[Updated February 2021] We are now into lockdown 3.0 and businesses are still in the process of making plans to bring their employees back to work as safely as possible. Remote working is coming up on a year now for many businesses, and those employees continuing to work from home are waiting in anticipation for a date they can return to the workplace, as it’s a step on the path towards normality.
However, employers cannot ignore the anxiety that remains for some employees in a variety of workplaces, from teachers, construction contractors and office based workers. Some might believe that social distancing is impossible in their workplace, or have doubts over the efficacy of PPE.
If businesses wish to re-open smoothly and restart operations in earnest, it is absolutely critical that the fears of employees are assuaged. Employees have to feel confident that they will be protected for a return to work to be effective.
How Can Businesses Build and Sustain Employee Confidence Over a Gradual Return to the Office?
To ensure your employees are feeling confident about a gradual return to work over the coming months, it’s important for employers to partner with local governments or health authorities to remove any obstacles getting in the way. This will involve looking at flexible start and end times, as well as potential safer commuting options.
Following public health mandates will be key on the return to work and highlighting to employees the importance of their individual responsibility to wear masks, physically distance and keep on top of hand hygiene.
Should there be a positive case of COVID-19 in the workplace, procedures must be communicated effectively to all employees to ensure they understand the process of self-isolation periods and what they must do before they return to work. Employers must all use data available to them and insist on contact tracing and testing, even of those asymptomatic individuals and be as transparent as possible when an employee falls ill.
COVID-19 Risk Management from Emex
After talking to some of our clients about these issues, we are proud to announce the release of our cutting-edge COVID-19 Risk Management solution.
Workplace Management
A return to work will doubtless be phased, and industry specific. Sectors which have previously been exposed to minimal risk in the workplace, such as office based workers, will now find themselves working in a radically different setting. Employees need confidence that they will be protected not only by PPE and social distancing, but by the management system as a whole. Our new solution adapts traditional health & safety functionality for this new normal.
Audits & Inspections
This module enables risk management teams to accurately record and track COVID-19 risk assessments & audits in the workplace, on the go. Data is automatically tracked, with risk areas highlighted and traced. Get a holistic view across your business on how health & safety measurements stack up.
Incident Management
In the event of an incident, your health & safety system has to react proactively. Emex features automatic workflow management, tracking incidents and making sure they have been sorted.
Behavioural Safety
Give your employees confidence by giving them a voice. Using mobile or web based behavioural safety apps enables your employees to efficiently report localised safety issues, such as poor PPE, lack of social distancing, etc. Management teams can use this to easily track different sites and employee engagement.
Remote Workers
Use Emex to protect at home workers through self risk assessments and symptom tracking. Ensuring remote employees can isolate with the confidence that they have the correct environment to work effectively, while reducing risk of infection on site.
Fully Customisable
Every industry is different and has specific needs. Every module is completely customisable for every sector.
Emex can help keep your employees safe with their proactive and dedicated COVID-19 Risk Management Solution. We understand the importance of protecting staff and having confidence in workplace safety measures if operations are to resume effectively. Risks in the workplace must be quantified, reported and analysed to keep staff safe.