Rome, 18/05/2020
The Cura Italia Decree of 17 March 2020 considers Coronavirus infection in the workplace as an accident worthy of receiving Inail insurance coverage, that’s why it is necessary to know the new Labor Safety Protocol.
Coronavirus infections, in fact, which occurred in the work environment or due to the performance of the work activity are protected, in all respects, as accidents at work. This is specified by INAIL, with circular n. 13 of April 3, with which the Institute provides indications regarding the protections guaranteed to its policyholders.
The Decree requires companies, professionals and employers to manage internal security measures to avoid infections and the resulting risk, exposing the employer personally to criminal liability. It is therefore necessary that the company ensures adequate levels of protection for workers.
Specific obligations include:
- provide workers with the necessary and suitable personal protective equipment;
- inform workers exposed to the risk of a serious and immediate danger as soon as possible about the risk itself and the provisions made, or to be taken, regarding protection;
- refrain from requiring workers to resume their activity in a work situation in which a serious and immediate danger persists.
Last but not least, article 2, paragraph 6, of the DPCM (Prime Minister’s Decree) of 26 April 2020, in order to guarantee health protection and safety conditions of workers in the workplace, based on the indications of the Ministry of Health, requires companies to respect “the contents of the shared protocol regulating measures to contrast and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the workplace, signed on April 24, 2020 between the government and the social parties”. This document regulates, within companies: information, the method of entry into the company for customers, suppliers and non-employee collaborators, the company organization, the management of a symptomatic person in the company, the penalties for failure to comply.
Finally, the main part of the Protocol is the issue of cleaning and sanitizing in the company.
To comply with the regulations, it is necessary to be prepared and structured, under penalty of suspension of activities.
