Bucks Council focus on small businesses with Covid-19 spot checks

Spot checks on local businesses in Buckinghamshire are continuing, with a focus on smaller venues.

Buckinghamshire Council is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to offer support and advice to businesses to ensure they have the right Covid-secure measures in place.

Teams will be making calls and visits to all types of businesses to check that measures they've put in place to manage the risk from Covid are in line with current guidance.

This includes businesses that have continued to operate throughout the pandemic, those that have recently reopened and those who may be due to open in the coming weeks.

There will be a special who may be contacted over the coming weeks. The teams will do some spot checks and carry out inspections where there are concerns about the Covid measures they have in place.

Nick Naylor, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Regulatory Services at Buckinghamshire Council said:

"Over the coming weeks any workplace of any size, in any sector could receive an unannounced check from our colleagues at the Health and Safety Executive or an inspection from Buckinghamshire Council.

"We're reaching out to help businesses make sure they are protecting their staff and customers and taking the right measures to stop the spread of Covid in their local community."

Cllr Naylor also highlighted with the roadmap out of lockdown delayed, its important businesses know what they must continue to do until July 19th.

Angela Storey, Director of Transformation and Operational Services at HSE, said:

"As we come out of lockdown, we are continuing to work with local authorities to check businesses are Covid-secure and providing guidance and advice where needed.

"Our spot checks and inspections support the cross-government work in helping employers and employees that have worked throughout the pandemic and those returning as lockdown measures ease."

The COVID-secure measures businesses should have in place include:

• Risk assessment: every workplace should have a COVID risk assessment. Update it to reflect any changes in legislation or guidance that may impact your work activity
• Social distancing: where possible you should keep people two metres apart. If this is not viable, keeping one metre apart with risk mitigation is acceptable
• Cleaning, hygiene and handwashing: keeping your workplace clean reduces the potential for coronavirus to spread. It is a critical part of making and keeping your business COVID-secure
• Ventilation and air conditioning can help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus
• Talk to workers: provide information about providing support and maintaining control measures
• Working from home: provide the equipment they need, keep in regular contact and discuss their wellbeing
• Vulnerable workers: talk to staff, provide information and consider the risk to workers who are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus - putting controls in place to reduce that risk

All business should have COVID-secure measures in place. It is a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus.

As changes come and more businesses reopen, our responsibility is to make sure that all measures continue to be taken to keep workers safe as they return to the workplace.

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• buckinghamshire
• coronavirus
• covid secure
• Business
• bucks council