New guidelines introduced to get UK safely back to work

The Government has published new guidelines to make workplaces as safe as possible and give people confidence in going back to work.

The guidelines, developed with input from over 250 stakeholders including Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, have been introduced in a bid to get the economy back up and running, protect jobs and restore vital public services.

The key points from the new guidance include:

• Work from home if you can
• Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
• Maintain 2 metres social distancing where possible – where this isn’t possible, transmission risk should be managed
• Reinforcing cleaning processes

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:

“This guidance provides a framework to get the UK back to work in a way that is safe for everyone.”

“These are practical steps to enable employers to identify risks that COVID-19 creates and to take pragmatic measures to mitigate them.”

“And as we are able to reopen new sectors of the economy, we will continue our collaborative approach working with a wide range of stakeholders, to provide guidance for additional workplaces.”