PROTECTING YOUR WORKFORCE WITH P.P.E
IN THE SECOND OR THIRD WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS

The news about the discovery & approval of highly efficient vaccines against COVID-19 has put a smile on all our faces.
However, initially only the elderly, the vulnerable or frontline health workers will be able to get a vaccine. Mass distribution to the entire population is unlikely before Summer or Autumn 2021. Most UK workers will remain at risk from the virus until such time.
Many firms are wondering how best to protect their workforce during the current second wave, especially with the increased risk of virus transmission around Christmas. Understanding the new rules, regulations and responsibilities that your company faces can be a minefield.
Our dedicated blog will help you understand what equipment you must provide for your staff, along with what measures you can take to prevent infection in the workplace and disruption to your business.
For many workplaces, PPE has always been a large part of their health and safety procedures.
PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is a broad term used to describe protective clothing or coverings designed to shield the wearer against potential health and safety risks.
This includes protective items such as face masks, shields, goggles, aprons and gloves, along with clothing items such as helmets, high-vis jackets, overalls, knee pads, waterproofs and safety footwear.
With the Coronavirus pandemic, a looser definition of PPE is now common, also including devices that control the spread of infection, such as digital thermometers, pulse oximeters, UV steriliser boxes, touch-free tools and sanitiser wipes, gels or dispensers.
Employees working from home, for any reason, must also be considered as part of the same health and safety measures. This is especially so considering that they’ll sometimes be expected to travel to your office, or other places, for meetings or work-related activities.
You should protect your remote or vulnerable workers from infection, no matter where they work from, through implementing measures such as:
- sanitising of objects or surfaces in home office,
- regular hand washing or sanitising,
- using a touch-free tool outside,
- physical distancing,
- wearing high-quality face protection in public spaces,
- temperature checks,
- oxygen saturation monitoring,
- regular contact to discuss wellbeing, etc.
You should also provide any equipment they need to work from home, such as laptop or mobile device for videoconferencing.