The Mexican government recently issued new Specific Technical Guidelines for the Reopening of Economic Activities in Mexico (the Guidelines) setting forth rules for companies to follow in resuming or continuing their business activities while observing sanitary health and safety protocols.Although the Guidelines are extensive, they do not specifically address protocols or measures regarding visitors entering a workplace. The Guidelines do not prohibit visitors from entering workplaces; rather, such merely state that companies must have a visitor control policy in effect. The Guidelines also provide that workplaces must have guidelines detailing the preventive measures that must be followed before, during and after traveling.As in other countries, health authorities in Mexico recommend that people who travel self-quarantine for at least 15 days prior to coming into contact with others. However, such self-quarantine measure is not feasible for people who travel specifically for work-related matters.Therefore, we recommend that at minimum the following preventive measures be implemented for visitors visiting workplaces, and specifically focusing on visitors who may have traveled prior to their visit:
- Schedule the trip and visit in advance, in order to plan and prepare for the processes and special measures that must be taken.
- Follow a disinfection process prior to admitting visitors.
- Perform a rapid test to detect the virus.
- Have personal protective equipment available for people who want to enter the workplace. Visitors should be provided with face shields, face masks and surgical gloves to avoid possible contagion among employees and possible spread of the virus on surfaces.
- Designate specific offices or areas for use by visitors that are isolated from other staff and facilities.
- Prevent visitors from roaming around the workplace, limiting them to office spaces or areas specifically designated for them.
The above recommendations are optional, given that no legal or mandatory guidelines regarding visitors currently exist. The recommended measures are intended to avoid contagion and spread of the virus in the workplace.Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this or other Covid-19 related matters.Contact information:Pablo Sáenz | psaenz@ccn-law.com.mxJavier Zapata | jzapata@ccn-law.com.mx
