Feb 24th, 2022
3 mins
We have today received information that the HSE are exiting from their Covid role in England
The unprecedented public health emergency required HSE to act and focus on keeping workers safe by helping to ensure workplaces were controlling the risks of COVID-19 transmission.
When the Government’s Working Safely guidance (produced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) is withdrawn on 31 March, HSE will return to its core role of focusing on the risks at work that are directly created by the work activity.
HSE will no longer require every business to consider COVID-19 in their risk assessment or have COVID-19 control measures in place. However, those who specifically work with Covid-19, for example laboratories and infectious diseases wards, must still undertake a risk assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and implement control measures.
COVID-19 remains a public health infection control issue – the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will provide ‘best practice’ guidance on the behaviours businesses can adopt.
These measures primarily relate to England. HSE expects to take a similar approach in both Scotland and Wales when they move to a position of removing workplace guidance.
HSE do not have a role in establishing policy on self-isolation. HSE will continue to expect businesses to maintain the controls measures set out in the working safely guidance, until that guidance is withdrawn on 31 March.
