Reopening As Lockdown Measures Ease
Key points to consider for businesses reopening as lockdown measures ease
Being COVID-secure means being adaptable to the current guidance and having measures in place to manage the risk of coronavirus.
Key points for businesses to consider:
Remember your COVID risk assessment
All businesses must continue to update their COVID-secure risk assessment to make sure they’re in line with the latest government guidance. Review these HSE documents when completing your COVID risk assessment:
All businesses must have COVID-secure measures in place and must make sure that everyone is following them to manage the risks of COVID-19. This includes social distancing, frequent cleaning, good hand hygiene and ventilation. You should also talk to staff and provide information, and consider the risk to workers who are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus and put controls in place to reduce that risk. Please ensure your workplace is safe by following the HSE guidance on being COVID-secure and government guidance for England, Scotland and Wales
Mental health and wellbeing
Returning to the workplace may be difficult for some employees making them more susceptible to workplace stress. Employers have a ‘duty of care’. This means they must do all they reasonably can to support their employees’ health, safety and wellbeing. This includes:
- making sure the working environment is safe
- protecting staff from discrimination
- carrying out risk assessments
Review this guidance from ACAS on supporting mental health at work.
Legionella
Businesses and landlords have a duty to identify and control risks associated with legionella. If your building has been closed or had reduced occupancy during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, water system stagnation could have occurred due to lack of use, increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease. Detailed guidance on Legionella risks during the coronavirus pandemic is available on the HSE website.