Supporting industry back to work

This resource provides the key principles, information and guidance for workers and organisations re-opening businesses outside of healthcare. 

It aims to support good working practices during the COVID-19 outbreak and identifies the support that the RCN can provide. It is is for non-health care settings, it does not address considerations for health care settings where people are managing or supporting people with COVID-19 infection.

Introduction and background

The SARS-COV2 virus which is causing this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented demand on health and care sectors but also on the wider population. Closure or ‘lockdown’ of many parts of society have been implemented in order to try and minimise population exposure to the infection and therefore reduce transmission rates. As the Government permit a gradual reopening of businesses many workers are understandably concerned about the risks of coronavirus transmission as social interaction increases with the return to work.

RCN support for you

You may be asked to support your workplaces in ways that you have not previously been asked to. It is important that you are clear about your professional responsibilities and seek support from the RCN if you feel you are being asked to compromise your standards or work outside your competencies.

The RCN website has lots of information that will be relevant – and you can call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100 if you need further advice or support.

Also see the RCN clinical pages on occupational health for further information. This includes guidance on consent and confidentiality and record keeping. 

Working in partnership with union Safety Representatives

Employers will want to utilise all available expertise in ensuring safe working practices and this should include recognised Trade Union Safety Representatives. Trade Union Safety Representatives should be consulted on any measures that impact on the health and safety of their members. For further detail on the role of Safety Reps and information resources available to them see the HSE.

Consulting employees on health and safety and the TUC representative guidance: Safety representatives and worker involvement.

Reopening workplaces

The Society for Occupational Medicine (SOM) and British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOSH) have developed specific COVID-19 guidance and frameworks for occupational health around returning to the workplace:

• SOM Returning to the workplace after the COVID-19 lockdown. A toolkit.
• SOM Return to work guide. For health professionals advising patients and employers.
• BOHS Return to work guidance. The British Occupational Hygiene Society is issuing guidance to its members on how to ensure a safe and healthy environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sustaining Work-Relevant Mental Health Post COVID-19 Toolkit.
  
   

These resources focus on supporting best practice for workplace health and wellbeing and managing the physical, psychological and mental wellbeing implications for the workforce returning after lockdown. Whilst there is a need to minimise the amount of time and contact individual workers have with each other to reduce the risk of viral transmission, there is also an emphasis on the importance of reviewing and maintaining existing organisation risk assessment strategies.

Supporting the workforce returning to work

Please see the RCN clinical pages on occupational health for further information. This includes guidance on consent and confidentiality and record keeping. 

COVID-19 occupational risk assessment guidance

The Scottish Government has published risk assessment guidance and a tool for staff across all industries which should be used by employers to support staff and line managers to understand and carry out effective risk assessments. See: Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on individual risk assessment for the workplace.

Disease incidence

While the known numbers infected from coronavirus in the UK are likely to be in the hundreds of thousands and many have sadly died as a result, it is important for occupational health nurses to bear in mind that a high proportion of the population will not be infected.  Of those who are, most will be asymptomatic or have a mild / moderate disease.

The full understanding of coronavirus risk factors are still not fully understood. The emerging evidence indicates those who tend to be more seriously affected are:

• older people 
• have underlying medical conditions
• are obese
• from a BAME background 
• male.

Organisation and Individual risk assessment must therefore consider the workforce demographic and the likely impact of the factors which contribute to severe illness.  These risk factors need to be considered as part of an overall risk assessment for how the organisation and each individual employee is supported to return to work.  As the evidence is still emerging, the risk assessment can not be exact on how much weight needs to be given against each potential demographic.  

Organisations will need to promote individual self-care responsibilities within the workplace and provide access to reliable workforce information including coronavirus symptom recognition, when to self-isolate and how to maintain social distancing (see the published PHE advice and guidance for the public or the NHS advice).