KLE SOCIETTY’S LAW COLLEGE

BENGALURU

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

Background:
These guidelines aim to help to stay safe and healthy in a working environment that has
changed significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They give advice on:
1. Risk assessment and appropriate measures
a. minimizing exposure to COVID-19
b. resuming work after a period of closure
c. coping with a high rate of absence
d. managing workers working from home
2. Involving workers
3. Taking care of workers who have been ill
4. Planning and learning for the future
5. Staying well informed
6. Information for sectors and occupations
The guidelines include examples of general measures, which depending on the particular
work situation, can help employers achieve an appropriate safe and healthy work environment
when resuming activities.
Introduction:
Following the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic, most of the
countries across the globe have put in place a number of measures, including those affecting
workplaces, to fight the spread of the disease. The world of work is severely affected during this
crisis, therefore, all sections of society – including businesses, employers and social partners –
must play a role in order to protect workers, their families and society at large.
Once the physical distancing measures achieve a sufficient reduction in COVID-19
transmission rates, national administrations are authorizing a gradual resumption of work
activities. This is being done stepwise, with work that is considered essential for health
protection and the economy authorized first and work that can be done effectively while working
from home last. However, regardless of how and to what extent normal work activities resume, it
is highly likely that some measures will remain in place for some time to avoid a steep increase
in infection rates (COVID-19: guidance for the workplace). Furthermore, it is also possible that
an increase in infections at some point in the future will require a reintroduction of restrictive
measures in some cases.
The COVID-19 crisis is putting pressure on employers and workers, whether they had to
implement new procedures and practices in a short time, or to suspend their work and business
activities. Occupational safety and health offers practical support for returning to the workplace:
appropriate preventive measures will help to achieve a safe and healthy return to work following
relaxation of physical distancing measures, and also contribute to suppressing transmission of
COVID-19.
Risk assessment and appropriate measures:
Just as under normal working conditions, the identification and assessment of risks in
both physical and psychosocial working environments is the starting point for managing
occupational safety and health under COVID-19 measures. Employers are obliged to revise their
risk assessment when there is a change to the work process and to consider all risks, including
those affecting mental health. When revising the risk assessment, attention should be given to
any anomalies or situations that cause problems and to how these can help the organization
become more resilient in the long term. Remember the importance of involving workers and
their representatives in the risk assessment revision and call on your risk prevention or
occupational health provider if you have one. As input to your assessment, obtain up to date
information from the public authorities on the prevalence of COVID-19 in your area. Once the
risk assessment is updated, the next step is to make an action plan with appropriate measures.
Below are COVID-19 related issues to consider when drawing up such an action plan.
Minimizing exposure to COVID-19 at work:
 The implementation of safe work practices to limit exposure to COVID-19 at work requires
first assessing the risks, and then implementing the hierarchy of controls. This means
putting in place control measures to first eliminate the risk and if this is not possible,
minimize worker exposure. Start first with collective measures and if necessary,
supplement them with individual measures, such as personal protective equipment (PPE).
Below are some examples of control measures, however, not all of them will be applicable
to all workplaces or jobs due to their nature.
 Carry out only essential work for the time being it may be possible to postpone some work
to when the risk is lower. If possible, deliver services remotely (phone or video) instead of
in person. Ensure that only workers who are essential to the job are present at the
workplace and minimize the presence of third parties.
 Reduce, as far as possible, physical contact between workers (e.g. during meetings or
during breaks). Isolate workers who can carry out their tasks alone safely and who do not
require specialized equipment or machinery that cannot be moved. For example, whenever
possible, arrange for them to work alone in a spare office, staff room, canteen, or meeting
room. If possible, ask vulnerable workers to work from home (older people and those with
chronic conditions (including hypertension, lung or heart problems, diabetes, or who are
undergoing cancer treatment or some other immunosuppression) and pregnant workers.
Workers with close family members who are at high risk may also need to telework.
 Eliminate, and if not possible limit, physical interaction with and between customers. For
example, through online or phone orders, contactless delivery, or managed entry (while
also avoiding crowding outside), and physical distancing both inside and outside the
premises.
 When delivering goods, do so through pick-up or delivery outside the premises. Advise
drivers on good hygiene in the cab and provide them with appropriate sanitation gel and
wipes. Delivery workers must be allowed to use facilities such as toilets, cafeterias,
changing rooms and showers, albeit with the appropriate precautions (such as allowing
only one user at a time and regular cleaning).
  Place an impervious barrier between workers, especially if they are not able to keep a two-
meter distance from each other. Barriers can be purpose-made or improvised using items
such as plastic sheeting, partitions, mobile drawers, or storage units. Things that are not
solid or that have gaps, like pot plants or trolleys, or that create a new risk, such as from
tripping or falling objects are to be avoided. If a barrier cannot be used, additional space
between workers should be created by, for example, ensuring they have at least two empty
desks either side of them.
 If close contact is unavoidable, keep it to less than 15 minutes. Reduce contact between
different parts of your business at the start and end of shifts. Arrange the timing of meal
breaks to reduce the number of people sharing a cafeteria, staff room, or kitchen. Ensure
there is only one worker at a time in bathrooms and changing rooms. Place a sign on the
main door indicating when one of the toilets is in use to ensure that only one person at a
time enters. Organize shifts to take account of cleaning and sanitation tasks.
 Supply soap and water or appropriate hand sanitizer at convenient places and advise
workers to wash their hands frequently. Clean your premises frequently, especially
counters, door handles, tools, and other surfaces that people touch often and provide good
ventilation if possible.
 Avoid excessive workload on cleaning staff by taking appropriate measures, such as
assigning additional staff to the tasks and asking workers to leave their workspace tidy.
Provide workers with tissues and waste bins lined with a plastic bag so that they can be
emptied without contacting the contents.
 If you have identified a risk of infection despite having applied all feasible safety measures,
then provide all necessary PPE. It is important to train workers in correct use of PPE,
ensuring that they follow the guidance available on use of facemasks and gloves.
 Place posters that encourage staying home when sick, cough and sneeze etiquette, and hand
hygiene at the entrance to the workplace and in other areas where they will be seen.
 Facilitate workers’ use of individual rather than collective transport, for example by
making available car parking or a place for storing bicycles securely, and encouraging
workers to walk to work, if possible.
 Put in place policies on flexible leave and remote working to limit presence at the
workplace, when needed.
Resuming work after a period of closure:
If your workplace has been closed for a period for reasons related to COVID-19, plan for when
work resumes that takes account of health and safety. You should consider the following in your
plan:
 Update your risk assessment as described above and refer to COVID-19: guidance for the
workplace.
 Carry out adaptations to the layout of the workplace and the organization of work that will
reduce COVID-19 transmission before resuming work fully and before all workers return
to the workplace. Consider resuming work in stages to allow adaptations to be carried out.
Be sure to inform workers about the changes and provide them with new procedures and
training, if necessary, before they resume work.
 Contact your occupational health service and health and safety advisor if you have access
to one and discuss your plan with them.
  Pay special attention to workers who are at high risk and be prepared to protect the most
vulnerable, including older people and those with chronic conditions (including
hypertension, lung or heart problems, diabetes, or who are undergoing cancer treatment or
some other immunosuppression) and pregnant workers. Pay attention also to workers with
close family members who are at high risk.
 Consider putting in place support for workers who may be suffering from anxiety or stress.
This could range from managers asking workers more often how they are, facilitating
exchanges or buddying between colleagues, changes in work organization and work tasks,
to an employee assistance programme or coaching service, as well as offering contact with
an occupational health service. Be aware that workers may have gone through traumatic
events such as the serious illness or death of a relative or friend or be experiencing
financial difficulties or problems with their personal relationships.
 Workers who are returning to the workplace after a period of isolation, whether as an
individual measure or as part of a collective isolation, are likely to have worries,
particularly about the risk of infection. These worries – especially if there have been
changes to the job – may well result in stress and mental health problems. When physical
distancing measures are in place, these problems are not only more likely, but the usual
coping mechanisms, such as personal space, or sharing problems with others, are not
available. Provide workers with information on publicly available sources of support and
advice.
 Workers might be worried about an increased chance of infection at the workplace and may
not want to return. It is important to understand their concerns, provide information about
the measures taken and the support available to them.
Coping with a high rate of absence:
Depending on the infection rates in your local area and the protocols in effect, many of
your workers may be absent because of COVID-19. If a worker is in isolation at home as a
precaution, they may be able to continue their work remotely (see below), or if this is not the
case, the worker will not be able to work for a period.
Workers who are confirmed as having COVID-19 will be absent and unable to work for
significantly longer and those who become seriously ill may require a further period of
rehabilitation once cured of the infection. In addition, some workers may be absent because they
must take care of a relative.
 The absence of a substantial number of workers, even if only temporary, may cause a strain
on continuing activities. While the available workers should be flexible, it is important that
they do not find themselves in a situation that will endanger their health or safety. Keep any
additional workload as low as possible and ensure that it does not last too long. Line
managers have an important role in monitoring the situation and ensuring that individual
workers are not overburdened. Respect the rules and agreements on working hours and rest
periods and allow the workers the right to disconnect when off work.
 When adapting work to cope with a reduced workforce, for example by putting in place
new methods and procedures and changing roles and responsibilities, consider whether
staff need additional training and support, and make sure that all workers are competent to
carry out the task they are required to perform.
 Cross-train workers to perform essential functions so the workplace can operate even if key
workers are absent.
  If relying on interim staff, it is important to inform them about workplace risks and provide
them with training if necessary.
Managing workers working from home:
As part of the physical distancing measures taken in most Member States, workers are
encouraged or obliged to work from home if the nature of their job allows it. For most of these
workers, it is their first time as ‘teleworkers’ and their working environment is likely to be
deficient in many aspects compared to their workplace. The extent to which the home
environment can be adapted will vary according to the situation of the worker and the time and
resources available for adaptations.
Advice on staying safe and healthy while working from home is available here but is
largely directed at those who telework regularly or long-term. Below are some suggestions to
minimize the risks to workers who have not been able to prepare their home workplace properly.
 Carry out a risk assessment involving workers who telework and their representatives.
 Allow workers to take equipment that they use at work home on a temporary basis (if they
cannot fetch it themselves, consider arranging its delivery). This could include items such
as computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, chair, footrest, or lamp. Keep a record of
who takes what items to avoid confusion when normal work resumes.
 Provide teleworkers with guidance on setting up a workstation at home that applies good
ergonomics, such as good posture and frequent movement, as far as possible.
 Encourage workers to take regular breaks (around every 30 minutes) to stand up, move and
stretch.
 Give teleworkers support in the use of IT equipment and software. Tele and video
conferencing tools may become essential for work but may be problematic for workers not
used to them.
 Ensure that there is good communication at all levels that includes those working from
home. This ranges from the strategic information provided by top-level management to line
managers’ duties, without forgetting the importance of routine social interaction among
colleagues. While the former can be addressed in scheduled online meetings, the latter can
be encouraged through online chats or ‘virtual coffee’ meetings.
 Do not underestimate the risk of workers feeling isolated and under pressure, which in the
absence of support can lead to mental health problems. Effective communication and
support from the manager and colleagues and being able to maintain informal contact with
colleagues is important. Consider having regular staff or team meetings held online or
rotate which employees can be present at the workplace if a gradual return to work has
been initiated.
 Be aware that your employee may have a partner who is also teleworking or children who
may need care as they are not at school, or who need to connect remotely to continue their
schoolwork. Others may need to care for elderly or chronically ill people and those that are
in confinement. In these circumstances, managers will need to be flexible in terms of
working hours and productivity of their staff and will need to make the workers aware of
their understanding and flexibility.
 Assist workers in setting healthy boundaries between work and free time by
communicating clearly when they are expected to be working and available.
Involve workers:
 The participation of workers and their representatives in OSH management is a key to
success and a legal obligation. This applies also to measures undertaken at workplaces in relation
to COVID-19; a time when events develop quickly, with a high level of uncertainty and anxiety
among workers and the population at large.
It is important that you consult your workers and/or their representatives and the health
and safety representatives early on about planned changes and how temporary processes will
work in practice. Engaging with your workers in assessing risks and developing responses is an
important part of good health and safety practice. Health and safety representatives and health
and safety committees are in a unique position to help design preventive measures and to ensure
that they are implemented successfully.
Consider also how to ensure that agency workers and contractors have access to the same
information as direct employees.
Take care of workers who have been ill:
According to the World Health Organization, the most common symptoms of COVID-19
are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some people become infected but do not develop any
symptoms and do not feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without
needing special treatment. Around one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes
seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical
problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious
illness.
Persons who have become seriously ill may require special consideration even after being
declared fit for work. There are some indications that coronavirus patients may suffer from
reduced lung capacity following a bout of the disease. Workers in this situation may need their
work to be adapted and may need time off to undergo physiotherapy. Workers who have had to
spend time in intensive care (IC) may face specific challenges. The worker’s doctor and the
occupational health service, if available, should advise on the manner and timing of their return
to work:
 Muscle weakness. This is more serious the longer someone has been in IC. The reduced
muscle capacity also manifests itself, for example, in respiratory complaints. Another
common but less frequently recognized phenomenon is Post Intensive Care Syndrome
(PICS). This happens to an estimated 30 to 50% of people admitted to IC and is
comparable to a post-traumatic stress disorder.
 Problems with memory and concentration. These complaints often only develop over time.
Once someone has started working, this is not always recognized. The symptoms visible at
work are memory and concentration problems, difficulty performing the tasks satisfactorily
and poorer problem-solving skills. It is therefore important to be alert to this if you know
that someone has been in IC. Good guidance is important, because it is difficult for some
workers to return to their previous level of performance.
 Long time for resuming work. Data show that a quarter to a third of those who are in IC
can develop problems, independent of their age. Approximately half of patients need a year
to resume work and up to a third may never return.
Occupational physicians and health services are best placed to advise on how to take care of
workers who have been ill and, on any adaptations, need in their work. If you do not have an
occupational health service, it is important to address these issues with sensitivity and to respect
workers’ privacy and confidentiality.
 Be aware of the risk that workers who have been ill with COVID-19 may suffer stigma
and discrimination.

Plan and learn for the future:

It is important to draw up or update crisis contingency plans for shutdown and start-up
events in the future, as described in COVID-19: guidance for the workplace. Even small
businesses can make a checklist that will help prepare them should any such events occur in the
future.
Enterprises that have used teleworking for the first time may consider adopting it as a
modern, long-term working practice. The experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic
may feed into developing a teleworking policy and procedures or revising existing ones.
Stay well informed:
The amount of information related to COVID-19 can be overwhelming and it can be
difficult to differentiate the reliable and accurate from the vague and misleading. Always check
that the original source of the information is an established and qualified provider. As physical
distancing measures start to be relaxed, information may be issued that is specific to educational
institutions and it may be updated frequently.

Note: This protocol is implemented in the line with standard operating procedures
notified by different authorities at the state and central level.

PRINCIPAL