May 3, 2020, the Ministry of Labor published a national deconfinement protocol for companies to ensure the health and safety of employees. This protocol is intended to serve as a guide for companies in order to ensure the protection of employees during the deconfinement scheduled for May 11. Expressly, the public authorities favor the use of collective protection measures , whether technical (physical separation, barrier, etc.) or organizational (sequencing of activities, staggered hours and tasks, etc.), over measures personal protection (masks, gloves, goggles, cap, etc.). One principle is at the center of the recommendations of the public authorities: each person must benefit from an available space of 4 m² (1 m² per direction). This principle will govern the rules for maximum occupancy of spaces and management of the flow of people.
Organizational collective protection measures
Objective ?
So-called organizational collective protection measures must eliminate the circumstances of exposure to the risk of contamination.
What measures?
Teleworking: this is the method to be favored when possible;
The sequencing of activities and the establishment of staggered hours when presence in the workplace is necessary.
In case of necessary presence in the company?
The number of people who can be present simultaneously in the same space must not exceed a maximum number, which will be determined according to the area and configuration of the space concerned.
Maximum occupancy of a space open to the public and in the workplace
The rule to follow?
Each person must have 4 m² of available space.
Maximum people present at the same time?
A maximum number of people who can be simultaneously present in a given space must be calculated in order to ensure compliance with this space of 4 m² per person.
Algorithm ?
This maximum number is determined by applying the following formula: residual surface of the open space / 4;
The residual surface corresponds to “the surface actually available for the occupants, after deduction of the occupied parts” :
The residual area is obtained by subtracting from the total area the area used by desks, cupboards, shelves, meeting rooms, individual offices, etc.
Example given: given an open space with an area of 700 m², the residual area of which is 135 m²: 135 / 4 = 33 people.
People flow management
The principle ?
The presence of people in a given space and the management of their movement inside it must be organized in such a way that each person has at least 4 square meters of space to move around.
Measures to put in place?
Use telework or staggered hours to limit the number of people present at the same time;
Identify and prevent bottlenecks :
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- The accessibility of the workplace must be considered at each stage of the process of arriving at and leaving the company (parking, circulation to the company, reception, workstation, etc.) to identify the risks of accidental breach of physical distancing.
Avoid or limit the risks of crossing :
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- Mark out the area of intervention of a service provider;
- Ensure reception in the services by making appointments;
- Stagger break times for access to common premises, draw a ground circulation plan with an arrival and departure direction, mark on the ground the minimum distance to be respected.
Some recommended best practices
- Marking on the ground for the minimum distances to be respected, in particular in the waiting areas;
- Traffic plan with visible markings on the ground to avoid crossings;
- Regular cleaning plan , especially stair railings;
- Display barrier measures in break areas;
- Wash hands before and after using vending machines/coffee machines;
- If possible, leave the doors open to avoid hand contact with the surfaces;
- Prioritize one person per office ;
- For shared offices, avoid face-to-face , respect a distance of more than one meter, use plexiglass if possible, etc.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The principle ?
PPE is envisaged as a complement to collective protection measures, making it possible to cover the risks of accidental breach of physical distance.
Obligatory ?
Wearing a mask becomes compulsory when respect for the physical distance between two people cannot be guaranteed.
Wearing gloves is not recommended by the public authorities, because of the false sense of protection they would give.
What masks?
The employer can provide FFP1 masks or alternative masks for non-sanitary use, known as general public:
Information ?
Wearing a mask requires specific information to avoid the risks associated with improper use (fitting, conditions and duration of wearing, removal):
Display in the workspace of the rules to be respected.
Cleaning operations
Reopening after confinement
If the premises have not been visited in the last 5 days, the usual cleaning protocol is sufficient, without specific disinfection measures;
If the places have been frequented in the last 5 days, a usual cleaning with an active product must take place.
Daily cleaning after reopening
Daily cleaning of surfaces with the use of products containing a surfactant (soap, degreaser, detergents, stain removers);
When the risk assessment justifies it, a disinfection operation can be carried out, but only when strictly necessary:
Repetitive use of the disinfectant is not recommended;
Clean and disinfect regularly touched surfaces and objects several times a day using wipes or cleaning strips containing a surfactant.
