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Written question asked by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 February 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 February 2021 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Monday, 22 February 2021. A substantive answer was provided by Mims Davies (Conservative) on Wednesday, 3 March 2021 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Disinfectants

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy that workplaces that remain open during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021 must provide their staff with access to disinfectant products that are tested to the EN 14476 standard for virucidal efficacy.

Answer

As each is workplace is different, it is for an employer to identify, as part of their risk assessment, how to control COVID-19 transmission. Guidance has been produced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive that gives advice and information to employers on how to do such an assessment and make the workplace COVID-secure.

Frequent surface cleaning is one of several control measures that can be implemented to manage the transmission risk. Guidance from PHE and BEIS advises the use of standard cleaning products for frequently touched surfaces to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Whilst we do not specify particular products, those that have been tested to the EN 14476 standard will be effective against viruses.

HSE’s evidence is that more than 90% of the businesses checked have the right precautions in place or are willing to make necessary changes promptly and without the need for enforcement notices. HSE will continue to take enforcement action where appropriate, but the best use of its time and resource to ensure employers take the right action promptly is often to educate, persuade or require matters to be put right immediately.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
151626
Session
2019-21
Grouped for answer
Yes
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Employment Disease control Staff Disinfectants Coronavirus
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk