Business ADVICE


BUSINESS PREMISES: What are the considerations for firms as they look to reopen premises? Vito Sepe of insurance and risk advice specialist James Hallam Travel and Tour, explains


Is your business Covid-19 Secure? T


hese recent months have been very challenging for any organisation, but the travel industry in


particular has been hit very hard as this unprecedented pandemic has forced premises to close and business to grind to a halt, almost overnight. Now, as the focus begins to turn


to safely reopening businesses, there are significant new challenges to face if businesses are to resume and staff return safely to work. Safely restarting business – or


achieving “Covid-19 Secure” premises – requires a number of important considerations, particularly for any organisations operating multiple sites throughout the UK. Below, we look at the risk


management measures that are needed to get your business operating safely and also to allow you to stand out in the industry.


How do we reopen in this new world? The government has set out guidelines and recommendations to allow businesses to prepare for reopening. They have set various industry-specific standards that all business must comply with in order to achieve “Covid-19 Secure” status. We would advise senior


management teams to break your businesses into bite-sized chunks and review the following areas to ensure you are complying with legislative requirements, new government Covid-19 guidance and industry


best practice. O People O Hygiene


12 11 JUNE 2020 Vito Sepe


O Safety O Maintenance O Regulatory inspections


How do I become Covid-19 Secure? There are five steps to achieve Covid-19 Secure Premises status.


Here is a summary: O You must carry out a risk assessment of your premises and consider the safety of both your employees and members of the public. To complete a risk assessment, you can either visit the HSE website or engage a competent person or firm to carry this out on your behalf.


O You must have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in place


O You must take all reasonable steps travelweekly.co.uk


to help your employees work from home.


O You must take all reasonable steps to maintain two-metre social distancing in the workplace.


O Where people cannot be two metres apart, you must have done everything practical to manage transmission risk. The Government Guidance


documents offer practical steps to take, so they are a great starting point.


What if my business is not Covid-19 Secure? It is imperative that the guidelines set out by the UK government are followed. Failure to be Covid-19 Secure could lead to a breach of your statutory duty, which could result in fines and a criminal conviction. Importantly, it would mean that your business or


premises are not safe to open. OVito Sepe is divisional director of James Hallam Travel and Tour


FURTHER ADVICE


OJames Hallam Risk Management’s full guidance on reopening business premises: tinyurl.com/JHRMguidance


OGovernment guidance: gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19


OHSE guidance on risk assessments: hse.gov.uk/risk/assessment.htm


PICTURE: Shutterstock


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