Meridian Environmental Consultants Ltd (MEC) are offering small, medium and large businesses a coronavirus (COVID-19) ‘return to work safely’ service which will ensure you adopt a risk-based approach to help you readjust your workplace, whilst applying measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus amongst your employees, contractors and clients.

1. Meridian
Environmental
Consultants Ltd

2. COVID-19
‘Return to Work Safely’
Neil Davey BSc (Hons) DipOH LFOH MFAAM
Managing Director & Principal Consultant
Know the signs - Control the risks - Stop the spread

3. What is Coronavirus
(COVID-19)?
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory
disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus
• COVID-19 has been catagorised by WHO as a
pandemic
• Currently there are no specific vaccines or
treatments for COVID-19
• COVID-19 is categorised as a biological agent

4. About Meridian Environmental
Consultants Ltd (MEC)
• MEC have over 20 years’ experience helping small,
medium and large businesses recognise, evaluate,
control and manage chemical, physical and
biological agents in the workplace
• We can help you understand how COVID-19 spreads
in the workplace and how control measures work to
minimise the spread of the virus
• MEC can ensure you not only comply with the
government return to work COVID-19 guidance, but
more importantly help your workforce return to
work safely

5. Why do you need to conduct a
COVID-19 risk-based approach to
restarting work?
• Government guidance states that you must make
sure that the risk assessment for your business
addresses the risks of COVID-19
• Government require businesses to assess and
manage the risks of COVID-19 and reduce
transmission to the lowest reasonably practicable
level by taking preventative measures
• As an employer you also have a legal responsibility
to protect workers and others from risk to their
health and safety

6. How can MEC help you
prepare your business for
reopening?
• We can help you understand COVID-19 and how it spreads in
the workplace
• Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment to help you identify
where suitable controls are required to minimise the spread
of the virus
• Advise and support you whilst you implement and evaluate
suitable controls
• Provide information, instruction and training on COVID-19
(e.g. presentations, toolbox talks etc.)
• Provide COVID-19 resources (e.g. risk assessment template,
questionnaires, checklists, posters etc.)

7. COVID-19
Risk Assessment
• Government require you conduct a
risk assessment which addresses
how you will restrict the
transmission of the COVID-19 virus
in your workplace
• This essentially involves planning
how you can conduct your work
whilst following the government
guidance on social distancing
• Like most health risks, reducing the
risk from COVID-19 involves the use
of the hierarchy of controls

8. COVID-19
Risk Assessment
• Whilst the hierarchy of controls focuses
on the important aspect of elimination
first, it is essential that a range of controls
are adopted and that these are integrated
with each other
• MEC have over 20 years’ experience
assessing exposures to biological agents
and using the hierarchy of controls to
reduce health hazards at source
• We can either carry out your COVID-19
risk assessment or support your team by
providing competent occupational
hygiene input

9. Sharing the results of your
risk assessment
• You should share the results of your risk
assessment with your workforce
• If possible, you should consider publishing
the results on your website (and the
government expect all businesses with over
50 workers to do so)

10. Implement & evaluate
controls
MEC can advise and support you whilst you implement and
evaluate suitable operational controls. We can help you with:
• Working from home guidelines
• Travel to workplace considerations (local, national,
international)
• Screening process
• Entry/exit procedures
• Social distancing & physical barrier measures
• Work pattern adjustments
• Temporary on-site quarantine guidelines

11. Implement & evaluate
controls
We can help you with:
• Workplace disinfection considerations
• Sneeze/cough etiquette
• Hand hygiene measures
• PPE & RPE - selection, use and management
• Indoor air quality assessments
• Education awareness & promotion
• First Aider at work guidelines
• Managing your customers, visitors and contractors

12. We can help you compile a
COVID-19 resource library…
• Government, Public Health England, NHS, Health &
Safety Executive resources
• Risk assessment template
• Questionnaires
• Checklists
• Posters
• Presentations & toolbox talks

13. Government
‘working safely’
during COVID-19
guidance
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

14. Meridian Environmental
Consultants Ltd (MEC)
Knox House
Old Barber
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG1 3DF
+44 (0)1423 549629
enquiries@meridianenvironmental.co.uk
www.meridianenvironmental.co.uk