The Ministry of MSMEs issued guidelines for small enterprises to prevent transmission of the Coronavirus among employees and workers. COVID-19 lockdown Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for MSMEs at the workplace.
Cleanliness and Sanitization
The government has mandated sanitizing of the workplace premises. The employers must ensure the disinfection of entrance gates, cafeteria, and canteens, meeting rooms, open areas available/ verandah, rooms in the building. Also, they must disinfect all equipment and lifts, washroom, toilet, sink, water points.
Transport Facilities
The employers must provide a special transportation facility for the workers coming from outside. The vehicles provided will work with 30 to 40% of capacity. Workers should not depend on the public transport system. Besides, vehicles entering the premises shall be disinfected by spray mandatorily.
The employers must provide the facility for touch-free hand wash and sanitization at all common areas, entry, and exit points. Also, the entrance and exit to and from the premises must be strictly based on thermal screening. Chewing of Gutka, Tobacco, and spiting shall be strictly prohibited.
Social Distancing
The workplaces will have one hour gap between shifts. Also, a lunch break should take place in a staggered manner. Workers must sit at least 6 feet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings, and training sessions. The employers must discourage gatherings of 10 or more The employers must ensure that not more than 2/4 persons use lift all together (depending on size). They must encourage the use of the staircase. Also, visit of non-essential visitors must be banned entirely.
Medical Facilities
The employers must ensure that all their workers medically insured. Further, they should provide a list of all authorized COVID treating hospitals in the nearby area of the workplace.
Workers should wear masks all the time and maintain at least a 1-meter gap from each other. Also, they should wash their hands frequently with alcohol-based sanitizers and soaps. Besides, they should download the ‘Aarogya Setu’ app for protection against the coronavirus. Any worker with symptoms must be reported to the nearest COVID hospital immediately.
In all, the workers and employers must practice earning their livelihoods in this new normal.