Bosses unable to introduce adequate measures to protect staff from coronavirus should not reopen their workplaces.
Health and Safety Executive chief Sarah Albon said every workplace should carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment before staff return, and that the “vast majority” will be able to implement social distancing and hygiene measures.
But she told Parliament’s Work and Pensions Committee employers who are unable to do so should “individually not open”.
Ms Albon said that, between March 9 and May 7, the HSE received more 7,149 coronavirus-related calls and online queries from people concerned about their safety at work.
She said that, while many of those concerns were dealt with “immediately”, about 1,400 were referred to the workplace safety regulator’s inspectors for further investigation.
In 321 cases, inspectors spoke with employers, who were required to show what safety measures they had put in place, while 27 were written to, with orders for improvements to be made.
HSE inspectors are yet to close any businesses as a result of those concerns, she added.
The majority of issues were rectified after employers were contacted by the regulator.
Ms Albon said a further surge in calls is expected as people begin to return to work this week, with HSE increasing its call centre staff and extending its opening hours from 5pm to 10pm to cope with demand.
Meanwhile, HSE has received 3,000 reports of coronavirus-related occupational diseases, 200 reports of dangerous occurrences and 71 worker deaths submitted through its Riddor reporting system, the committee heard.
Riddor places a duty on employers to report certain serious workplace accidents.
Asked why the figure for reported worker deaths is “so low”, Ms Albon said: “We have noticed that. We think it is at least likely we have had some significant under-reporting, and that is particularly under NHS settings where we have had very, very low numbers so far reported to us."
Meanwhile, John Simpson, Public Health England’s medical director for emergency resilience and response, told the committee that 0.25 per cent of the working population is believed to have coronavirus.
Asked whether employers should carry out temperature tests for staff, Mr Simpson said that, while the measure would reassure workers, it is “probably rather ineffective” from a health perspective.
