Businesses around the world are still grappling and making urgent adjustments to keep as much of their employees as possible. So, you need to make suitable and adequate risk assessments for the viral threat facing their employees is becoming a top priority. This would ensure that your business won’t be interrupted and keep your employees’ loyalty and motivation to work.
Work Health and Safety laws require you to review your existing risk assessments, especially in these times where there is a significant risk of exposure. So, as the ugly effects of the pandemic are still experienced by most of the world, and the chances of contracting the virus are still significant, you should identify, assess, and control the risks posed by COVID-19.
You may never have made it before, yet a COVID 19 risk assessment for vulnerable workers is becoming more important going forward.
What is Risk Assessment?
Risk Management is a comprehensive, proactive process that can help your business be more responsive to the changes and challenges and result in continual improvement. Also, it should be systematic, planned, and cover all foreseeable hazards and related risks.
More specifically, a risk assessment will require you to consider the possible events that could happen if one of your employees is exposed to a hazard like COVID-19 as well as its probability. A risk assessment can help determine:
- Gauge the severity of the risk
- Whether the steps that you’re taking to control the risk are effective
- The interventions that you need to implement to control the risk, and
- How urgently you need to take action.
Carrying out a Worker COVID 19 Risk Assessment
All employers, including those who are self-employed, are required to carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment as it is part of your legal responsibility to protect your employers and customers from possible risks. Also, your assessment should have “particular regard” for people who are vulnerable to COVID-19. So, you should have a vulnerable employee risk assessment plan if you have employees who are part of this group.
Your risk assessment should also cover the risks of COVID-19 by using guidance from government agencies and health organizations to facilitate a safe working environment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Part of your risk assessment should involve a review of your workplace health safety plan – or drafting a new one if needed. This plan should include identifying vulnerabilities in the ways the virus can enter your workplace and spread among staff, as well as what steps you can take to mitigate these potentials. Businesses that see employees in regular contact with each other or with customers may want to consider incorporating ongoing COVID-19 testing into their health safety plan. Regular onsite testing helps you identify an active case of COVID-19 before it has the chance to spread. You can get rapid COVID testing for businesses Orange County and elsewhere in California with a service such as Drip Hydration. Onsite testing streamlines this process and helps provide a safe working environment for your staff. Smaller businesses with fewer than five workers/employees and self-employed individuals don’t have to make a written risk assessment. However, if you own a medium to large enterprise, you should do so, especially if you are in the service industry.
You also need to get inputs from your employees and make their comments and suggestions part of your risk assessment. It must also include consulting a health and safety officer chosen by a reputable trade union or a representative chosen by your workers. This is the part where you make an individual risk assessment for vulnerable employees based on the suggestions of your at-risk workers.
When you’re done crafting your COVID 19 risk assessment for vulnerable workers, you should share it with your employees. It is also suggested by the government that it should be published on your website. Also, if your business has over 50 employees, you are compelled to do this.
Conclusion
By implementing risk management and crafting a COVID 19 risk assessment for vulnerable workers, you can ensure your business’ smooth sailing operations during these uncertain times and protect your employees at the same time. If your business is in the service industry or requires meeting with customers daily, you will also lessen the risk for them to contract the virus. Not only is a risk assessment a good thing for your business, employees, and customers, it is also your legal duty under the law.
If you learn more strategies to enable your business to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, visit our website
