SRT Guide for Prevention of COVID-19 and Return to On-site Work

On August 11, 2020, through Disposition 16/2020, the Labor Risks Superintendence (the “SRT” after its acronym in Spanish) approved the “General Protocol for the Prevention of Covid-19. Guide of Recommendations for the Progressive and Responsible Return to On-site Working” (the “Guide”), as a tool for the planification of the return to on-site activities.

In addition to the recommendations previously approved by the SRT in labor prevention and protection matters in the context of the health emergency, said authority considered “necessary the preparation of a document of recommendations for the responsible return to work”, due to the greater and progressive opening of the development of on-site activities.

The Guide describes measures, recommendations and proceedings that must be adopted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even including the applicable signage, referring to the following aspects, among others:

• Measures for the preparation of work environment and stations
• Provision, use and management of personal protection elements
• Preventive recommendations for group meetings
• Operation for the identification and isolation of people with compatible symptoms with and positive cases of COVID19
• Control of people’s entrance to buildings
• Health controls to staff
• Registration of companies’ performance

We highlight that the Guide also includes specific recommendations related to the staff in charge of customer service, and to the use of vehicles for the circulation of employees.

As it is expressly stated, the measures included in the Guide “(...) constitute a standard of minimum conditions (...)”, which must be complemented and adapted to the characteristics, activities and operations of each company.

It is important to bear in mind that the general recommendations and guidelines included in the Guide do not substitute the specific protocols for each activity.

In this context, it is fundamental that each employer performs an analysis, and develops and implements a specific protocol that, receiving the criteria and measures of the Guide, the specific activity protocol and the applicable standards in labor safe and health matters, and adapts all these obligations and recommendations to the specific and concrete operations and activity of the company.

Finally, Provision 16 includes Annex II, which details the updated standards in matters of personal protection elements, both at a general level and for the Construction Industry, Mining and Agrarian Activities among others.