Dealing with health and safety during the 2021 lockdown

The new national lockdown is a challenge for us all on multiple levels – whether it’s working from home and dealing with children at the same time, keeping mentally well, looking after relatives or others who need support, shopping for food  – we all have to work out how we do these things safely within the new restrictions. 

For businesses, it would be easy to say that nothing has really changed  and Covid safety management is well covered as a consequence of the two previous lockdowns in 2020. So, is that the right approach or should you be re-visiting your Covid Policy, Risk Assessment and your communication with staff?

It is clear from Government communications and the updated Covid Regulations and Guidance that the Government is expecting a high degree of compliance with the new lockdown and that enforcement against individuals who flout the rules will be the first line of attack. Is the same true for a business?

How important is Covid safety within a business environment?

Covid safety within a business environment is enforced by the HSE and Local Authorities. The HSE has previously publicised the fact that they and  Local Authorities are carrying out spot checks on all types of business in all areas to ensure they are Covid safe.

There is no doubt that there is a renewed effort being made to check up on Covid compliance within businesses,  and if Covid procedures are insufficient there is  more likelihood of employees complaining to the HSE or your Local Authority.

In this context however, it is important to note that the emphasis of the current lockdown has changed and we have reverted to a positive work from home requirement unless the job cannot be done on that basis.
It is therefore again incumbent upon a business to make sure that all roles wherever reasonably possible can be undertaken from a home environment and that if staff are required to work from an office or other facility, numbers are kept to an absolute minimum and that appropriate social distancing (at least 2 meters in the current lockdown) hygiene procedures, one-way systems etc are all in place. 

Dealing with lockdown fatigue

It should also be recognised that “lockdown/Covid fatigue” as a consequence of months of having to do things differently  and in a restricted way also impacts upon the effectiveness of the control measures which you have in place. What may have worked in March 2020 may be being ignored  or sidestepped in January 2021.