Businesses in Dorset are being urged to update their risk assessments to ensure workplaces are Covid safe for returning employees as government advice changes.
The Dorset Chamber has warned that a wide range of new measures will need to be introduced to comply with health and safety. Its call comes as government advice changed with effect from August 1 giving employers more discretion about asking employees to return to the workplace.
Dorset’s voice of business, the chamber has led the way with a thorough review of its own offices and has placed its own risk assessment online. Businesses and organisations are being encouraged by the chamber to do the same.
Some of the new measures include:
“Help is available and I am personally very happy to speak to anyone about the measures involved, especially with the change of government guidance from August 1. Protecting employees in this way will give them greater confidence to return, especially if they are apprehensive about going back. It will also help businesses operate as smoothly as possible in the testing times ahead.”
On July 17, the prime minister announced that the Government’s advice would change with effect from August 1. Instead of telling people to work from home, Boris Johnson said that employers would have more freedom to decide whether staff should remain working from home or return to their place of work when it is safe to do so.
According to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, 30% of adults were working exclusively from home at the start of July.
The Chamber – Dorset’s leading business support organisation – is providing a range of support for business and is lobbying at a national level. This includes the Dorset Gateway, delivered by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in partnership with Dorset Chamber, which provides free signposting to business advice and support.
Listen to a brief summary by Ian Girling of the issues:
Advice is also available from the Health and Safety Executive. Visit hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm and dorsetchamber.co.uk for more details.
The South Coast Tech & Innovation Awards are back for another year, and nominations are…
The Thames Valley Property Awards are back, and with the nominations process in full swing…
Business activity growth gained momentum across the UK construction sector in April, largely due to…
Bristol environmental charity The Soil Association has signed up to a new way of sourcing…
EcoTech (Europe), a specialist cleaning product manufacturer, has acquired Home Valet Company. Home Valet develops…
Motor vehicle students at Evesham New College in Worcestershire were visited recently by representatives from…