Workplace Risk Assessment
COVID-19 is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces.10 Work-related exposure
can occur anytime at the workplace, during work-related travel to an area with local community transmission, as well as on the way
to and from the workplace.11
The risk of work-related exposure to COVID-19 depends on the probability of coming into close (less than 1 metre) or frequent
contact with people who may be infected with COVID-19 and through contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. The
following risk levels may be useful in carrying out a workplace risk assessment for exposure to COVID-19 and planning for
preventive measures in non-healthcare workplaces. In these risk categories, persons referred to as ‘known to be or suspected of
being infected with COVID-19’ generally refers to persons who have already had a positive test or diagnosis.iii Although such
persons should be cared for in isolation, some occupations may still have a higher risk of exposure (e.g. home care workers, personal
service providers where necessary, pharmacy front-line staff).
