The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday released fresh guidelines for managing the COVID-19 pandemic . It also allowed certain private establishments to function, subject to adhereing to strict guidelines like mandatory wearing of masks at workplaces, etc.
Here is the Standard Operating Procedure for Social Distancing for Offices, Workplace, Factories and Establishments released by the Union Home Ministry.
The following measures shall be implemented by all offices, factories and other establishments:
All areas in the premises including the following shall be disinfected completely using user friendly disinfectant mediums:
- Entrance Gate of building, office etc.
- Cafeteria and canteens.
- Meeting room, Conference halls/ open areas availablel verandah/ entrance gate of site, bunkers, porta cabins, building etc.
- Equipment and lifts.
- Washroom, toilet, sink; water points etc.
- Walls/ all other surfaces
For workers coming from outside, special transportation facility will be arranged without any dependency on the public transport system. These vehicles should be allowed to work only with 30-40% passenger capacity.
All vehicles and machinery entering the premise should be disinfected by spray mandatorily.
Mandatory thermal scanning of everyone entering and exiting the work place to be done.
Medical insurance for the workers to be made mandatory.
Provision for hand wash & sanitizer preferably with touch free mechanism will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas.
Sufficient quantities of all the items should be available.
Work places shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff, to ensure social distancing.
Large gatherings or meetings of 10 or more people to be discouraged.
Seating at least sixet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings and training sessions.
Not more than 2/4 persons (depending on size) will be allowed to travel in lifts or hoists.
Use of staircase for climbing should be encouraged.
There should be strict ban of gutka, tobacco etc. and spitting should be strictly prohibited.
There should be total ban on non-essential visitors at sites.
Hospitals/clinics in the nearby areas, which are authorized to treat COVID-19 patients, should be identified and list should be available at work place all the times.
The Ministry also released a set of national directives
1. Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public places, work places.
2. All persons in charge of public places, work places and transport shall ensure social distancing as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
3. No organization /manager of public place shall allow gathering of 5 or more persons.
4. Gatherings such as marriages and funerals shall remain regulated by the District Magistrate.
5. Spitting in public spaces shall be punishable with fine.
6. There should be strict ban on sale of liquor, gutka, tobacco etc. and spitting should be strictly prohibited.
7. All work places shall have adequate arrangements for temperature screening and provide sanitizers at convenient places.
8. Work places shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff, to ensure social distancing.
9. Persons above 65 years of age and persons with co-morbidities and parents of children below the age of 5 may be encouraged to work from home.
10. Use of Arogya setu will be encouraged for all employees both private and public.
11. All organizations shall sanitize their work places between shifts.
12. Large meetings to be prohibited
13. Frequent cleaning of common surfaces and mandatory hand washing shall be mandated in manufacturing units.
14. No overlap of shifts and staggered lunch with social distancing in canteens shall be ensured.
15. Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices shall be taken up.
