Workers are being reminded about the importance of hand hygiene and surface cleansing in a new Covid-19 campaign from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment’s #WorkSafely.

The campaign includes a short video on hand-washing, as well as posters and leaflets that can be circulated in workplaces. They include reminders that thorough and regular cleaning of frequently-touched surfaces helps stop the spread of the virus.

It is vital that people continue abiding by these guidelines as society opens back up, whether they have been vaccinated yet or not. The only way to guarantee continued suppression of Covid-19 is by following public health advice.

The work safely protocol will play a central role as more people begin returning to workplaces in the coming months. This is a revised version of the ‘return to work safety protocol’ published last May, which Fórsa was intimately involved in developing.

The protocol requires employers to implement a number of safety measures in advance of staff returning to workplaces. At union insistence, it included a requirement for employers to recognise at least one Covid-19 lead worker safety representative, with more in larger employments.

Fórsa also won confirmation that civil and public service employers must abide by the protocol's measures, and that it would apply equally to employees who remained in their workplace throughout the first lockdown.

For the video on hand hygiene, click here.

For Covid-19 printable posters and leaflets, click here. 

For access to the HSE’s full suite of safety materials and resources, click here. 

To read the work safely protocol, click here. 

For more information, click here.