Legal Alert | No more respirators in the workplace from 14 March 2022

End of respirators

• From 14 March 2022, the Government has abolished the general obligation to wear respirators in all indoor areas, including all workplaces where it was not possible to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5m.

• The obligation to wear a respirator will continue to apply only in:
  
  • healthcare facilities;
  • social service facilities (homes for the elderly, care centres, etc.); and
  • public transport (including taxis).

• Employers providing services where the obligation to wear a respirator will continue to apply will still be obliged to equip their employees with a sufficient number of respirators for each working shift.

Options for employers

• Although the Government has abolished the obligation to wear a respirator in the workplace, employers can continue to impose this obligation on their employees by adopting their own OHS measures.

• The measure must be issued as a result of an assessment of all workplace health and safety risks to employees (e.g. due to increased employee contact with customers).

• Please note, that it may be difficult to properly and sufficiently justify the need for such a measure in view of the current epidemiological situation.