A Basic Guide for Employers

In the Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic

Promoting a Safe and Healthy Working Environment

The Covid-19 Pandemic is a health crisis that directly impacts on the safety and health of
workers. In keeping with the General and Additional duties of an employer as required by
Sections 46 and 47 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99:06,
Laws of Guyana and in order to ensure that the workplace remains a safe and healthy
place,

It is recommended that employers adopt a certain course of action. The proposed action
should be done as a collaborative effort between employers and workers
representativeswithin the workplace as well as the Joint Workplace Safety and Health
Committee/Safety and Health Representative as may be applicable.

In keeping with an Action Checklist which was recently developed by the International
Labour Organization (ILO) for the purpose of implementing practical actions to
mitigate the spread of the pandemic in the workplace, it is recommended that the
implementation should be done within a framework that includes:

1. Policy Planning and Organizing.

2. Risk Assessment, Management and Communication.
3. Prevention and Mitigation Measures.
4. Arrangements for Suspected and Confirmed COVID -19 Cases.

Consequently, the following guidelines are recommended for the implementation of the
framework in order to positively impact on the workplace response to the pandemic.

1. Policy, Planning and Organizing

1.1 Appoint a team including senior management, supervisors, workers’

representatives, and recognized workers’ trades union.
 1.2 Develop and post a statement of management’s commitment and
responsibilities to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus and
transmission of COVID-19 at the workplace in consultation with
worker representatives. (This can be merged with the OSH policy document).

1.3 Develop a preparedness and response plan for COVID-19 prevention at the
workplace, considering all work areas and tasks performed by workers and
potential sources of exposure such as contact with infected workers,
contractors, customers and visitors at the workplace.

1.4 Regularly consult with the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the
Ministry of Social Protection, theMinistry of Public Health and other regulatory
agencies that develop information materials to promote workplace prevention
of risk of exposure to the virus and other technical advice.

1.5 Establish a workplace system for providing up-to-date reliable information to

workers on the emerging situation on COVID-19, with reference to information
released by national or local health authorities.

1.6 Put systems in place to discourage large concentrations of workers in the

workplace to enable social/ physical distancing. You may want to consider
teleworking for non-critical workers to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in
your workplace.

1.7 Develop a plan of what to do if a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 is

identified at the workplace that includes among others reporting, monitoring,
and disinfection in line with the national guidelines.

1.8 Establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism of the COVID-19 prevention

strategies and plans.

2. Risk Assessment,Management and Communication.

2.1 Train management, workers and their representatives on the adopted measures
to prevent risk of exposure to the virus and on how to act in case of COVID-19
infection. For high-risk workers, the training should include the correct use,
maintenance and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE).

2.2 Inform workers that each has a right to remove from a work situation that poses
imminent and serious danger for life or health, and immediately inform their
immediate supervisor of the situation in accordance with laid out procedures in
Occupational Safety and Health Act, Chapter 99.06 Laws of Guyana.
 2.3 Advise and assist delivery workers, truck drivers and other
transportation workers to minimize direct contact with customers and
ensure personal hygiene practices such ashand washing and use of hand
sanitizers are facilitated. Also consider providing personal protective equipment
if workers are in direct contact with clients.

3. Prevention and Mitigation Measures.

3.1 Organize work in a way to allow for physical distancing from other
workers/people as prescribed by the Ministry of Public Health.

3.2 Avoid face-to-face meetings, giving preference to phone calls, email or virtual
meetings where possible. If you need to organize meetings, organize the space
in such a way as to allow for physical distancing.

3.3 Provide staff, customers and visitors with ample and easily accessible places
where they can wash their hands with liquid soap and water, disinfect hands
with sanitizers, and in addition, promote a culture of hand washing.

3.4 Put sanitizing hand rub dispensers in prominent places around the workplace
and make sure these dispensers are regularly refilled.

3.5 Promote a culture of regular wiping of desks and workstations, doorknobs,

telephones, keyboards and working objects with disinfectant and regularly
disinfect common areas including rest rooms. Surfaces frequently touched
should be cleaned more often. Depending on the operations, consider hiring
cleaning and disinfecting services.

3.6 Improve exhaust ventilation and provide more clean make-up air to rooms and
operations with high risk of exposure to the virus.

3.7 Provide appropriate facemasks and make available paper tissues at worksites,
for use by those who develop a runny nose or cough, along with closed bins for
hygienically disposing of them.
 4. Arrangements for Suspected and Confirmed Covid-19 Cases.

4.1 In line with the guidance provided by the Ministry of Public Health,
encourage your workers with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 not to come to
the workplace.

4.2 Advise workers to call the Hotline numbers of the Ministry of Public Health
when they have serious health conditions including trouble breathing, giving
them details of their recent travel and symptoms.

4.3 Arrange for isolation of any person who develops COVID-19 symptoms at the
work site, while awaiting transfer to an appropriate health facility. Arrange for
disinfection of the work site.

Adapted from: The International Labour Organization (ILO): “Prevention

and Mitigation of COVID-19 at Work, Action Checklist”.

For further information contact:

Occupational Safety and Health Department

Ministry of Labour
Lot 82 Brickdam
Tel. 225-7008