NCSCM releases workplace infection control guide

Alshaheen News

The National Center for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM) on Sunday released a new comprehensive guide outlining measures and guidelines which both public and private employers and employees must follow when an infection with the coronavirus is detected at the workplace.

According to the manual, which also outlines measures that should be taken by local health districts, an infected employee must immediately do the following:

– Leave the workplace immediately while ensuring adherence to infection control protocols.
– Start a 10-day home isolation if they are symptomatic or 13 days of home isolation if the symptoms are mild, provided that he/she does not show any symptoms in the last 3 days of the isolation period.
– The infected employee can only return to work after completing the prescribed home isolation period without having to conduct a PCR examination.

With regard to employers, the guide requires them to alert the local health district if one or more infections are discovered. Specifically, they, whether public or private, are required to take the following measures:

– The institution must suspend work and close down for a 24-hour period.
– The institution must list the direct contacts with the infected person (face-to-face contact for a period of 15 minutes from a distance of 1.5 meters and less).
– The institution must ask the direct contacts of the infected person to start a 10-day home isolation. Private sector employers are particularly required to pay for two PCR tests; the first when the infection is detected and the second before the employee returns to work.
– The institution must test the indirect contacts upon discovering the infection, and if the result is negative, they can return to work according to the institution’s instructions.
– Private sector institutions must hire a private company to sterilize all of its facilities and the places where the infected person was present. Public sector employers must coordinate with the NCSCM/ Crisis Cell to carry out the required sterilization process.
– The institution must send and follow up on the results of contact testing with the local health district.

The guide leaves the decision to suspend or close down institutions where infections are registered to the local health district.
Furthermore, the health district will inform the governorate’s operation room with its decision to close the institution or when the latter fails to observe the prescribed decision.