Covid-19 safety and related guidelines for workplaces - offices, factories and other establishments once they open up after 20th April 2020.
In his address to the nation on 14 April 2020, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown will be extended till May 3 to further strengthen the efforts of the authorities to contain the novel coronavirus.
However, he also mentioned that taking into consideration the impact of lockdown on the economy, select necessary activities will be allowed to open from April 20, in identified areas of the country.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued an order dated April 14, 2020, extending the lockdown in India till May 3, 2020. Further, MHA has issued another order today (April 15, 2020), to allow select additional activities in areas not demarcated as containment zones by States/ UTs/ District Administrations.
Through its order, the MHA has also issued a few fresh guidelines for workplaces to adhere. These guidelines are not just limited to services which will be opened after April 20, but to be adhered by every workplace post May 3rd as well. These new guidelines are designed with an aim to emphasize standard operating procedure for social distancing.
Here are the fresh guidelines for workplaces which should be adhered by all offices, factories and other establishments:
- All areas in the premises including the following shall be disinfected completely using user-friendly disinfectant mediums:
- Entrance Gate of building, office, etc.
- Cafeteria and canteens.
- Meeting room, Conference halls/ open areas available verandah/ entrance gate of the site, bunkers, portacabins, building, etc.
- Equipment and lifts.
- Washroom, toilet, sink; water points, etc.
- Walls/ all other surfaces
- For workers coming from outside, special transportation facilities will be arranged without any dependency on the public transport system. These vehicles should be allowed to work only with 30-40% passenger capacity.
- All vehicles and machinery entering the premises should be disinfected by spray mandatorily.
- Mandatory thermal scanning of everyone entering and exiting the workplace to be done.
- Medical insurance for the workers to be made mandatory.
- Provision for hand wash & sanitizer preferably with a touch-free mechanism will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas.
- Sufficient quantities of all the items should be available.
- Workplaces shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff, to ensure social distancing.
- Large gatherings or meetings of 10 or more people to be discouraged.
- Seating at least six feet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings and training sessions.
- Not more than 2/4 persons (depending on size) will be allowed to travel in lifts or hoists.
- The use of the staircase for climbing should be encouraged.
- There should be a strict ban on gutka, tobacco, etc. and spitting in public should be strictly prohibited.
- There should be a total ban on non-essential visitors at sites.
- Hospitals/clinics in the nearby areas, which are authorized to treat COVID-19 patients, should be identified and a list should be available at the workplace all the time.
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