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Expedient and Efficient Action for Safety and Health at Work

Appropriate actions for the protection of employees from contracting the SARS-CoV-2 Virus – this can be a real challenge because anyone delving into the subject quickly comes across a large number of publications and recommendations from a wide variety of sources. What can easily be lost in the process is the view of the “big picture”. What really needs to be done, what should/could be done, what is the current status of occupational medicine and scientific findings on the coronavirus and the recommendations for occupational safety derived from them?

Authors/Autoren: Dr. Imke Birkenstock und Sibylle Sauer, Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie (BG RCI), Heidelberg

Fig. 1. Corona Pandemic Signpost. // Bild 1. Wegweiser Corona-Pandemie. Photo/Foto: BG RCI

What really needs to be done, what should/could be done, what is the current status of occupational medicine and scientific findings on the coronavirus and the recommendations for occupational safety derived from them? This is where the new “Corona Pandemic Signpost” (Leaflet A 038) from the Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry (BG RCI), Heidelberg/Germany, comes in (Figure 1). It is aimed particularly at company management, executives, occupational safety specialists and company physicians, but includes as well coordination and crisis management staffs. The necessary steps for the protection of employees and for your legal security are presented in succession. The leaflet is intended to be a guide for taking concrete and specific actions.

The spectrum ranges from the basic rules of protection from contagion to the occupational health and safety obligations “risk assessment – operating instructions – training” in the context of the pandemic to topics such as “Emergency Plan Contagion” and “Pandemic Plan” to contact addresses for personal consultations.

The “Corona Pandemic Signpost” has four objectives:

  • The BG RCI has sifted out for its member companies the most relevant information from the massive amounts of material currently available.
  • The BG RCI describes for its member companies an efficient path to effective and legally compliant management of the requirements of occupational health and safety.
  • The BG RCI advises its member companies of effective tools and methods for dealing with the coronavirus in daily practise that can relieve some of the burden in performing the individual steps and that they can use immediately.
  • The BG RCI provides its member companies with contacts for personal and individual counselling and presents the BG RCI’s internet services relating to this topic.

By following the suggestions and advice contained in the leaflet, the BG RCI member companies can efficiently plan and implement the legally compliant and specific measures required for the protection of their employees from coronavirus infections.

Member companies can order the required number of copies of the leaflet “Corona Pandemic Signpost: Expedient and Efficient Action for Safety and Health at Work” free of charge from the BG RCI media shop at medienshop.bgrci.de and download it from the BG RCI download centre at downloadcenter.bgrci.de.

BG RCI also provides quick access to related documents, work aids and support services for the coronavirus pandemic via the VISION ZERO selection wizard (AWA) at awa.bgrci.de. Simply click on the topic “Coronavirus” and start the search. The media package “Pandemic” (MPK 008), which is also free for member companies, and examples of coronavirus best practises from and for BG RCI member companies is available here as well.