[ 2021-02-17 ]

Employers tasked to protect workers against COVID-19
The National Tripartite Committee (NTC) on the
COVID-19 pandemic, has asked employers to create
an enabling environment for physical distancing at
workplaces.








It said that must be done through well demarcated
intervals of at least one metre between spaces.

This was in a communique issued in Accra after an
emergency meeting held earlier this month to
review guidelines on the fight against the
Covid-19 at workplaces.

The meeting, chaired by Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah,
the Employment and Labour Relations
Minister-designate, agreed that as much as
possible, all conferences, durbars and meetings
should be held virtually.

The communique said employers must consider the
introduction of appropriate shift systems for
employees and allow those who could work from home
to do so without compromising standards and
productivity.

It said employers should make sure workplaces were
fumigated and disinfected, with a schedule for the
fumigation and disinfection pasted on notice
boards for the information of workers and other
stakeholders.

It tasked unions and workers associations to
educate their members on the shared responsibility
of promoting personal safety to avoid spread of
the virus by wearing face masks and ensuring
strict compliance with the other protocols at the
workplace, home, and communities.

The communique said employers and unions should
also collaborate and cooperate at the enterprise
level through social dialogue to deal with the
impact of COVID-19 to ensure sustainability of
their respective enterprises.

It said all employers should provide and enforce
the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE)
and related facilities for the safety and health
of workers in compliance with COVID-19 safety
protocols.

It urged workplaces to constitute safety
committees to deal with issues concerning the
disease.

“The safety committees should appoint focal
persons who will have the responsibility of
liaising with health professionals in the event of
an outbreak of the disease, the names of committee
members should be displayed on notice boards and
at vantage points in all workplaces,” the
communique said.

The Communique said the Labour Department and the
Department of Factories Inspectorate should
constitute joint task forces to monitor compliance
with COVID-l9 safety protocols and guidelines
during workplace inspections and report to the
Ministry on a fortnightly basis.

It tasked Metropolitan, Municipal and District
Assemblies to set up COVID-l9 committees,
intensify public education in markets, lorry parks
and other public places.

They should also enforce strict compliance with
all protocols concerning the virus.

It called for the strict enforcement of the law on
nose mask wearing in vehicles and restrictions on
mass gatherings by the relevant authorities.

Source - GNA

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