The National Tripartite Committee (NTC) on the COVID-19 pandemic, has asked employers to create an enabling environment for physical distancing at workplaces.

It said that must be done through well-demarcated intervals of at least one metre between spaces.

This was in a communique issued in Accra after an emergency meeting held earlier this month to review guidelines on the fight against the COVID-19 at workplaces.

The meeting, chaired by Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Employment and Labour Relations Minister-designate, agreed that as much as possible, all conferences, durbars and meetings should be held virtually.

The communique said employers must consider the introduction of appropriate shift systems for employees and allow those who could work from home to do so without compromising standards and productivity.

It said employers should make sure workplaces were fumigated and disinfected, with a schedule for the fumigation and disinfection pasted on notice boards for the information of workers and other stakeholders.

It tasked unions and workers associations to educate their members on the shared responsibility of promoting personal safety to avoid the spread of the virus by wearing face masks and ensuring strict compliance with the other protocols at the workplace, home, and communities.

The communique said employers and unions should also collaborate and cooperate at the enterprise level through social dialogue to deal with the impact of COVID-19 to ensure the sustainability of their respective enterprises.

It said all employers should provide and enforce the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and related facilities for the safety and health of workers in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.

It urged workplaces to constitute safety committees to deal with issues concerning the disease.

“The safety committees should appoint focal persons who will have the responsibility of liaising with health professionals in the event of an outbreak of the disease, the names of committee members should be displayed on notice boards and at vantage points in all workplaces,” the communique said.

The Communique said the Labour Department and the Department of Factories Inspectorate should constitute joint task forces to monitor compliance with COVID-l9 safety protocols and guidelines during workplace inspections and report to the Ministry on a fortnightly basis.

It tasked Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to set up COVID-l9 committees, intensify public education in markets, lorry parks and other public places.

They should also enforce strict compliance with all protocols concerning the virus.

It called for the strict enforcement of the law on nose mask-wearing in vehicles and restrictions on mass gatherings by the relevant authorities.