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The Government of Spain has published a guide to good practices in workplaces to prevent Covid-19 infections, coinciding with the reinstatement of all non-essential activities that do not they can telework.

Commuting to work

The guide of good practices recommends favoring commuting to work by means that do not involve grouping with more people, guaranteeing the important interpersonal distance of 2 meters.

In the case of choosing a car or a VTC, its cleaning measures must be extreme and avoid more than one person traveling for each row of seats, maintaining the greatest possible distance between the occupants.

When traveling by bus, metro or train, it is recommended to keep the interpersonal distance with other travelers and, in the case of public transport, the guide recommends using a hygienic, non-medical mask.

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In the workplace

Regarding the work center itself, tasks, entrances and exits must be planned so that workers can maintain the recommended interpersonal distance of approximately 2 meters.

Likewise, it is necessary to ensure that the interpersonal distance in the common areas and crowds of personnel at these points should be avoided. The reincorporation to normality of those activities that carry a risk of crowding should take place last.

In the case of companies or establishments open to the public, measures should be implemented to minimize contact between workers and the public, including the following recommendations in the guide:

  • The maximum capacity must allow compliance with the interpersonal distance requirement.
  • When possible, access control mechanisms will be enabled at the entrances.
  • All the public, including the waiting one, must keep the interpersonal distance.
  • The company must provide personal protective equipment when the risks cannot be avoided or cannot be sufficiently limited by technical means of collective protection or by measures or procedures for organizing work.
  • Personal protective equipment will be appropriate to the activities and work to be carried out. When the workspace does not allow maintaining interpersonal distance in ordinary shifts, work schedules will be attempted to stagger as much as possible, which will also avoid crowds in transport, and it is recommended to facilitate teleworking and videoconference meetings. . In this way, work trips that are not essential and that can be solved by call or videoconference should be avoided.

Regarding the use of masks in the workplace, the guide points out that it is not essential to wear a mask during the working day if the type of work does not require it and if the interpersonal distance is maintained.

Organizational measures

The staff must be informed of the sanitary recommendations that must be followed individually and will be provided with the necessary hygiene products - soap, hydro-alcoholic solution and disposable tissues - to be able to follow the individual recommendations.

Every day, reinforced sanitation tasks must be undertaken with products authorized by the Ministry of Health to disinfect, which can be consulted at this link.

Likewise, the guide points out that it is necessary to have a sufficient supply of protective material, especially gloves and masks, and that specific measures must be adopted to minimize the risk of transmission to especially sensitive or vulnerable workers, such as people over 65 years of age, pregnant women and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, cancer and immunosuppression.

Companies must provide, through the occupational risk prevention services, teleworking or low-risk working conditions.

If this is not possible, employees in these circumstances may request an assessment from their primary care physician.

In the field of occupational safety, it is advisable to carry out a contingency plan identifying the risk of exposure to the virus from the different activities and adopting protective measures in each case, as well as protocols for the protection of the workforce and of the employees who manifest symptoms.

Recommendations to workers

The guide recommends, in addition to maintaining the interpersonal distance of 2 meters, to avoid close greetings, to avoid, as far as possible, the shared use of equipment. In case it is necessary to share them, precautionary measures should be increased, disinfecting them before using them if possible. If it is not, you should wash your hands immediately after use in the recommended way that can be found here.

The guide recommends not touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as well as frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 40 seconds, or with a hydroalcoholic solution. It is especially important to wash after coughing or sneezing or after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.

In the case of coughing or sneezing, remember the recommendation to cover the nose and mouth with the inside of the elbow or a disposable handkerchief, then throw it in a garbage can that has a closure.

Hygiene measures in the workplace

The guide recommends periodic ventilation in the facilities at least daily and for five minutes.

To help the good air renewal and to do it regularly, it is recommended to reinforce the cleanliness of the air filters and increase the ventilation level of the air conditioning systems.

It is convenient to reinforce cleaning tasks in all rooms, with special emphasis on surfaces, especially those that are most frequently touched such as windows or door knobs, as well as all the devices commonly used by employees, from machinery controls to tables and computers. At each shift change it is necessary to clean the work area used by an employee.

The cleaning staff assigned to these tasks must have proper protection, performing all tasks with a mask and single-use gloves, in addition to having the usual detergents, as they are sufficient, although the incorporation of bleach or other disinfectant products to cleaning routines, always in safe conditions.

Likewise, once the cleaning is finished, and after removing the gloves and mask, the cleaning staff must carry out a complete hand hygiene, with soap and water, for at least 40-60 seconds.

Work uniforms or similar, will be bagged and closed, and will be moved to the point where their usual washing is done, recommending a full cycle wash at a temperature of between 60 and 90 degrees.

Waste management in the workplace

Ordinary waste management will continue to be carried out in the usual way, respecting waste separation protocols.

It is recommended that disposable handkerchiefs used by personnel for drying hands or for compliance with the respiratory label be discarded in bins or containers protected with a lid and, if possible, pedal operated.

All personal hygiene material -masks, latex gloves, etc. -It must be deposited in the rest fraction (grouping of domestic waste that is obtained once the separate collections have been carried out).

In the event that a worker shows symptoms while at his job, it will be necessary to isolate the container where he has deposited handkerchiefs or other used products. This garbage bag should be removed and placed in a second garbage bag, with closure, for deposit in the rest fraction.

After going to work

Upon returning from the workplace to their homes, workers must take care of distances and hygiene measures at home, especially if they live with people from risk groups.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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