16th June 2020

Guidance advice for businesses re-opening

Getting Back to Business

As businesses make preparations to come back into the workplace there are a number of key points to consider in order to keep yourself, your staff and your customers safe.

Public Health Agency Guidance
The Public Health Agency has produced guidance for businesses and employers on dealing with COVID 19 in the workplace. The Guide focuses on;

  • Preventing the spread of infection
  • Steps to take if someone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19 has been in your workplace.
  • Certifying absence from work
  • Handling post/packages
  • Cleaning of offices and public spaces.

Download the PHA’s guidance for employers and businesses here.

 

Risk Assessments

The Health and Safety Executive NI has produced an example risk assessment template for dealing with the current COVID 19 situation in the workplace.

Businesses should use the template as a guide to think about the additional hazard that COVID 19 introduces into the workplace and the necessary steps required to take to control the virus. Your risk assessment should be constantly reviewed.

Click here to download the template.

 

Advice from DAERA on reinstating the water supply in your business

The closure of businesses due to the COVID 19 pandemic has resulted in an extended period of low turnover or no demand on the water supply. Water left stagnant in storage tanks and pipework may give rise to potential water quality issues and pose a risk to health. You can find more information and a step by step guide to ensuring a safe water supply by downloading the guidance here. 

 

Re-opening Retail 

As you prepare to open your stores to customers again, we know you will all be thinking about additional cleaning/sanitation and physical distancing measures inside your store.  Below we have listed a few additional measures that you might also want to consider:

  • Consider appointing a member of staff to act as a ‘meet and greet’ to welcome customers; monitor the queue to ensure it does not encroach on other businesses; and to manage numbers both instore and in the queue.
  • Consider the use of on street/window signage to indicate the direction of the queue and where the queue ends.
  • If possible, queues should run parallel to your building.  This will allow the maximum amount of space to be retained for pedestrians and other street users.
  • If possible you might consider having separate entrance and exit doors for customers.

 

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