Question: What steps need to be completed before employees can come back to work in the lab?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Labs and research facilities
section_headers: 5. Cleaning the workplace
section_content: In this section

5.1 Before reopening
5.2 Keeping the workplace clean
5.3 Hygiene: handwashing, sanitation facilities and toilets
5.4 Changing rooms and showers
5.5 Handling goods, merchandise and other materials, and on-site vehicles

5.1 Before reopening
Objective: To make sure that any site or location that has been closed or
partially operated is clean and ready to restart, including:

an assessment for all sites, or parts of sites, that have been closed, before restarting work
cleaning procedures and providing hand sanitiser, before restarting work

Steps that will usually be needed:


Checking whether you need to service or adjust ventilation systems, for example, so that they do not automatically reduce ventilation levels due to lower than normal occupancy levels.


Most air conditioning systems do not need adjustment, however where systems serve multiple buildings or you are unsure, advice should be sought from your heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineers or advisers.


Positive pressure systems and extractors can operate as normal.


Restarting and testing specialist equipment which may have been unused for a longer than usual period of time.


5.2 Keeping the workplace clean
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching
contaminated surfaces.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products.


Determining the required cleaning process for expensive equipment that cannot be washed down, designing protection around machines and equipment.


Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, such as door handles and testing surfaces and making sure there are adequate safe disposal arrangements.


Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift.


If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you refer to the guidance on cleaning in non-healthcare settings


5.3 Hygiene: handwashing, sanitation facilities and toilets
Objective: To help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency, avoid touching your face and the need to cough or sneeze into your arm.


Providing regular reminders and signage to maintain hygiene standards.


Providing hand sanitiser in multiple locations in addition to washrooms.


Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets to ensure they are kept clean and social-distancing is achieved as much as possible.


Enhancing cleaning for busy areas.


Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection.


Providing hand drying facilities – either paper towels or electrical driers.


5.4 Changing rooms and showers
Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission in changing rooms and showers.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Where shower and changing facilities are required, setting clear use and cleaning guidance for showers, lockers and changing rooms to ensure they are kept clean and clear of personal items and that social distancing is achieved as much as possible.


Introducing enhanced cleaning of all facilities regularly during the day and at the end of the day.


5.5 Handling goods, merchandise and other materials, and on-site vehicles
Objective: To reduce transmission through contact with objects that come into
the workplace and vehicles at the worksite.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Cleaning procedures for material and equipment entering the site.


Cleaning procedures for the parts of shared equipment you touch after each use.


Cleaning procedures for vehicles.


Encouraging increased handwashing and introducing more handwashing facilities for workers handling deliveries or providing hand sanitiser where this is not practical.


Regular cleaning of vehicles that workers may take home.


Restricting non-business deliveries, for example, personal deliveries to workers.


[HVAC]: heating ventilation and air conditioning
  [COVID-19]: coronavirus

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has very detailed information about what employers need to do before people return to work.
The answer gives a very detailed list of steps that should be taken before employees come back to the lab. It provides a great deal of information that directly answers the question.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Labs and research facilities
section_headers: 7. Workforce management
7.3 Communications and training
section_content: In this section

7.1 Shift patterns and working groups
7.2 Work-related travel
7.3 Communications and training

7.3 Communications and training
7.3.1 Returning to work
Objective: To make sure all workers understand COVID-19 related safety
procedures.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Providing clear, consistent and regular communication to improve understanding and consistency of ways of working.


Engaging with workers and worker representatives through existing communication routes to explain and agree any changes in working arrangements.


Developing communication and training materials for workers prior to returning to site, especially around new procedures for arrival at work.


7.3.2 Ongoing communications and signage
Objective: To make sure all workers are kept up to date with how safety
measures are being implemented or updated.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Ongoing engagement with workers (including through trades unions or employee representative groups) to monitor and understand any unforeseen impacts of changes to working environments.


Awareness and focus on the importance of mental health at times of uncertainty. The government has published guidance on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19).


Communicating approaches and operational procedures to suppliers, customers or trade bodies to help their adoption and to share experience.


Using simple, clear messaging to explain guidelines using images and clear language, with consideration of groups for which English may not be their first language.


Using visual communications, for example whiteboards or signage, to explain changes to schedules, breakdowns or materials shortages, to reduce the need for face-to-face communications.


*[COVID-19]: coronavirus

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has detailed information about steps that should be carried out before returning to work.
The answer primarily discusses communication, but leaves out other details about steps that need to be taken before people come back to work in the lab. So it does answer the question, but not in the detail that is necessary.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Labs and research facilities
section_headers: 1. Thinking about risk
section_content: Objective: That all employers carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment.
In this section

1.1 Managing risk
1.2 Sharing the results of your risk assessment

Everyone needs to assess and manage the risks of COVID-19. As an employer, you
also have a legal responsibility to protect workers and others from risk to
their health and safety. This means you need to think about the risks they
face and do everything reasonably practicable to minimise them, recognising
you cannot completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19.
You must make sure that the risk assessment for your business addresses the
risks of COVID-19, using this guidance to inform your decisions and control
measures. A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork,
but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your
workplace. If you have fewer than 5 workers, or are self-employed, you don’t
have to write anything down as part of your risk assessment. Your risk
assessment will help you decide whether you have done everything you need to.
The Health and Safety Executive has guidance for business on how to manage
risk and risk assessment at work along with specific advice to help control the risk of
coronavirus in workplaces.
Employers have a duty to consult their people on health and safety. You can do
this by listening and talking to them about the work and how you will manage
risks from COVID-19. The people who do the work are often the best people to
understand the risks in the workplace and will have a view on how to work
safely. Involving them in making decisions shows that you take their health
and safety seriously. You must consult with the health and safety
representative selected by a recognised trade union or, if there isn’t one, a
representative chosen by workers. As an employer, you cannot decide who the
representative will be.
At its most effective, full involvement of your workers creates a culture
where relationships between employers and workers are based on collaboration,
trust and joint problem solving. As is normal practice, workers should be
involved in assessing workplace risks and the development and review of
workplace health and safety policies in partnership with the employer.
Employers and workers should always come together to resolve issues. If
concerns still cannot be resolved, see below for further steps you can take.
Where the enforcing authority, such as the HSE or your local authority,
identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant
public health legislation and guidance to control public health risks, they
will consider taking a range of actions to improve control of workplace risks.
For example, this would cover employers not taking appropriate action to
socially distance, where possible. The actions the HSE can take include the
provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement
notices to help secure improvements.
How to raise a concern:

contact your employee representative
contact your trade union if you have one
contact HSE at:

HSE COVID-19 enquiries
Telephone: 0300 790 6787 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm)
Online: working safely enquiry
form
[COVID-19]: coronavirus
  [HSE]: Health and Safety Executive

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Discusses the importance of risk assessments, but doesn't talk about specific steps to take before going back to work.
The question talks about the need for risk assessments, but doesn't address the actual steps that need to be taken in order for employees to safely return to work in the lab.

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Could be Improved