The ‘new normal’ is a phrase business experts use to describe a post COVID-19 world: The way we do business and interact with businesses will never be the same again and adapting to the new ways of operating will be vital.

One aspect of business that will be in the spotlight is health and safety – an area often neglected until it is needed, but something that will become more vital than ever in business policies and procedures.

How COVID-19 affects the current H&S regulations in the short and long term

All ‘normal’ business practices will be disrupted, some more significantly than others. Notwithstanding COVID-19, all employers have a legal obligation to keep their workers healthy and safe. Health and safety should remain the top priority for employers.

A guiding principle of H&S regulations is that workers and other persons should be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety, and welfare from work risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

Post COVID-19, business structures, practices, operations, administration and systems will see significant work changes being made – becoming ‘the new norm’ of business, particularly after many employees have had to work remotely from home during lockdown. Health and safety principles will remain the same in this respect.

Short-term:

• Social distancing
• Medical PPE protection (for front-line health workers) will continue until COVID-19 has passed

Long-term:

• Raising awareness of the importance of having up-to-date policies regarding Health and safety.
• Pandemic planning in the workplace, including adapting to situations such as lockdown and how to support employees especially around mental health.
• A COVID-19 Pandemic Plan will become mandatory for all businesses.

Some key adjustments workplaces will have to make in order to keep their staff safe and healthy in a post COVID-19 world:

• Revisiting or introducing key steps to promote safety for staff and the workplace, including on-hand PPE gear and providing regular education especially regarding usage. Key members of the team are encouraged to support employees to access and use PPE.
• Policies that support staff wellness, including regular and/or mandatory health maintenance checks, employee assistance program, financial education for future pandemic situations.
• Working remotely may become a regular occurrence for some businesses, so employees must have the tools and equipment to support this. A plan should be in place through work polices that support widespread disruption to work places so that employees can smoothly transition to different roles and places.

Finally, mental health and financial support are the other two areas that businesses can provide support to their employees; through changing their policies and practices and offering resources to support them. Businesses should also ensure that these are documented in their Health and Safety policies.

Neil Enslin | Occupational Health and Safety Manager