IBA's post-lockdown SOPs for banks, suggests thermal screening

In a letter to the banks, IBA said: "Going forward, the government is planning to open up a lot of activities and complete lifting of lockdown in Green Zone areas. Hence the banks also will have to resume full-fledged services and at the same time to ensure safety of the staff and customers."

New Delhi:The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has come up with a detailed document of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for banks outlining the precautionary measures to be taken as the lockdown is lifted or partially relaxed, whereby it has asked banks to ensure thermal screening of people entering bank branches and offices.

It has also recommended monitoring through use of Aarogya Setu app at entry gates.

Among suggestions for social distancing and sanitisation of premises, the association has suggested the employees should refrain from going to others' seats and should bring food from home.

It further said that biometric system for recording of attendance to be discontinued till further notice and attendance should be recorded through RFID card or manually.

In a letter to the banks, IBA said: "Going forward, the government is planning to open up a lot of activities and complete lifting of lockdown in Green Zone areas. Hence the banks also will have to resume full-fledged services and at the same time to ensure safety of the staff and customers."

It further said that since the country is not totally free from COVID-19 infections, it is essential to continue the precautionary measures while conducting the banking business.

IBA has said that physical meetings should be avoided as far as possible and video conference or calls must be used as the alternative.

It directed banks to enable "Work from Home wherever possible, considering the security risk, banks may use highly secured Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)." It further said that employees should be encouraged to use their personal vehicles for commuting to work place and carpools or public transport to be avoided.

Banks may devise strategies for arranging bus transportation for employees in key areas of the city. This may include tie-ups with the aggregators, or engage the services of their own customers who are in this sector, document said.

Wherever bank transport is arranged, air conditioners in the vehicle shall not be operated and employees should sit and move as per social distancing norms.

Hard copy files should be avoided wherever possible as per IBA and soft copy correspondences and approvals should be adopted through mails or other electronic means.

Spitting in dustbins and in premises is also not allowed, IBA said.

The association reiterated its suggestion to encourage digital transactions as far as possible.

Recommending crowd management, IBA said that help from local authorities and the police will be obtained as per Ministry of Home Affairs directions.

(IANS Report)