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Guidance for businesses and workplaces (including transport operators) on reducing the risk of respiratory infections including COVID-19 and supporting staff and customers.
Employers have a duty to consult with their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters. While not legally required it is strongly recommended that you continue to consider respiratory infection transmission as part of your assurance procedures. Public Health Scotland has guidance on how to carry out risk assessments that sets out further detail.
Considering control measures as part of how your workplace or organisation operates can support your organisational resilience, and the continuity of your operations. The most important thing is what you actually do to manage and control risk on the premises.
Some actions you may wish to take in line with your risk assessment are:
Premises
maximising ventilation and the use of outside space, if possible
businesses may wish to recommend people wear a face covering in areas where the risk of transmission is higher or where your risk assessment supports the wearing of them, noting exemptions where individuals may be unable to
reinforcing enhanced cleaning, particularly of frequently touched surfaces and applying and reinforcing hygiene measures such as cough and sneeze etiquette and by providing hand sanitiser
considering allowing more space between people to reduce transmission
consider using screens and partitions
consider asking people to maintain at least 1 metre physical distancing where possible and supporting the distance aware scheme
managing the use of congested areas in premises such as narrow corridors, staircases, doorways, communal areas and storage areas and reviewing use of shared areas such as changing rooms to reduce the numbers of people using them at the same time
minimising the overall contacts between people in the premises, for example: if you are an employer encouraging hybrid and flexible working, and considering online or hybrid meetings, where possible
considering those people who were on the highest risk list, including their preferences for home based, hybrid or flexible working where this is possible, or discussing any further adjustments
regularly communicating with people through reminders such as signage and via staff, customer or service user communications, so that people know what steps to take to minimise transmission, or discussing what distance aware means for your staff or customers
continuing to work with those who work on the premises such as staff, or staff representatives, on public health and health and safety matters
providing staff/volunteer training around any processes or adaptations
encouraging people to travel safely, allowing flexible start and finish times if possible and ensuring vehicles are well ventilated by opening windows
When managing the risk of transmission in your premises no one measure assures that transmission will be stopped. The more steps you take to reduce transmission, the safer the environment you can provide.
Updated 'people' section in risk assessment chapter.
Updated the summary.
Updates to all pages.
Updates to Stay Well Signage.
Updates to Stay Well Signage.
Updated title, Stay Well Signage and ventilation chapters.
Made minor changes to bullet points, added a link to eligibility and updates advice on vaccination and testing.
Minor updates to Stay Well signage.
Updated Fair Work due to closure of Self-Isolation Support Grant.
Covid signage scheme content amended to reflect Stay Well This Winter signage.
Self-isolation Support Grant closing date information added.
Ventilation section updated to link to new guidance.
Vaccination and testing page updated to reflect latest position.
Updated Signage scheme.
Updated More information and business support.
Updates to Vaccination and testing.
Updates to Hybrid working.
Covid Signage Scheme information added.
Changes to Fair Work in light of Highest Risk List ending.
Minor text updates to Risk Assessment and Fair Work.
Text re highest risk list added to Fair Work section.
Minor updates to Overview, Risk assessment, Hybrid working and Fair Work.
Minor textual changes to all sections except ventilation and hybrid working to reflect latest advice. Risk assessment document updated. Unpublished manufacturing sector checklist.
Guide restructured and renamed to take account of latest guidance. Was previously "safer businesses and workplaces". Includes new sections on ventilation and fair work.
Updated Laboratories and research facilities: operational checklist.
Face coverings information updated.
Face coverings content changed to include hospitality information and other minor changes made. Added PDF of Public health risk assessment tool for businesses - March 21 2020
Updated following sections to reflect latest position: overview, face coverings, risk assessment, hybrid working, vaccination and testing, more information. Added new section on managing transmission risk. Other sections archived.
Updated Employer and employee responsibilities, Precautionary measures, Sector-specific measures, Hybrid working, Test and Protect and self-isolation and Risk assessment.
Following sections updated to reflect latest position: Overview, Employer responsibilities, Precautionary measures, sector-specific measures, enforcement and related information.travel and transport, hybrid working, Test and Protect,
Changes to Overview, Employer and employee responsibilities, Precautionary measures, Sector-specific measures, Hybrid working, Test and Protect: self-isolation, Vaccination and workplace testing and Travel and transport. Removed Where we are now.
Care home workers/social care workers section updated to reflect changes in self-isolation effective from 6/01/2022.
Sector specific references to bingos and casinos amended to reflect latest position.
References to festive season arrangements removed.
Minor updates to 'Where we are now' and 'Sector specific meansures'
Added updated operational checklist
Updated retail/shops operational checklist.
Updated to reflect changes coming into force on 26/27 December
Updated retail/shops: operational checklist.
Minor changes to reflect latest situation.
Updated sector specific page to cover close contact services.
Updated to reflect requirements around protection measures and home working.
Updated to reflect current situation.
Minor update.
Various updates to reflect latest situation.
Minor updates.
Minor updates to reflect changes to vaccine certification scheme.
Update to vaccination and workplace testing and further minor updates to employer and employee responsibilities and related information.
All sections updated.
All sections updated to reflect the latest position.
Related information page updated.
Added information about Covid certification scheme to the chapter on vaccination.
Minor textual changes made to reflect introduction of certification scheme.
Updates to examples in face coverings section.
Added checklist for retail/shops in the supporting documents.
Added checklist for laboratories and research facilities in the supporting documents.
Changes to Face coverings and Precautionary measures.
Updated title of supporting document to manufacturing sector: operational checklist.
Face coverings page updated.
Textual amend to Precautionary measures
Minor changes throughout to update tense to reflect current situation.
Travel and transport information updated.
Changes to Test and Protect and self-isolation in line with self-isolation policy changes.
Overview updated to reflect current situation.
Removed General guidance for safer workplaces – checklist - 3 June 2021 from supporting documents
Added link to guidance on individual occupational risk assessment on Risk assessments page.
Advanced manufacturing checklist added.
Related information page updated with links to sector guidance.
Changes to Test and Protect and self isolation
Updated to reflect changes as Scotland moves beyond level 0 of the levels system.
All pages updated to reflect latest position - particularly change in physical distancing requirements from 2 metres to 1 metre.
Distribution and site visitors page updated.
Training and compliance page updated
COVID-19 risk assessment page updated.
Dealing with emergencies section in operational guide page updated.
Updated to reflect latest situation.
Information re inbound and outbound goods on deliveries page and overview pages updated.
Information re inbound and outbound goods updated on deliveries section.
Updated to include information on workplace testing in workforce planning page.
Updated to reflect latest situation.
Updated the work in other peoples' homes chapter.
Workforce planning and support page updated.
Updated to reflect latest situation.
Door-to-door services section updated to reflect the latest guidance.
Overview and where we are now page updated to reflect latest position and remove redundant information.
Added new section on work cohorts "work bubbles"
Update to face coverings section in operational guide.
Updated information on vaccination and door-to-door services
Added information on vaccination to workforce planning and support section.
Overview and where we are now sections updated to reflect latest position.
Shielding information updated.
Coming to work and leaving work and Inbound and outbound goods information updated.
Physical distancing information updated.
Overview page updated to reflect latest position.
Updates to individual risk assessments for the workplace and working in people's homes FAQ.
Update to work in other people's homes FAQ page.
Overview page updated to reflect latest position.
Update to Work in Other Peoples’ Homes FAQ
Amendments made to Overview, Where we are now, Training and Compliance and Operational guide pages to reflect latest position.
Amendments made to FAQ on working in other peoples' homes to reflect latest position.
Minor updates made to various sections to take account of latest situation.
Updated work in other peoples' homes FAQ to include updated advice on door to door services
New section added on door-to-door services.
Festive guidance - easy read version added.
Update to workforce planning and support page to reflect change in self-isolation period.
Workforce planning and support page updated to reflect change in self-isolation period from 14 days to 10 days.
Festive workplace guidance added - see attachment.
Update to Work in Other Peoples’ Homes FAQ.
Update to Work in Other Peoples’ Homes FAQ
Updated to reflect new protection levels
Minor changes made to where we are now, workforce planning and support and operational guide pages to reflect latest developments including changes to face mask recommendations.
Update to workforce planning and support and operational guide and checklist sections
Update to temperature checks information in operational guide section.
Updates to workforce planning and operational guide to add information about temperature checking and the contact tracing app
