:
The first step for all buildings and premises is a health and safety risk assessment, involving employees in the process. The assessment must:
If you have more than five employees this must be written down, but it is good practice for all organisations to record what has been agreed. It is also important to agree how often the assessment will be reviewed- it should not be a one time exercise.
Detailed guidance and template assessments are available on the Health and Safety Executive website.
Whilst the legal requirement to wear face coverings has now been removed, it is strongly recommended that face coverings continue to be worn where appropriate – including in indoor crowded spaces and on public transport.
Your organisation should implement all additional 'reasonable' measures it can to help limit the risks of coronavirus transmission in your premises.
Some of the more common measures could include:
The Scottish Government have introduced a voluntary Distance Aware Scheme. The scheme is designed to help those worried about mixing with others as we adapt to living with COVID-19. Free badges and lanyards are available to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public.
Organisations can support Distance Aware by:
Ensuring that fresh air is circulating in indoor environments is essential to preventing the spread of COVID-19. This video from Gov.UK explains why it is even more important than we initially realised.
Taking measures such as opening windows, doors or vents can help minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus to colleagues, friends, family members and customers.
The Scottish Government have a range of guidance to help businesses and staff understood what good ventilation is.
To reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, it is advised that organisations stagger start and finish times. This will help to reduce the burden on public transport, and reduce the pressure on pinch points, like reception areas.
You should discuss the best way to stagger start and finish times with employees and volunteers as part of the risk assessment.
If you are inviting external people to your premises you should also consider how you can stagger their arrival and departure.
If your organisation runs a building or hall that is used by a range of different groups you will be considering a more complicated set of risks.
Key areas to consider include: