Coronavirus - Haryana Guidelines for Factory Management

Coronavirus - Haryana Guidelines for Factory Management

From
Principal Secretary to Govt. of Haryana, Labour Department.

1. Additional Labour Commissioner (NCR).

2. Additional Director, Industrial Safety & Health. 

3. All Joint Directors, Industrial Safety & Health/Joint Labour Commissioner.

4. All Deputy Directors, Industrial Safety & Health. 

5. All Deputy Directors, industrial Health. 

6. All Deputy Labour Commissioners. 

7. All Assistant Directors, Industrial Safety & Health. 

8. All Assistant Directors, Industrial Safety & Health (Chemical). 

9. All Assistant Directors, Industrial Health. 10. All Assistant Labour Commissioners.

Subject: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Guidelines to the Management of Factory/ Establishments

In view of prevailing epidemic situation of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the world and in the country, the following guidelines shall be strictly followed in all Factories/Establishments in the State of Haryana: 

• Promote frequent and thorough hand washing, by providing workers, customers, and worksite visitors with a place to wash their hands. If soap and running water are not immediately available, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick and to call State helpline no. 8558893911 or 108. Never travel directly or avail public transport facility to the hospital if suspected of possible exposure of COVID-19.
• Encourage respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes. 
• Employers should explore whether they can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g., staggered shifts), to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees.
• Discourage workers from using other workers' phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible.
• Avoid grouping of workers or staff at work site or for meeting as far as possible.
• Prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious individuals is a critical step in protecting workers, customers, visitors, and others at a worksite.
• Employers should inform and encourage employees to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure.
• Employers should develop policies and procedures for employees to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Where appropriate, employers should develop policies and procedures for immediately isolating people who have signs and/ or symptoms of COVID-19, and train workers to implement them. Move potentially infectious people to a location away from workers, customers, and other visitors. Although most worksites do not have specific isolation rooms, designated areas with closable doors may serve as isolation rooms until potentially sick people can be removed from the worksite.
• If any foreign delegation has recently visited the premises or the employees have visited some foreign locations or such visits are planned in the future, the employer shall inform to the District Administration/ nearest Govt. Hospital immediately.
• Take steps to limit spread of the respiratory secretions of a person who may have COVID 19. Provide a face mask, and ask the person to wear it, if tolerated. Note: A face mask (also called a surgical mask, procedure mask, or other similar terms) on a patient or other sick person should not be confused with PPE for a worker; the mask acts to contain potentially infectious respiratory secretions at the source (i.e., the person's nose and mouth).
• Do not insist for a Medical Certificate for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to validate their illness as medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
• Maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick family members than is usual.
• Minimizing contact among workers, clients, and customers by replacing face-to-face meetings with virtual communications and implementing teleworkif feasible.
• Establishing alternating days or extra shifts that reduce the total number of employees in a facility at a given time, allowing them to maintain distance from one another while maintaining a full onsite work week.
• Maintain regular housekeeping practices, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, and other elements of the work environment. When choosing cleaning chemicals, employers should consult information on labels with claims against emerging viral pathogens. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for use of all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, PPE). Handrails may be disinfected on a regular basis.
• Maintain proper hygiene of Canteens / dining rooms. Food placed at buffet counters in canteens should be well protected from potential contamination.
• Crèches shall be specifically monitored and disinfected thoroughly in case of any doubt of contaminations. 
• Factories having installed public address system may utilize the same for educating workers on the measures for preventing possible exposure of COVID-19.
• Notwithstanding anything stated above, all factory/establishment managements shall ensure strict compliance of directions of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Government of Haryana and Haryana State Health Services issued in this regard from time to time.
• If possible, screen all the workers/visitors by Infrared (IR) thermometer before entering the premises. 
• Avoid biometric attendance of the employees. 

All the Officers are directed to make aware the management of all the Factories/establishments about these guidelines in letter and spirit for its compliance.

Additional Director (IS&H) 

for Principal Secretary to Govt. of Haryana

Labour Department, Haryana