Five years on from the outbreak of Covid-19, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called for pandemic planning, prevention and preparedness to be prioritised.
It’s been five years since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a global pandemic on 11th March 2020.
Next Wednesday, 26th March, will also mark five years since the first coronavirus lockdown measures legally came into force in the UK in an attempt to control the spread of the virus.
As we get to grips with the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting national lockdowns, many people are reflecting on that challenging time.
IOSH calls for plans to strengthen pandemic prevention and preparedness
The world’s largest occupational health and safety body is using this milestone to call on government and businesses to ensure robust processes are in place to prepare for, respond to and recover from future global pandemics.
IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Ruth Wilkinson, spoke of how pandemics “remain on the UK’s National Risk Register (2023 edition)” and that WHO members “continue to negotiate on the Pandemic Accord.”
This, she explains, aims to “strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, to prevent and respond to future pandemics better.”
In a blog post for IOSH, Ruth adds:
“An all-of-government approach, one which sees collaboration and information sharing between countries along with policy coherence, is crucial. This forms part of the political commitments being sought within the Accord as well as a whole-of-society approach to pandemic preparedness and response.”
IOSH wants to see this pandemic preparedness and emergency response placed high on the agenda.
Businesses have a “crucial role” in pandemic responses
And their message for businesses is that they have “a crucial role to play” in this preparedness.
Ruth explains:
“These arrangements may be part of the health and safety management systems and through risk assessments as well as within business continuity planning.
“Pandemic preparedness is so important. We saw in 2020 how quickly Covid-19 took hold, with it impacting workers and business operations including supply chains, as well as the impacts on public health.
“Lessons must be learned from Covid-19, at a national level and within businesses, as both have a crucial role to play. Employers must follow the legislation and regulator advice for the country they are in.”
IOSH are concerned that businesses need to be more proactive when it comes to planning for future pandemics.
Ruth added:
“Business continuity planning will support the identification of different pandemic scenarios and the impact on workers, business operations and within supply chains. Training and testing preparedness and response can then be implemented, and necessary workplace arrangements can also be developed and implemented.”
IOSH also wants to warn people and businesses about the spread of misinformation.
Ruth explains that it’s “also crucial that credible sources are used by employers when developing arrangements, undertaking risk assessments and managing risks.”
Health and safety professionals can support pandemic planning
During the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people began to work remotely due to social distancing rules, but for workers in many key industries this wasn’t an option, and they had to continue going to work in person, creating significant health and safety challenges for businesses.
At that time, health and safety professionals played a key role in advising businesses and managing the risk of Covid-19 spreading through workplaces.
IOSH produced a suite of guidance and information to support health and safety personnel and employers with this work, and provided further information when lockdowns eased, and businesses began to open back up and welcome employees back into the workplace.
Integrated approach needed to prepare for future pandemics
Although it has now been five years since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, IOSH firmly believes that there should still be a strong focus on infection prevention and control and preparing for future pandemics.
Ruth Wilkinson says the leading health and safety body believes “a more integrated approach is needed internationally, nationally and across relevant sectors, industry bodies, local authorities and with trade unions.”
This is why IOSH supports the WHO aim to develop a pandemic accord to prevent a repeat of the worst impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ruth concluded:
“We support the strengthening of regulatory systems and building resilience and capacities in health systems. We also support the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches – which means collaboration across employment, education, public health and other sectors – to ensure workers are protected. We also advocate the need for credible and evidence-based information on pandemics, their causes, effects and drivers.”
Health and safety training to safeguard businesses
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
Their health and safety training is mapped to UK standards and legislation and follows HSE guidelines. The portfolio includes courses such as Health and Safety, Managing Health and Safety, Risk Assessment, Accident and Incident Investigation, Working at Height, Asbestos Awareness and many more.
They are also licensed by IOSH to provide approved training courses in Working Safely, Supervising Safely and Managing Safely.
A trainer from FRT says:
“We believe in creating safer working environments with people who care. This is our vision and central to our services. It means providing training that helps to protect people’s physical and mental health, safety and welfare.
“The Covid-19 pandemic was an incredibly challenging time for many people across the world. It had a huge human and financial toll and really impacted workers and businesses in all industries.
“A proactive, presentation-first approach is the recommended route for all aspects of protecting worker health, safety and wellbeing – from health and safety measures, to support positive mental health at work and ensuring you have robust plans in place for emergencies, such as future pandemics.
“Proactive measures also have huge business benefits, saving money and helping to boost worker satisfaction and overall productivity.”
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.