mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Labs and research facilities
1. Thinking about risk
1.1 Managing risk
Objective: To reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking
preventative measures, in order of priority.
Employers have a duty to reduce workplace risk to the lowest reasonably
practicable level by taking preventative measures. Employers must work with
any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace so that everybody’s
health and safety is protected. In the context of COVID-19 this means working
through these steps in order:


In every workplace, increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning.


Businesses and workplaces should make every reasonable effort to enable working from home as a first option. Where working from home is not possible, workplaces should make every reasonable effort to comply with the social distancing guidelines set out by the government (keeping people 2m apart wherever possible).


Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between their staff.   


Further mitigating actions include:  
– increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning
– keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
– using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
– using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face)
whenever possible
– reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed
teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)

Finally, if people must work face-to-face for a sustained period with more than a small group of fixed partners, then you will need to assess whether the activity can safely go ahead. No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.   

In your assessment you should have particular regard to whether the people
doing the work are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
The recommendations in the rest of this document are ones you should consider
as you go through this process. You could also consider any advice that has
been produced specifically for your sector, for example by trade associations
or trades unions.
If you have not already done so, you should carry out an assessment of the
risks posed by COVID-19 in your workplace as soon as possible. If you are
currently operating, you are likely to have gone through a lot of this
thinking already. We recommend that you use this document to identify any
further improvements you should make.
*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Labs and research facilities
2. Who should go to work?
2.2 People who need to self-isolate
Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under
existing government
guidance do not physically come to work. This includes individuals who have
symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a household with someone who
has symptoms.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Enabling workers to work from home while self-isolating if appropriate.


See current guidance for employees and employers relating to statutory sick pay due to coronavirus.


See current guidance for people who have symptoms and those who live with others who have symptoms.


*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
News story Driving tests and MOTs for heavy vehicles suspended for up to 3 months to help tackle spread of coronavirus
MOTs for lorries, buses and trailers
DVSA has suspended MOTs (annual tests) for all heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and
public service vehicles (PSVs) for up to 3 months from 21 March 2020.
All HGV and PSV vehicles with an MOT will be issued with a 3-month certificate
of temporary exemption (CTE) until further notice.
Vehicles must be maintained, kept safe to drive (roadworthy) and operate
within the terms of operators’ licence conditions.
Check what you need to do to exempt your
vehicle.
[DVSA]: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
  [HGV]: heavy goods vehicle
  *[PSV]: public service vehicle
News story Driving tests and MOTs for heavy vehicles suspended for up to 3 months to help tackle spread of coronavirus
Protecting the public
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

We are having to take big decisions to protect the public in our national
battle against COVID-19. Regrettably, we have had to suspend driver testing
for up to 3 months to help tackle the spread of the virus.
It is vital that those who need a test can get one so DVSA is offering tests
to those who have a critical need, such as the NHS and drivers delivering
goods across the UK.
Those who have tests cancelled will have priority when testing resumes.

The tests being suspended include:

car driving tests
motorcycle tests
lorry, coach and bus driving tests
approved driving instructor (ADI) tests and checks

DVSA will contact everyone with a test booked during this time to let them
know their test has been cancelled and that it will automatically re-book for
them.
The decision will be kept under review. The latest information about driving
tests and COVID-19 is on GOV.UK.
*[DVSA]: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Offices and contact centres
1. Thinking about risk
1.1 Managing risk
Objective: To reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking
preventative measures, in order of priority.
Employers have a duty to reduce workplace risk to the lowest reasonably
practicable level by taking preventative measures. Employers must work with
any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace so that everybody’s
health and safety is protected.
In the context of COVID-19 this means working through these steps in order:


In every workplace, increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning.


Businesses and workplaces should make every reasonable effort to enable working from home as a first option. Where working from home is not possible, workplaces should make every reasonable effort to comply with the social distancing guidelines set out by the government (keeping people 2m apart wherever possible).


Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between their staff.   


Further mitigating actions include:  
– increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
– keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
– using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
– using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face)
whenever possible
– reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed
teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)

Finally, if people must work face-to-face for a sustained period with more than a small group of fixed partners, then you will need to assess whether the activity can safely go ahead. No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.   

In your assessment you should have particular regard to whether the people
doing the work are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
The recommendations in the rest of this document are ones you should consider
as you go through this process. You could also consider any advice that has
been produced specifically for your sector, for example by trade associations
or trades unions.
If you have not already done so, you should carry out an assessment of the
risks posed by COVID-19 in your workplace as soon as possible. If you are
currently operating, you are likely to have gone through a lot of this
thinking already. We recommend that you use this document to identify any
further improvements you should make.
*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Offices and contact centres
3. Social distancing at work
3.5 Common areas
Objective: To maintain social distancing while using common areas.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Working collaboratively with landlords and other tenants in multi-tenant sites/buildings to ensure consistency across common areas, for example, receptions, staircases.


Staggering break times to reduce pressure on break rooms or canteens.


Using safe outside areas for breaks.


Creating additional space by using other parts of the workplace or building that have been freed up by remote working.


Installing screens to protect staff in receptions or similar areas.


Providing packaged meals or similar to avoid fully opening staff canteens.


Encouraging workers to bring their own food.


Reconfiguring seating and tables to maintain spacing and reduce face-to-face interactions.


Encouraging staff to remain on-site and, when not possible, maintaining social distancing while off-site.


Regulating use of locker rooms, changing areas and other facility areas to reduce concurrent usage.


Encouraging storage of personal items and clothing in personal storage spaces, for example, lockers and during shifts.
Offices and contact centres
4. Managing your customers, visitors and contractors
In this section

4.1 Manage contracts
4.2 Providing and explaining available guidance

4.1 Manage contracts
Objective: To minimise the number of unnecessary visits to offices.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Encouraging visits via remote connection/working where this is an option.


Where site visits are required, site guidance on social distancing and hygiene should be explained to visitors on or before arrival.


Limiting the number of visitors at any one time.


Limiting visitor times to a specific time window and restricting access to required visitors only.


Determining if schedules for essential services and contractor visits can be revised to reduce interaction and overlap between people, for example, carrying out services at night.


Maintaining a record of all visitors, if this is practical.


Revising visitor arrangements to ensure social distancing and hygiene, for example, where someone physically signs in with the same pen in receptions.


4.2 Providing and explaining available guidance
Objective: To make sure people understand what they need to do to maintain
safety.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Providing clear guidance on social distancing and hygiene to people on arrival, for example, signage or visual aids and before arrival, for example, by phone, on the website or by email.


Establishing host responsibilities relating to COVID-19 and providing any necessary training for people who act as hosts for visitors.


Reviewing entry and exit routes for visitors and contractors to minimise contact with other people.


Coordinating and working collaboratively with landlords and other tenants in multi-tenant sites, for example, shared working spaces.


*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Offices and contact centres
2. Who should go to work
2.3 Equality in the workplace
Objective: To treat everyone in your workplace equally.
In applying this guidance, employers should be mindful of the particular needs
of different groups of workers or individuals.
It is breaking the law to discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone
because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex or disability.
Employers also have particular responsibilities towards disabled workers and
those who are new or expectant mothers.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Understanding and taking into account the particular circumstances of those with protected characteristics.


Involving and communicating appropriately with workers whose protected characteristics might either expose them to a different degree of risk, or might make any measures you are considering implementing inappropriate or challenging for them.


Considering whether you need to put in place any particular measures or adjustments to take account of your duties under the equalities legislation.


Making reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled workers being put at a disadvantage, and assessing the health and safety risks for new or expectant mothers.


Making sure that the steps you take do not have an unjustifiable negative impact on some groups compared to others, for example, those with caring responsibilities or those with religious commitments.
Offices and contact centres
2. Who should go to work
2.2 People who need to self-isolate
Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under
existing government
guidance do not physically come to work. This includes individuals who have
symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a household with someone who
has symptoms.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Enabling workers to work from home while self-isolating if appropriate.


See current guidance for employees and employers relating to statutory sick pay due to COVID-19.


See current guidance for people who have symptoms and those who live with others who have symptoms.


*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Offices and contact centres
2. Who should go to work
2.1 Protecting people who are at higher risk
Objective: To protect clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely
vulnerable individuals.
Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals have been strongly advised not to
work outside the home.
Clinically vulnerable individuals, who are at higher risk of severe illness
(for example, people with some pre existing conditions), have been asked to
take extra care in observing social distancing and should be helped to work
from home, either in their current role or in an alternative role.
If clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable) individuals
cannot work from home, they should be offered the option of the safest
available on site roles, enabling them to stay 2m away from others. If they
have to spend time within 2m of others, you should carefully assess whether
this involves an acceptable level of risk. As for any workplace risk you must
take into account specific duties to those with protected characteristics,
including, for example, expectant mothers who are, as always, entitled to
suspension on full pay if suitable roles cannot be found. Particular attention
should also be paid to people who live with clinically extremely vulnerable
individuals.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Providing support for workers around mental health and wellbeing. This could include advice or telephone support.


See current guidance for advice on who is in the clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable groups.
Offices and contact centres
3. Social distancing at work
3.3 Workplaces and workstations
Objective: To maintain social distancing between individuals when they are at
their workstations.
For people who work in one place, workstations should allow them to maintain
social distancing wherever possible.
Workstations should be assigned to an individual and not shared. If they need
to be shared they should be shared by the smallest possible number of people.
If it is not possible to keep workstations 2m apart then businesses should
consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate
and if so take all mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of
transmission.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Review layouts and processes to allow people to work further apart from each other.


Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help workers keep to a 2m distance.


Only where it is not possible to move workstations further apart, arranging people to work side by side or facing away from each other rather than face-to-face.


Only where it is not possible to move workstations further apart, using screens to separate people from each other.


Managing occupancy levels to enable social distancing.


Avoiding use of hot desks and spaces and, where not possible, for example, call centres or training facilities, cleaning and sanitising workstations between different occupants including shared equipment.
Offices and contact centres
7. Workforce management
7.2 Work-related travel
In this section

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

7.2 Work-related travel
7.2.1 Cars, accommodation and visits
Objective: To avoid unnecessary work travel and keep people safe when they do
need to travel between locations.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Minimising non-essential travel –consider remote options first.


Minimising the number of people travelling together in any one vehicle, using fixed travel partners, increasing ventilation when possible and avoiding sitting face-to-face..


Cleaning shared vehicles between shifts or on handover.


Where workers are required to stay away from their home, centrally logging the stay and making sure any overnight accommodation meets social distancing guidelines.


7.2.2 Deliveries to other sites
Objective: To help workers delivering to other sites such as branches, or
suppliers’ or customers’ premises to maintain social distancing and hygiene
practices.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Putting in place procedures to minimise person-to-person contact during deliveries to other sites.


Maintaining consistent pairing where 2-person deliveries are required.


Minimising contact during payments and exchange of documentation, for example, by using electronic payment methods and electronically signed and exchanged documents.
Offices and contact centres
3. Social distancing at work
3.2 Moving around buildings and worksites
Objective: To maintain social distancing wherever possible while people travel
through the workplace.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Reducing movement by discouraging non-essential trips within buildings and sites, for example, restricting access to some areas, encouraging use of radios or telephones, where permitted, and cleaning them between use.


Restricting access between different areas of a building or site.


Reducing job and location rotation.


Introducing more one-way flow through buildings.


Reducing maximum occupancy for lifts, providing hand sanitiser for the operation of lifts and encouraging use of stairs wherever possible.


Making sure that people with disabilities are able to access lifts.


Regulating use of high traffic areas including corridors, lifts turnstiles and walkways to maintain social distancing.



Example lift practices.
Offices and contact centres
3. Social distancing at work
In this section

3.1 Coming to work and leaving work
3.2 Moving around buildings and worksites
3.3 Workplaces and workstations
3.4 Meetings
3.5 Common areas
3.6 Accidents, security and other incidents

Objective: To maintain 2m social distancing wherever possible, including while
arriving at and departing from work, while in work, and when travelling
between sites.
You must maintain social distancing in the workplace wherever possible.
Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full in relation
to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity
needs to continue for the business to operate, and, if so, take all the
mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between their
staff.
Mitigating actions include:

further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible
reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)

Social distancing applies to all parts of a business, not just the place where
people spend most of their time, but also entrances and exits, break rooms,
canteens and similar settings. These are often the most challenging areas to
maintain social distancing.
Offices and contact centres
7. Workforce management
7.3 Communications and Training
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 through existing communication routes and worker representatives 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).


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.


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


*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Offices and contact centres
1. Thinking about risk
1.2 Sharing your risk assessment
You should share the results of your risk assessment with your workforce. If
possible, you should consider publishing it on your website (and we would
expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so).
Below you will find a notice you should display in your workplace to show you
have followed this guidance.  
Staying COVID-19 Secure in
2020
(This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an
accessible
format.)
*[COVID-19]: coronavirus
Offices and contact centres
3. Social distancing at work
3.1 Coming to work and leaving work
Objective: To maintain social distancing wherever possible, on arrival and
departure and to ensure handwashing upon arrival.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics.


Providing additional parking or facilities such as bike racks to help people walk, run, or cycle to work where possible.


Limiting passengers in corporate vehicles, for example, work minibuses. This could include leaving seats empty.


Reducing congestion, for example, by having more entry points to the workplace.


Providing more storage for workers for clothes and bags.


Using markings and introducing one-way flow at entry and exit points.


Providing handwashing facilities, or hand sanitiser where not possible, at entry and exit points and not using touch-based security devices such as keypads.


Providing alternatives to touch-based security devices such as keypads.


Defining process alternatives for entry/exit points where appropriate, for example, deactivating turnstiles requiring pass checks in favour of showing a pass to security personnel at a distance.