Requirements for Operating Commercial Establishment - COVID-19

The Government of India has announced essential requirements for opening and operating a commercial establishment, such as offices, factories, or shops in India, effective from 20th April 2020. The following are comprehensive guidelines to ensure safety and compliance within workspaces across India.

General Guidelines for Workspace Safety

The workspace must have adequate arrangements for temperature screening and sanitizers should be placed at convenient locations.
Ensure a gap of one hour between shifts for employees to facilitate effective disinfection and minimize interaction.
Stagger lunch breaks to maintain social distancing practices in communal eating areas.
Encourage individuals above 65 years of age, those with co-morbid conditions, and parents with children under 5 to work from home.
Promote the use of Aarogya Setu for all employees across private and public sectors to help track COVID-19 spread.
Sanitize the workplace thoroughly between shifts to maintain a hygienic environment.
Avoid large meetings and promote virtual conferences to reduce human contact.
Ensure frequent cleaning of shared surfaces and mandate regular handwashing among employees.
Implement intensive communication and training programs on good hygiene practices to all employees.

Standard Operating Procedures for Social Distancing in Offices & Factories

The following protocols should be implemented by all offices, factories, and other establishments to maintain social distancing and health safety:

Disinfect all areas in the premises using user-friendly disinfectant mediums, focusing on:

Entrance gates of buildings and offices
Cafeterias and canteens
Meeting rooms, conference halls, and all open areas
Equipment and lifts
Washrooms, toilets, and sinks
All walls and other surfaces

Provide special transportation for workers coming from outside, ensuring no reliance on public transport, and limit vehicles to 30-40% capacity.
All vehicles and machinery entering the premises must be disinfected by spray mandatorily.
Mandatory thermal scanning for everyone entering and exiting the workplace is required.
Implement mandatory medical insurance for all workers covering COVID-19.
Ensure touch-free hand wash and sanitizer facilities at all entry and exit points and in common areas, with adequate supply.
Spaces must maintain a minimum one-hour gap between shifts; stagger lunch breaks to ensure social distancing.
Discourage gatherings or meetings with 10 or more individuals. Seat employees at least six feet apart during work, meetings, and training sessions.
Restrict lift usage to 2-4 persons, depending on size, to maintain safe distance. Encourage stair use for climbing.
Enforce strict bans on gutka, tobacco, and spitting in the premises, ensuring disciplined behavior.
Implement a total ban on non-essential visitors at work sites to control potential exposure.
Maintain a list of nearby hospitals/clinics authorized to treat COVID-19 patients and ensure it is accessible at the workplace at all times. This ensures quick medical responses if needed.

By adhering to these guidelines, establishments can effectively manage operations while safeguarding the health of employees and the community. For detailed requirements and further information, please visit IndiaFilings COVID-19 Commercial Establishment Requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Operating Commercial Establishment COVID-19.

The general guidelines include having arrangements for temperature screening and providing sanitizers at convenient places. There should be a gap of one hour between shifts and staggered lunch breaks to ensure social distancing. Employees above 65 years, those with co-morbidities, and parents of children below 5 should be encouraged to work from home. Use of the Aarogya Setu app should be encouraged for all employees. The workplace should be sanitized between shifts, and frequent cleaning of common surfaces and mandatory hand washing should be mandated.

All areas in the premises, including the entrance gate, cafeteria, meeting rooms, equipment, lifts, washrooms, and walls, should be disinfected completely using user-friendly disinfectant mediums. Special transportation facilities should be arranged for workers coming from outside, without dependency on public transport and with limited passenger capacity. All vehicles and machinery entering the premises should be disinfected by spray mandatorily.

Mandatory thermal scanning of everyone entering and exiting the workplace should be done. Provision for hand wash and sanitizers, preferably with touch-free mechanisms, should be made available at all entry and exit points and common areas in sufficient quantities.

Workplaces should have a gap of one hour between shifts and stagger the lunch breaks of staff to ensure social distancing. Large gatherings or meetings of 10 or more people should be discouraged.

Seating should be at least 6 feet away from others on job sites, in gatherings, meetings, and training sessions. No more than 2/4 persons (depending on size) should be allowed to travel in lifts. Use of the staircase for climbing should be encouraged.

There should be a strict ban on the consumption of gutka, tobacco, etc., and spitting should be strictly prohibited. There should also be a total ban on non-essential visitors at worksites.

Medical insurance for the workers should be made mandatory. Hospitals/clinics in the nearby areas, which are authorized to treat COVID-19 patients, should be identified, and a list should be available at the workplace at all times.

The workplace should be sanitized between shifts, and frequent cleaning of common surfaces should be mandated.

For workers coming from outside, special transportation facilities should be arranged without any dependency on public transport systems. These vehicles should be allowed to work only with 30-40% passenger capacity.

Intensive communication and training on good hygiene practices should be taken up in the workplaces.