‘Vital to protect staff, clients’

Business

IT is important for employers to protect their employees, customers and clients from being infected with the Coronavirus (Covid-19), as far as possible, according to the Institute of National Affairs.
Institute executive director Paul Barker said employers should apply precautions – hygiene, hand sanitisers, face masks and vaccines if available – which reduce transmission and safeguard those infected from severe illness or worse.
“If you are running a company, you have a duty of care to your staff and clients,” Barker said.
“If some staff are infected with life threatening and readily transmissible diseases such as TB, which could infect others, the employer requires you to stay at home until you are no longer infectious and encourages staff to obtain and complete treatment before returning to work.
“Employers may provide health insurance coverage to assist.”
Barker said while most diseases only became transmissible once showing symptoms, “the Covid-19 is unusual in being initially asymptomatic (showing no apparent signs), even while patients may have been infectious for several days”.
“And some infected persons (especially the young) remain asymptomatic throughout the passage of the infection,” he said.
“Therefore, as Covid-19 can cause severe illness for a small portion of those infected, and even death for a much smaller portion, (mostly older persons or those with other pre-existing conditions).
“And because one may already be transmitting the virus even before being aware of being infected, it is important for employers to safeguard their other employees and the customers/clients from being infected, as far as possible.
“As infected people may be asymptomatic, but already spreading the infection, the option of just sending staff home once symptoms appear is clearly inadequate, if one is going to halt or reduce transmission and safeguard fellow staff and clients.”
Baker said vaccination should also be required by employers (including the Government), at least for those working in the transport and hospitality industry, health and health care workers and the food and catering industries for the safety of fellow workers and clients.