COVID-19 : Advice and Good Practice for Businesses
As businesses prepare to return to work as lockdown arrangements are reduced the Council have been receiving requests from business owners about what advice they should follow during the COVID 19 pandemic. Government has now published extensive guidance to cover a range of business sectors now able to work where this can be done safely.
The high level government guidance can be found on the following link and highlights 5 steps to working safely during this pandemic.
These are -
1. To carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
2. Develop cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures for workers, visitors, spaces and equipment focusing on high contact points.
3. Help people to work from home
4. Maintain 2m social distancing, where possible
5. Where people cannot be 2m apart, manage the transmission risk
For more detail and information on how this may be achieved the same website page includes sector specific guidance for the following sectors which are allowed to operate in some cases, subject to safety.
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Construction and other outdoor work
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Factories, plants and warehouses
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Labs and research facilities
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Offices and contact centres
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Other people’s homes
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Restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
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Shops and branches
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Vehicles
Businesses may need to refer to several of the guides to find the “best fit” information to suit their particular risks and apply a “mix and match” approach based on their individual settings.
After reviewing business risk assessments, managers will need to discuss and share these with staff and reinforce or role model good practice.
As we have heard on the news, it is recommended that businesses, after setting up their re-opening arrangements, have a run though of arrangements prior to opening properly to be certain that staff and customers can be kept at a social distance or where not, the measures being applied are suitable.
Please also be aware that specific COVID-19 adaptations may be the cause of new risks such as legionella or pest infestation, if a building has been empty or underused or changes may be needed to your fire arrangements.
Where a business has been advised of what is required and fails to apply COVID 19 securing measures at their business, in the event of complaint, Council officers will be obliged to investigate and enforce if necessary. Any enforcement action would always be in line with our Council’s Enforcement Policy.
If you have any queries regarding the above please do not hesitate to contact Regulatory Services.