Return to Work Series

The dynamic settings under which employees work pre-COVID need to be analysed to determine if the work environment is necessary for them to return to or can accommodate them under the new conditions. Although testing may be advised for ALL employees as pre-screening measure, realistically, underlying factors for each employee, such as, but not limited to;

• Public Transport
• Number of persons within the household
• Community Settings/ Risk Conditions -i.e number of persons within the community who may be affected.
• Social Life – how often would the employee engage with persons outside of the household

Are important considerations to encourage frequent testing and pre-screening. The above information can be included in questionnaires for the collection of data to suggest how often that employee ought to be tested or screened given their interactions outside of work, as these interactions not only puts the employee at risk but his/her co-workers within the environment as well.

As part of Fit for Work assessments or as an individual COVID assessment, the Occupational Health and Safety department partnered with Human Resources should conduct weekly briefings discussing hygiene and preventative measures that relate to COVID-19.Companies should encourage car-pooling and limited public transport for staff returning to work.