‘ENSURE WORKPLACE IS SAFE, CONDUCIVE’
Safety, health protocols must be in place before offices run at full capacity, says Lam Thye
OCCUPATIONAL Safety and Health (OSH) committees at workplaces must ensure safety and health protocols to stem the spread of Covid-19 are in place before their offices operate at full capacity.
Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye urged employers and employees to follow standard operating procedures (SOP), such as wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and following strict sanitisation practices.
“The lifting of the 30 per cent Work From Home (WFH) policy can be a boon and a bane.
“It is welcome news particularly for manufacturing industries that require complex and technical work that could not be done remotely.”
But reservations have been expressed by those who are concerned the move could lead to more Covid-19 infections.
“Part of the solution will lie on a judicious mixture of the old and the new. Returning to the office does not mean returning to the old ways.
“Before welcoming workers, employers must ensure workplaces are safe and conducive with strict adherence to SOP and the imposition of new work procedures,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Besides ensuring SOP compliance, Lee said OSH committees were also responsible for identifying solutions and design safety features and safe work procedures in workplaces as part of the new normal.
“They must also ensure adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by all workers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and accidents.
“Promote mental health literacy and awareness among workers and educate them on ways to address mental health issues.
“Inculcate new office habits, such as staggering lunch and tea breaks, dividing the workforce to only allow a fixed number to be present in the office on any particular day and maintain physical distancing.
“There could also be strict timetables on when and how many workers can visit the canteen or use washrooms.
“These measures might seem trivial but they are most important, given the fact that there has been no respite in the number of daily infections.”
Although the country has yet to achieve herd immunity, Lee said returning to the office would bring some respite to those who have been working from home this past year in cramped rooms and residential units that has led to increased stress levels.
“Returning to office means nurturing a spirit of camaraderie through a sharing of workload.
“In the end, whether it’s WFH or back to the office, the overriding concern and practice should be to stay and remain safe, for our sakes and for everybody else’s. There is no other alternative.
“What is urgently needed in the fight against Covid-19 is people empowerment and self regulation and this includes employers and employees fully understanding the serious threats and dangers of Covid-19 and taking initiatives to keep themselves safe at all times.”