INAIL conducted a study concerning the correct measures to adopt in the area of work organisation during the time of COVID-19 which later resulted in the “Technical document on the possible redesign of containment measures for SARS-CoV-2 in workplaces and strategies and prevention” (the “Technical Document”).
The Technical Document is aimed at providing the political operator, i.e. the Government, with information including of a statistical nature useful for making an assessment aimed at determining the progressive intervention priority levels on restarting production activities during the much heralded “Phase 2”, as well as intervention strategies to implement in workplaces.
The Document in question is mainly composed of two parts:
- the first part contains an analysis useful for defining the risk ambit and identifying where each worker is found according to their job;
- instead, the second dictates containment guidelines for workplace risk.
Examining the second part, the main measures mentioned therein are outlined below:
- Organisational measures
The Technical Document recommends the importance of creating a redesign of spaces, work hours, organisation of shifts, as well as production processes in the workplace, aimed at social distancing and, in particular to:
- perform an analysis of work processes able to redesign work taking into account the distribution of tasks and organisation of shifts, as well as incentivising remote working where possible;
- redesign work stations where workers can work alone or which, in any case, do not require particular work instruments and/or equipment moving them into spaces obtained for example from conference rooms or unused offices and, alternatively, to use separation barriers such as plexiglass panels;
- redesign work hours in order to differentiate them in order to reduce the number of workers present in workplaces at the same time, as well as adopting mobility plans suitable for avoiding the use of public transportation in relation to travel to reach the worksite and return home, so-called commuting, for example incentivising different forms of transportation, including with private vehicles.
- Prevention and protection measures
In line with the risk assessment and management processes governed by Legislative Decree 81/2008, measures of a general and specific nature must be adopted commensurate with the SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk in workplaces, giving priority to primary prevention measures and, in particular:
- setting up a preventive information and training plan for workers concerning the risk from Covid-19 that primarily takes account of the importance of social distancing and individual compliance with protection measures, such as the recommendations provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), INAIL and Europeans Centre for disease prevention and control (ECDC);
- making soap dispensers available for the recommended frequent hand washing;
- performing mapping of all activities, normally requiring all workers to use personal protection equipment (PPE) supplied beforehand by the employer;
- in terms of companies where a company doctor is not present, extraordinary appointment of a specific company doctor should be assessed for the emergency period or alternative solutions, including through the involvement of local public healthcare facilities;
- for workers with verified immunosuppressed conditions, the possibility of expressing a “temporarily unfit to work” judgement should be carefully evaluated or limitations to their fitness to work for an adequate period with careful revaluation when it elapses;
- in order to ensure the progressive return of workers who were absent following Covid-19 infection, the company doctor, subject to presentation of certification of a negative test swab according to the procedures required by the competent local prevention department, will perform a “medical examination prior to returning to work” in order to verify fitness for the specific job.
- Specific measures to prevent activation of epidemic outbreaks
During the transition period, the risk of reactivation of outbreaks in workplaces needs to be considered, thus putting into place a series of measures aimed at contrasting them and, in particular:
- reinforcement of all hygiene measures already known and contained in the “Joint Protocol on regulation of measures for contrasting and containing the spread of the Covid-19 virus in workplaces” of 14 March 2020:
- a procedure must be implemented for checking the body temperature of workers, before they access the workplace, according to the procedures in the aforesaid “Protocol”;
- temporarily isolate people with a temperature over 37.5° and give them a mask.
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The measures indicated in the Technical Document – which are basically in line with those contained in the Guidelines published on 16 April 2020 by the European Agency for safety and health at work – are quoted in the Protocol as updated on 24 April 2020.