In the week after the government published its strategy for lifting lockdown, demand for COVID-19 risk assessments has surged 1,300%.
Within the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy for reopening businesses, ‘Our plan to rebuild’, risk assessments were identified as a critical part to planning, which has led to the massive increase in search engine traffic for COVID-related risk assessments.
In advance of the announcement, risk assessment and method statement software business, HANDS HQ launched a free COVID-19 resource hub and says it has been deluged with enquiries from businesses across the UK since.
“We’ve seen businesses across the board, from nail salons to cinemas, to big construction firms downloading our free COVID risk assessment templates”, says Jamie Carruthers, CEO at HANDS HQ.
“Many of these businesses feel the government guidance is falling short. Risk assessments have been a legal obligation since 1992 but, in reality, many businesses have never written one. Now they need to write one for the worst pandemic in living memory and don’t know where to start.”
Mr Carruthers said businesses of all sizes “and even people at the NHS and government” have subscribed to their weekly guidance roundup newsletter. “It feels good to be able to contribute in some way to getting businesses back on their feet, but also highlights the lack of clarity as devolved governments, regulated bodies and various organisations continue to update their guidance”.
As part of the plan for lifting lockdown, the government also published sector-specific guidance. The guidance states businesses should be carrying out COVID risk assessments and sharing the findings with employees. Where possible the government asks businesses to publish their COVID-19 risk assessments on their website, with businesses with more than 50 employees expected to do so.
For a full library of recourse and information of the guidance referenced above, please visit the SHP coronavirus advice for employers hub page.
Would be good to see any employers addressing preexisting contributory Global Pandemic in presenteeism as 58% DSE operators suffer debilitating levels of eye-strain, CVS and/or Screen Fatigue and, “carrying-on regardless” self-harming from visual repetitive stress injuries manifesting in induced loss of binocular 3D vision.
Never mind it was always going to be the one-eyed that lead in the world of the blind.