From Thermal Screening To Fine On Spitting In Office, Centre Issues Fresh Workplace Guidelines

India sees more relaxations in the fourth phase of lockdown. Offices have restarted in most states and but will have to follow new hygiene guidelines.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: Since Monday, India entered its fourth phase of lockdown, but with more relaxations. Under the new regulations, offices can resume in many states, but have to follow strict guidelines. According to an IANS report, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recommended that employees who aren’t really needed to be in office are to continue work from home. While those employees and visitors who will work from the office will have to follow simple public health measures like respiratory etiquettes, physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks, frequent hand washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers for at least 20 seconds. The guidelines state there is no need to close the entire office building and stall work in other areas of the office, and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol if there are one or two cases of coronavirus is reported. The disinfection procedure will be limited to areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hours. The Ministry, however, said that if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be sealed for 48 hours for thorough disinfection. All the staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation. The Ministry also said if any individual is found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, it must be immediately reported to the concerned central or state health authorities as well as on the helpline number 1075. Here are key points from the guidelines issued by the government:

• To ensure safety in offices and workplaces, employers should ensure that Arogya Setu app is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones.
• Thermal scanning will be made mandatory at every entry and exit point.
• Spitting in public and work places shall be punishable with fine, as may be prescribed in accordance with its laws, rules and regulations by the state/union territory local authority.
• Buses will resume service, however only 20 person will be allowed in a bus at a time. Autos can function with only one person as a passenger, cab will also resume service with only two riders at time. Once the passenger alights it is the auto driver’s or cab driver’s duty to disinfect the area.
• All persons in charge of workplaces shall ensure social distancing through the adequate distance between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering the lunch breaks of staff, etc.
• Movement between 7 pm-7 am is not permitted.

These guidelines are made to ensure maximum safety, although a large part depends on the citizens because active participation is required to keep the virus at bay while continuing the new normal life.