The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is out conducting spot inspections on businesses in Bradford checking they are working right and are COVID-secure.
HSE is checking that businesses are aware of the Safer Workplace guidance and advising where necessary on improvements needed to ensure the workplace is COVID-secure.
To be COVID-secure mean businesses need to put in place workplace adjustments, keep up to date with the latest guidance and put measures in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others.
There are practical steps that businesses can take to do that:
- Step 1: Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment;
- Step 2: Develop increased cleaning, hand washing and hygiene procedures;
- Step 3: Maintain two-metre social distancing, where possible; and
- Step 4: Where people cannot be two metres apart, manage transmission risk.
Michael Bone, HSE’s head of operations in Yorkshire, said: “Given the number of cases in Bradford, becoming COVID-secure should be the priority for all businesses. We are talking to duty holders and inspecting sites across the city to understand how they are managing risks in line with their specific business activity.
“Employers have a legal duty to protect workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus. We encourage businesses to engage their employees in the changes they put in place to become COVID-secure to increase confidence with workers and in turn customers and the local community.”
As inspections are ongoing, HSE has been utilising a number of different ways to gather intelligence and reach out to businesses across Yorkshire with a combination of site visits, phone calls and through collection of supporting visual evidence.
Mr Bone added: “Businesses of all sizes and across all sectors are in scope for inspections. We understand that the vast majority of employers are doing everything they can to keep people and their business safe and healthy.
“Becoming COVID-secure not only benefits the health of our communities and the health of local businesses in Bradford, it benefits the health of the UK economy. Through ensuring that businesses in the area are COVID-secure, we can benefit the health of the nation.”