COVID-19 Guidance For Business

The latest Government information on healthcare advice for employers and support for businesses can be found here:

Guidance for employees, employers and businesses

GUIDELINES FOR BUSINESSES TO PROTECT STAFF AND CUSTOMERS

Some businesses have a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19 because visitors spend a longer time in the premises and are more likely to come into close contact with people outside their household or support bubble. This is why businesses in the hospitality sector now have a legal obligation to collect NHS Test and Trace data and store it securely for 21 days.

By maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors, businesses can help NHS Test and Trace to identify and notify people who may have been exposed to the virus, allowing them to get the advice and support they need.

Under new regulations, you must collect:

the name of the customer or visitor. If there is more than one person, then you can record the name of the ‘lead member’ of the group and the number of people in the group
a contact phone number for each customer or visitor, or for the lead member of a group of people
date of visit, arrival time and (where possible) departure time
if a customer will interact with only one member of staff (e.g. a hairdresser), the name of the assigned staff member should be recorded alongside the name of the customer

Guidance for maintaining records of staff and customer for businesses

The locations which must collect details of their staff and visitors are:

Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés
Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks
Close contact services, including hairdressers
Facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres (for events), libraries and children’s centres

Support for businesses and self-employed people during coronavirus

Reopen your business safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)

NHS Test and Trace QR Poster

Businesses can create a NHS Test and Trace QR code which customers can scan using their phones to check in whenever they visit your business. This is a free service and you can register online through the Gov.uk website.

Those businesses who are required by law to record the details of customers, e.g. restaurants, must display a NHS QR code poster on their premises from 24 September 2020.

Create a NHS Test and Trace QR Code

When you receive your QR code poster you should:

print the poster
display the poster somewhere visitors can see it and scan it when they arrive, for example next to the entrance
ask visitors to scan the QR code when they arrive, using their NHS COVID-19 app
display as many posters as you need to, to avoid queues forming

Social distancing guidance in retail stores

A guide for non-food retail stores has been produced by the British Retail Consortium and the Union of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers on how to implement Government advice on social distancing when stores in the non-food retail sector reopen for business.

Guide on implementing social distancing in non-food stores

RISK ASSESSEMENTS

HSE has a number of example risk assessments which show the kind of approach they expect a small business or workplace to take.

The examples show how other small and medium-sized businesses have approached risk assessment.

View example risk assessments

WORKING SAFELY DURING CORONAVIRUS

The Government has guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic.