5 Steps to Working Safely

The following content offers practical actions for businesses to take based on 5 main steps.

Further guidance will be published as more businesses are able to reopen. You must also read the guides relevant to your workplace. (Links at the bottom) Each guide has specific actions for businesses to take based on these steps.

1. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment

Before you can resume work, you should ensure the safety of the workplace by:

• Carrying out a COVID-19 risk assessment in line with the HSE guidance.
• Consulting with your workers or trade unions
• Sharing the results of the risk assessment with your workforce and on your website

Compass HSC has produced a COVID-19 Risk Assessment as a template you can use for your own business. Find out more in our downloads section.

2. Develop cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures

You should increase the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning by:

• Encouraging people to follow the guidance on handwashing and hygiene
• Providing hand sanitiser around the workplace, in addition to washrooms
• Frequently cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that are touched regularly
• Enhancing cleaning for busy areas
• Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets
• Providing hand drying facilities – either paper towels or electrical dryers

Compass HSC has produced a downloadable poster that can be printed for your workplace. For large format poster prints, please contact the team.

3. Help people to work from home 

You should take all reasonable steps to help people work from home by:

• Discussing home working arrangements
• Ensuring they have the right equipment, for example, remote access to work systems
• Including them in all necessary communications
• Looking after their physical and mental wellbeing

Compass HSC has put together a list of FREE courses your employees can access regarding Mental

4. Maintain 2m social distancing, where possible

Where possible, you should maintain 2m between people by:

• Putting up signs to remind workers and visitors of social distancing guidance
• Avoiding sharing workstations
• Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help people keep to a 2m distance
• Arranging one-way traffic through the workplace if possible
• Switching to seeing visitors by appointment only where possible

5. Where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk 

Where it’s not possible for people to be 2m apart, you should do everything practical to manage the transmission risk by:

• Considering whether an activity needs to continue for the business to operate
• Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
• Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
• Using back-to-back or side-to-side working whenever possible
• Staggering arrival and departure times
• Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’