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The fast coronavirus expansion earlier this 2020 It has generated a wave of doubts and confusion globally. In fact, many entrepreneurs wonder to what extent they must be cautious to avoid the risk of contagion of this disease. Just yesterday we knew the news that The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy has developed an action guide against the coronavirus. This is a nine-page document that gathers the main guidelines of prevention of occupational hazards that employers and employees should follow in case there is a risk of infection by coronavirus in the workplace.
Occupational risk prevention guidelines for Coronavirus 2020
As we have already advanced, the objective of this guide is to provide the necessary information on the application of labor regulations in relation to different situations in which companies and employees may find themselves. The document collects Preventive and safety measures already existing in Spanish labor legislation, although in this case it focuses on the coronavirus and its possible incidence within the workplace.
These are the guidelines of protection of the health of working people which are included in this guide of the Ministry of Labor:
1. Paralysis of the activity by company decision
According to Article 21 of Law 31/1995, of November 8, on Occupational Risk Prevention (LPRL), companies are required to inform of the existence of risk of contagion by coronavirus (if any) and “adopt the necessary measures so that working people can interrupt their activity and, if necessary, leave the workplace immediately.”
2. Paralysis of the activity by decision of the workers
In those cases where there was a “serious” and “imminent” risk of infection by coronavirus, employees may interrupt
your activity and leave the workplace. In that sense, they may not suffer any damage derived from the adoption of the measures adopted, provided they have not “acted in bad faith or committed gross negligence”.
2. Preventive measures
“The duty of protection of the company implies that this must ensure the safety and health of working people at your service in all aspects related to the work that are under your management scope, “according to the guide.
In addition, entrepreneurs must adopt those collective or individual preventive measures depending on the type of activity, distribution and specific characteristics of the activity that the organization carries out. One of these measures may be the teleworking, which can be adopted “on an exceptional basis” in those cases in which workers cannot carry out their tasks in the usual physical center.