Borough council and the health and safety executive join forces to carry out COVID checks on local businesses
Published Thursday, 08 October 2020
The Borough Council is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to contact businesses in the borough to make sure they are COVID-19 secure and to help tackle coronavirus in the local area
During the checks, businesses will be given advice and guidance of how to manage risk and protect staff, customers and visitors. If businesses are not fulfilling their legal requirements the council can as a last resort undertake appropriate enforcement action.
Enforcement action can include specific advice, enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and where businesses fail to comply prosecution.
Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus. Common issues across a range of sectors include: failing to provide arrangements for monitoring, supervising and maintaining social distancing, and failure to introduce an adequate cleaning regime particularly at busy times of the day.
Councillor Martin Cartwright Executive Member for Climate Change, Licensing, Environmental Health and Rural Affairs said: “We are talking to local businesses in and around the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth to understand how they are managing risks in line with their specific business activity.
“Becoming COVID-secure needs to be the priority for all businesses in the borough, 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. We advise employers to work with their employees when implementing changes, to help increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community. If you require assistance or guidance our Environmental Health Team are available to help and support.
Councillor Cartwright added: “Any business may be visited which means businesses of any size, in any sector can receive an unannounced visit to ensure they are COVID-secure. By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, we can benefit the health of the local community as well as support the local and national UK economy.”
For the latest information and safer business guidance visit coronavirus (GOV.UK)
