Guidance & Definitions
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Priority actions to take - what businesses need to do to protect staff and customers
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Introduction
What do we mean by ‘working in or from a vehicle’?
Working in or from a vehicle includes couriers, mobile workers, lorry drivers, on-site transit and work vehicles, field forces and similar.
The UK is currently experiencing a public health emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical that employers, employees and the self-employed take steps to keep everyone safe. This document is to help employers, employees and the self-employed in the UK understand how to work safely during this pandemic, ensuring as many people as possible comply with social distancing guidelines (2m apart, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable). We hope it gives you freedom within a practical framework to think about what you need to do to continue, or restart, operations during the COVID- 19 pandemic . We understand how important it is that you can work safely and support your employees’ and visitors' health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and not contribute to the spread of the virus. We know that many businesses of this type are currently closed for their usual service by government regulation, we hope this guidance will be useful for those businesses as they develop new ways of working or to help prepare for the time when they are able to reopen. The government is clear that workers should not be forced into an unsafe workplace and the health and safety of workers and visitors, and public health, should not be put at risk.
We know many people are also keen to return to or contribute to volunteering. Organisations have a duty of care to volunteers to ensure as far as reasonably practicable they are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This guidance around working safely during COVID- 19 should ensure that volunteers are afforded the same level of protection to their health and safety as others, such as workers and visitors.
This document has been prepared by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Public health is devolved in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; this guidance should be considered alongside local public health and safety requirements and legislation in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For advice to businesses in other parts of the UK please see guidance set by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Government.
We expect that this document will be updated over time. This version is up to date as of 24 September 2020. You can check for updates at www.gov.uk/workingsafely. If you have any feedback for us, please email safer.workplaces@beis.gov.uk.
This document is one of a set of documents about how to work safely in different types of workplace. This one is designed to be relevant for people who work from vehicles, including couriers, mobile workers, lorry drivers, on site transit and work vehicles, field forces or similar environments.
How to use this Guidance
This document sets out guidance on how to open workplaces safely while minimising the risk of spreading COVID-19. It gives practical considerations of how this can be applied in the workplace.
Each business will need to translate this into the specific actions it needs to take, depending on the nature of their business, including the size and type of business, how it is organised, operated, managed and regulated. They will also need to monitor these measures to make sure they are working to protect workers.
This guidance does not supersede any legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment or equalities, and it is important that as a business or an employer you continue to comply with your existing obligations including those relating to individuals with protected characteristics. It contains non-statutory guidance to take into account when complying with these existing obligations. When considering how to apply this guidance, take into account agency workers, contractors and other people, as well as your employees.
To help you decide which actions to take, you must carry out an appropriate COVID-19 risk assessment, just as you would for other Health and Safety related hazards. This risk assessment must be done in consultation with unions or workers.
1. Thinking about risk
Objective: That all employers carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment.
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Contact your employee representative.
Contact your trade union if you have one.
Use the HSE form available at https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/concerns.htm.
Contact HSE by phone on 0300 790 6787.
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We have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the people who work here
We have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with guidance
We have taken all reasonable steps to help people work from home
We have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace
Where people cannot keep 2m apart, we have ensure at least a 1m istance an taken all the mitigating actions possible to manage transmission risk
Once the above 5 items have been checked please go to https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb963fcd3bf7f5d39550303/staying-covid-19-secure.pdf
print, sign and place in your workplace.
2. Who should go to work
Objective: Employers should ensure workplaces are safe for anyone who cannot work from home. It is recognised that the nature of work in this environment will make it difficult for many workers to work remotely or from home.
In order to keep the virus under control, it is important that people work safely. At the present time, office workers who can work from home should do so. Anyone else who cannot work from home should go to their place of work. The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 Secure guidelines are followed closely. Employers should consult with their employees to determine who can come into the workplace safely taking account of a person’s journey, caring responsibilities, protected characteristics, and other individual circumstances. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk. Businesses should consider the impact of workplaces reopening on local transport and take appropriate mitigating actions (e.g. staggered start and finish times for staff). When employers consider that workers should come into their place of work, then this will need to be reflected in the COVID-19 workplace risk assessment and actions taken to manage the risks of transmission in line with this guidance.
The decision to return to the workplace must be made in meaningful consultation with workers (including through trade unions or employee representative groups where they exist). A meaningful consultation means engaging in an open conversation about returning to the workplace before any decision to return has been made. This should include a discussion of the timing and phasing of any return and any risk mitigations that have been implemented. It is vital employers engage with workers to ensure they feel safe returning to work, and they should not force anyone into an unsafe workplace.
Considering the maximum number of people who can be safely accommodated on site.
Planning for a phased return to work for people safely and effectively.
Keeping in touch with off-site staff on their working arrangements including their welfare, mental and physical health and personal security.
Providing equipment for people to work from home safely and effectively, for example, remote access to work systems.
Objective: To support those who are at higher risk of infection and/or an adverse outcome if infected.
The Public Health England report Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 shows that some groups of people may be at more risk of being infected and/or an adverse outcome if infected.
The higher-risk groups include those who:
- are older males
- have a high body mass index (BMI)
- have health conditions such as diabetes
- are from some Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds
You should consider this in your risk assessment.
From 1 August, clinically extremely vulnerable individuals can return to their workplace providing COVID-secure guidelines are in place but should work from home wherever possible. If extremely clinically vulnerable individuals cannot work from home, they should be offered the option of the safest available on-site roles, enabling them to maintain social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable). It may be appropriate for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals to take up an alternative role or adjusted working patterns temporarily.
As for any workplace risk you must take into account specific duties to those with protected characteristics, including, for example, expectant mothers who are, as always, entitled to suspension on full pay if suitable roles cannot be found. Particular attention should also be paid to people who live with clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.
Providing support for workers around mental health and wellbeing. This could include advice or telephone support.
See current guidance for advice on who is in the clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable groups.
Discussing the safest possible roles for clinically extremely vulnerable workers who are returning to the workplace.
Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under existing government guidance to stop infection spreading do not physically come to work. This includes individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a household or are in a support bubble with someone who has symptoms and those who are advised to self-isolate as part of the government’s test and trace program.
Enabling workers to work from home while self-isolating if appropriate.
See current guidance for employees (https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay) and employers (https://www.gov.uk/employers-sick-pay) relating to statutory sick pay due to COVID-19.
Ensuring any workers who have symptoms of COVID-19 - a high temperature, new and persistent cough or anosmia - however mild, should self-isolate for at least 10 days from when the symptoms started. Workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate for at least 10 days starting from the day the test was taken. Where a worker has tested positive whilst not experiencing symptoms but develops symptoms during the isolation period, they should restart the 10-day isolation period from the day the symptoms developed. This only applies to those who begin their isolation on or after 30 July 2020.
See current guidance for people who have symptoms and those who live with others who have symptoms. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection)
Objective: To make sure that nobody is discriminated against.
• In applying this guidance, employers should be mindful of the
particular needs of different groups of workers or individuals.
• It is breaking the law to discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex, disability, race or ethnicity.
• Employers also have particular responsibilities towards disabled workers and those who are new or expectant mothers.
Understanding and taking into account the particular circumstances of those with different protected characteristics.
Involving and communicating appropriately with workers whose protected characteristics might either expose them to a different degree of risk, or might make any steps you are thinking about inappropriate or challenging for them.
Considering whether you need to put in place any particular measures or adjustments to take account of your duties under the equalities legislation.
Making reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled workers being put at a disadvantage, and assessing the health and safety risks for new or expectant mothers.
Making sure that the steps you take do not have an unjustifiable negative impact on some groups compared to others, for example, those with caring responsibilities or those with religious commitments.
3. Social distancing at work
Objective: Ensuring workers maintain social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable), wherever possible, including arriving at and departing from work, while in work and when travelling between sites.
• It will not always be possible to maintain social distancing guidelines inside vehicles (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable). Many in-vehicle tasks need more than one person, for example heavy deliveries or refuse collection, and changing vehicle configurations to create more space may not be practical.
• Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between their staff. Mitigating actions include:
- Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
- Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible.
- Using screens or barriers to separate people from each
other.
- Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.
- Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).
• Social distancing applies to all parts of a business, not just the vehicle, but also depots or breakrooms and anywhere drivers congregate outside of the vehicle. These are often the most challenging areas to maintain social distancing and workers should be specifically reminded.
Objective: To maintain social distancing wherever possible, on arrival and departure and to ensure handwashing upon arrival.
Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics.
Providing additional parking or facilities such as bike-racks to help people walk, run or cycle to work where possible.
Limiting passengers in corporate vehicles, for example, work minibuses. This could include leaving seats empty.
Assigning fixed groups of workers to the same transportation routes where sole travel is not possible.
See government guidance on travelling to and from work.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers
Objective: To maintain social distancing while people travel through the workplace.
Reducing the number of workers at base depots or distribution centres at a given time based on minimum operational safety requirements.
Scheduling times for the collection of goods to avoid over- crowding.
Picking goods ahead of collection and loading onto vehicles without interacting with the driver.
Reducing job and location rotation.
Finding alternative solutions to two-person delivery. This could include delaying delivery of large items or using an alternative method, for example, mechanical / material handling equipment. Where these are not possible maintain fixed pairing for two-person deliveries and minimise physical contact.
Objective: To maintain social distancing wherever possible between individuals when in vehicles.
• Avoid multiple occupancy vehicles where safe to do so.
• Vehicles should not be shared if possible.
• If it is not possible to maintain social distancing guidelines inside vehicles (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable), consider additional safety measures.
Keeping the number of people in the vehicle to a minimum and as distanced within the vehicle space as possible.
Devising mitigation measures where workers cannot maintain social distancing guidelines to minimise the risk of transmission, including:
• Clear signage to outline social distancing measures in place.
• Single person or contactless refuelling where possible.
• Using physical screening, provided this does not compromise safety, for example, through reducing visibility.
• Sitting side-by-side not face-to-face and increasing ventilation where possible.
Using a fixed pairing system if workers have to be in close proximity, for example in a vehicle.
Making sure vehicles are well-ventilated to increase the flow of air, for example, by opening a window.
Ensure regular cleaning of vehicles, in particular, between different users.
Objective: To maintain social distancing and avoid surface transmission when goods enter and leave the vehicle, especially in high volume situations, for example, distribution centres, despatch areas.
Scheduling to limit exposure to large crowds and rush hours where appropriate.
Revising pick-up and drop-off collection points and procedures with signage and marking.
Where possible and safe having single workers load or unload vehicles.
Minimising unnecessary contact at gatehouse security, yard and warehouse. For example, non- contact deliveries where the nature of the product allows for use of electronic pre-booking.
Maximising use of electronic paperwork where possible, and reviewing procedures to enable safe exchange of paper copies where needed, for example, required transport documents.
Enabling drivers to access welfare facilities when required and consistent with other guidance.
Encouraging drivers to stay in their vehicles where this does not compromise their safety and existing safe working practice.
Objective: To prioritise safety during incidents.
• In an emergency, for example, an accident, provision of first aid, fire or break-in, people do not have to comply with social distancing guidelines if it would be unsafe.
• People involved in the provision of assistance to others should pay particular attention to sanitation measures immediately afterwards including washing hands.
Reviewing your incident and emergency procedures to ensure they reflect the social distancing principles as far as possible.
Considering the security implications of any changes you intend to make to your operations and practices in response to COVID-19, as any revisions may present new or altered security risks which may need mitigations.
4. Managing your customers, visitors and contractors
Objective: To minimise the contact risk resulting from people in vehicles.
Determining if schedules can be revised to reduce interaction and overlap between people. For example, when drivers arrive at depots, collection and delivery times and break times.
Ensuring delivery and receipt confirmation can be made contactless and avoiding physical contact when handing goods over to the customer.
Preparing for goods to be dropped off to a previously agreed area to avoid transmission, for example, taking advantage of click and collect type arrangements.
Keeping the number of people in the vehicle to a minimum and as distanced within the vehicle space as possible, and using other safety measures such as ensuring good ventilation.
Maintaining a record of all visitors, if this is practical.
Objective: To make sure people understand what they need to do to maintain safety.
Providing guidance and explanation on social distancing and hygiene to passengers when they enter the vehicle. Consider the particular needs of those with protected characteristics, such as those who are hearing or visually impaired.
Understanding the protocol for collecting and distributing goods across different locations and agreeing these in advance.
Regularly briefing drivers and temporary staff, communicating to customers and providing in-vehicle guides and reminders for passengers and staff.
Informing passengers that they should be prepared to remove face coverings if asked to do so by police officers and staff for the purposes of identification
5. Cleaning the workplace
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.
Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products.
Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, including door handles, fuel pumps and vehicle keys, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for cleaning products.
Encouraging workers to wash hands before boarding vehicles.
Retaining sufficient quantities of hand sanitiser / wipes within vehicles to enable workers to clean hands after each delivery / drop-off.
Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the vehicle at the end of a shift.
Maintaining good ventilation in the work environment, for example keeping windows or doors open.
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.
Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency, avoid touching your face and to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available.
Ensuring drivers have access to appropriate toilet facilities during their journeys and at their destinations and are helped to meet any requirements to allow them to do this, for example, prior booking-in, provision of hand sanitiser.
Providing sufficient hand sanitiser where handwashing is not possible.
Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection.
If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you should refer to the specific guidance.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings
Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission in changing rooms and showers.
Where shower and changing facilities are required, setting clear use and cleaning guidance for showers, lockers and changing rooms to ensure they are kept clean and clear of personal items and that social distancing is achieved as much as possible.
Introducing enhanced cleaning of all facilities regularly during the day and at the end of the day.
6. Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) and face coverings
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7. Workforce management
Objective: To change the way work is organised to create distinct groups and reduce the number of contacts each worker has.
As far as possible, where people are split into teams or shift groups, fixing these teams or shift groups so that where contact is unavoidable, this happens between the same people.
People who work together in one vehicle should be in a fixed pairing as far as possible.
Identifying areas where people have to directly pass things to each other (such as job information, spare parts, samples, raw materials) and find ways to remove direct contact, for example, by using drop-off points or transfer zones.
You should assist the test and trace service by keeping a temporary record of your staff shift patterns for 21 days and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks. Check what data you need to collect and how it should be managed (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace).
Objective: To provide guidance in an event of a COVID-19 outbreak
in the workplace
As part of your risk assessment, you should ensure you have an up to date plan in case there is a COVID-19 outbreak. This plan should nominate a single point of contact (SPOC) where possible, who should lead on contacting local Public Health teams.
If there is more than one case of COVID-19 associated with your workplace, you should contact your local PHE health protection team to report the suspected outbreak. Find your local PHE health protection team. https://www.gov.uk/health-protection-team
If the local PHE health protection team declares an outbreak, you will be asked to record details of symptomatic staff and assist with identifying contacts. You should therefore ensure all employment records are up to date. You will be provided with information about the outbreak management process, which will help you to implement control measures, assist with communications to staff, and reinforce prevention messages.
Objective: To keep people safe when they do need to travel overnight.
Walking or cycling where possible. Where not possible, you can use public transport or drive. You must wear a face covering when using public transport.
Where workers are required to stay away from their home, centrally logging the stay and making sure any overnight accommodation meets social distancing guidelines.
Objective: To help workers delivering to other sites such as factories, logistics sites or customers’ premises to maintain social distancing and hygiene practices.
Putting in place procedures to minimise person-to-person contact during deliveries to other sites.
Minimising contact during payments and exchange of documentation, for example, by using electronic payment methods and electronically signed and exchanged documents.
Objective: To make sure all workers understand COVID-19 related safety procedures.
Providing clear, consistent and regular communication to improve understanding and consistency of ways of working.
Engaging with workers and worker representatives through existing communication routes to explain and agree any changes in working arrangements.
Developing communication and training materials for workers prior to returning to site, especially around new procedures for arrival at work.
Objective: To make sure all workers are kept up to date with how safety measures are being implemented or updated.
Ongoing engagement with workers (including through trade unions or employee representative groups) to monitor and understand any unforeseen impacts of changes to working environments.
Awareness and focus on the importance of mental health at times of uncertainty. The government has published guidance on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Using simple, clear messaging to explain guidelines using images and clear language, with consideration of groups for which English may not be their first language and those with protected characteristics such as visual impairments.
Using visual communications, such as whiteboards or signage, to explain changes to schedules without the need for face-to-face communications.
Communicating approaches and operational procedures to suppliers, customers or trade bodies to help their adoption and to share experience.
8. Inbound and outbound goods
To maintain social distancing and avoid surface transmission when goods enter and leave the site, especially in high volume situations, for example, distribution centres, despatch areas.
Revising pick-up and drop-off collection points, procedures, signage and markings.
Minimising unnecessary contact at gatehouse security, yard and warehouse for example, non-contact deliveries where the nature of the product allows for use of electronic pre- booking.
Where possible and safe, having single workers load or unload vehicles.
Where possible, using the same pairs of people for loads where more than one is needed.
Enabling drivers to access welfare facilities when required, consistent with other guidance.
Encouraging drivers to stay in their vehicles where this does not compromise their safety and existing safe working practice, such as preventing drive-aways.
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