The British Standards Institute, in its role as the UK’s National Standards Body, has published new safe working guidelines to help businesses manage a safe return to work and reoccupation of their facilities.
The guidelines are intended to become a consensus of good practice and a spokesman for the BSI said it hopes the business community and members of the public will have their say and share their learnings and insight on safe working to help protect public health.
Version 1 of the guidelines, which is available for immediate use, provides a framework for business owners, senior leaders, managers and workers to protect people at work from the ongoing risks related to the coronavirus.
Working with an Advisory Group, BSI will revise the document “as frequently as necessary”, the spokesman said, to reflect the dynamic situation businesses are in today, taking into account the comments, government guidance, the level of risk and emerging knowledge.
Comments are invited on Version 1 until 12 June and will be incorporated into the second version of the guidelines which is due to be published at the end of June.
Each Version of the evolving guidelines will be “sector-neutral” and “aligned to and complement” current UK Government guidance.
Scott Steedman, Director of Standards at BSI said: “Since the UK Government announced gradual easing of the lockdown, business leaders across the country have been taking steps to ensure that their working environment is safe. Now it is imperative that they come together to achieve their shared goal.
“Our role as the National Standards Body is to bring people together so they can share their expertise and knowledge and agree what good practice looks like. Together we can help to make the working environment safe for all.
The freely available guidelines use the Plan – Do – Check – Act approach (PDCA). The guidelines are designed to provide a framework to enable ongoing continual improvement and ensure organisations respond to changes as the business community learns more about safe working and government requirements evolve.
You can download Version 1 or comment on the proposals and/or sign-up to be alerted for the latest versions here.