Key water workers to be exempt from self-isolation

Water and wastewater were included on a list of critical sectors published by the Government last week where individuals essential to operations will be made exempt from self-isolating when pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app or otherwise been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

In an update to guidance on Test and Trace in the workplace, the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Where the self-isolation of close contacts would result in serious disruption to critical services, a limited number of named workers may be able to leave self-isolation under specific controls for the purpose of undertaking critical work only”. This applies to fully vaccinated, negative tested critical individuals only.

The Government pointed out: “This is not a blanket exemption for all workers in a sector.” It illustrated with a few examples, including that: “It would be likely to apply to control room staff in power stations who are required to be physically located in the power station control rooms on site but would not apply to power station administration staff that are likely to be able to work from home."

Water company employers were told to contact Defra with information on the people who they propose would need to leave self-isolation; the roles those individuals need to perform; and the impact failure to do this would have and when this impact is likely to materialise (for example, is it already an issue or likely to materialise in the coming days). Where a specific case meets the criteria, the employer will receive a letter from Defra setting out the named critical workers designated and telling them what measures they and those workers need to follow.

Other sectors qualifying for exemptions were: energy, digital infrastructure, food production and supply, essential chemicals, health and veterinary medicine, transport, emergency services, defence, border control and local government.

The process is only intended to run until 16 August 2021, when fully vaccinated close contacts will be exempt from self-isolation.