The warm, gentle summer is receding and another wave of COVID-19 is picking up. Therefore, the Labour Inspectorate is once again focusing on stopping the spread of the virus.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is our common concern. Employers must do everything in their power to prevent their company from starting another outbreak, the consequences of which are serious for the health of both people and the company. Employees must ensure that security requirements are met and monitor their health.
At this time, when the new COVID-19 wave is still picking up, the old adage ‘It’s easier to maintain than later complain’ is true. We remind you of the prevention measures of COVID-19, which you probably already know well, but which have been relegated to second place in the summer heat. It must be said that the companies are mostly excellent and have already done something to prevent the spread of the virus, but there are deficiencies in the organisation of risk assessment of the working environment.
We have become used to increased safety requirements in the last few years and follow them quite carefully, but the preparations before the new wave are also necessary. Let’s act immediately, while we can still do so peacefully. We check the necessary equipment for teleworking, replace the creaky disinfectant by the door with an automatic dispenser, put the box of face masks on the table early and, if necessary, we will do a rapid antigen test.
To control COVID-19:
- remind employees how to prevent the spread of the virus in the working environment;
- check that personal protective equipment is being used and make it as easy as possible;
- take care of yourself and your coworkers and if symptoms of the disease appear, you must stay at home, if you get a positive diagnosis, you must stay in isolation; you have to monitor your health especially after travelling, mass events and other possible contacts;
- prepare yourself for teleworking, check all technical solutions, conclude remote work agreements;
- review the risk reduction and prevention action plan and if there is not one then create it;
- regularly verify compliance with agreed measures;
- mark danger zones with safety signs (e.g. customer areas, seminar rooms) where personal protective equipment must be used;
- recognise employees who ensure that the virus is not spread through their actions or inaction (e.g. those who have been vaccinated);
- think through an action plan for dealing with psychosocial risk factors to support employees and prevent burnout;
- look over the risk assessment and ensure that it also includes biological hazards. You can upload the risk assessment in the TEIS self-service environment of the Labour Inspectorate on the website iseteenidus.ti.ee or do it using a digital tool.
Vaccination and booster doses help! To facilitate vaccination, the Health Insurance Fund still offers a service to employers, and the vaccinator can be invited to their company by writing to [email protected] or [email protected] about your request.
If you wish, you can invite a working environment consultant from the Labour Inspectorate to your company. The consultant offers free-of-charge advice on how to make the working environment more sustainable for health. To invite a working environment consultant, send an e-mail to the general address of the Labour Inspectorate, [email protected]. More detailed information about the working environment consultant service can be obtained from the Labour Inspectorate’s counselling service at 640 6000 or from the Labour Inspectorate’s website.
Further reading:
Information about vaccination can be found: https://vaktsineeri.ee/
The instructions of the Health Board can be found:
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