COVID-19: health and safety protocol - Last night the Italian Government and National representatives of employers’ associations and unions have reached an agreement over a COVID-19 health & safety protocol that employers need to implement to ensure the maximum possible protection of their employees against the COVID-19 virus.

This protocol is a crucial step to allow business continuity for manufacturing companies and professional service providers. In fact, the Prime Minister’s Decree of 11 March 2020 which ordered the closure of all shops, bars and restaurants (with a few exceptions) in Italy provides that manufacturing companies and professional service providers may continue business under certain conditions. These conditions include the recommendation to reach an agreement between employers’ and works council on which safety measures to implement. The protocol contains a minimum set of measures to facilitate such agreement. These measures may be integrated at sector or company level with more stringent precautions.

The protocol covers information duties, access rules for staff and external persons, cleaning of premises and devices, hygienic precautions, personal protection equipment, organization of work and work spaces and dealing with emergencies.

Special attention is reserved to privacy law aspects, which will require a special notice to the persons concerned.

Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners has set up an in-house Task Force to constantly monitor the evolution of legislation in the regions affected by the Coronavirus and is at your entire disposal to support you in defining, drafting and implementing the most advisable strategies to limit the impact of the spread of the Coronavirus on the operations of your business and the management of your existing commercial relations. Composed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals, the Covid Task Force offers clients supportin defining, drafting and implementing the most advisable strategies to limit the impact of the spread of the Coronavirus on their business activity and in the management of their existing commercial relations.For our previous newsletters on this subject, please click here.