7. Health and safety and the Covid pandemic
[ch 7: page 97]This chapter provides information about Covid-19 and how the virus is spread and summarises Health and Safety Executive (HSE) occupational health and safety and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) public health guidance following the lifting of almost all Covid safety measures in line with the government’s Living with Covid plan in early 2022.
Key changes and developments
• From 1 April 2022, the government removed the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider Covid-19 in their risk assessments and replaced the BEIS Business and DCMS Digital, Culture, Media and Sport departments’ Working safely during coronavirus guidance (COVID-19) with new public health guidance from the UKHSA from this date, Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace;
• Also in April 2022, the HSE revised its online guidance, Coronavirus (Covid-19) — Advice for workplaces, in line with the government’s Living with Covid plan.