Guidance & Definitions
Applies to: England (see guidance for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland)
COVID-19 roadmap
Step 2 of the roadmap out of lockdown (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary) has begun. Some of the rules changed on 12 April, but many restrictions remain in place.
This guidance includes changes to restrictions that came into force in Step 2 on 12 April.
Find out what you can and cannot do.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#businesses-and-venues
This guide was updated on 12 April 2021.
What’s changed
National restrictions – Spring 2021
Introduction
How to use this guidance
Priority actions to take - what businesses need to do to protect staff and customers
Eight steps to protect yourself, your staff and your customers during coronavirus.
Complete a COVID-19 risk assessment, including consideration of the reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities. Share it with all your staff. Find out how to do a risk assessment. https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/risk-assessment.htm
Clean more often. Increase how often you clean surfaces, especially those that are being touched a lot. Ask your staff, visitors or contractors to use hand sanitiser and wash their hands frequently.
Remind your visitors and staff to wear face coverings in any indoor space or where required to do so by law, for instance using signage. This is an important reminder to help mitigate transmission. It is especially important if your customers are likely to be around people they do not normally meet. Some exemptions apply. Check when to wear one, exemptions, and how to make your own. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Make sure everyone is social distancing. Make it easy for everyone to do so by putting up signs or introducing a one-way system that people can follow.
Provide adequate ventilation. This means supplying fresh air to enclosed space where people are present. This can be natural ventilation through windows, doors and vents, mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, or a combination of both. Read advice on air conditioning and ventilation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Take part in NHS Test and Trace by keeping a record of all your staff and contractors for 21 days. Check ‘Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace’ for details. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace
Turn people with coronavirus symptoms away. If a staff member (or someone in their household) or a visitor has a persistent cough, a high temperature or has lost their sense of taste or smell, they should be isolating. Employers must not require someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work. Any employer asking a worker to break self-isolation to work is committing an offence.
Consider the mental health and wellbeing aspects of COVID-19 for yourself and others. The government has published guidance on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19
Four more things to be aware of if your business is a shop, retail store or a branch:
Ensure staff wear face coverings. By law, staff in retail settings must wear face coverings when in customer facing areas, unless they have an exemption.
Reduce crowding. Consider how many people can be in the space while remaining socially distant. Use floor markings to manage queues.
Help your staff maintain social distancing. Consider using barriers to separate staff and customers, introduce back-to-back or side-to-side working, and have staff work in the same team each day.
Communicate and train. Make sure all staff and customers are kept up to date with how safety measures are being used and updated.
These are the priority actions to make your business safe during coronavirus, you should also read the full version of the guidance below.
1. Thinking about risk
Show Guidance
Objective: To reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority.
Employers have a duty to reduce workplace risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures. Employers must work with any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace so that everybody’s health and safety is protected. In the context of COVID-19 this means protecting the health and safety of your workers and customers by working through these steps in order:
Show Guidance:
Objective: To reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority.
Ensuring both workers and customers who feel unwell stay at home and do not attend the premises. By law businesses may not require a self-isolating worker to come into work.
In every workplace, increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning.
Businesses and workplaces should make every reasonable effort to ensure their workers can work safely. This includes consideration of reasonable adjustments for workers or customers with disabilities, including hidden disabilities that are not immediately obvious. Any office worker who can work from home should do so. Anyone else who cannot work from home should go to their place of work, if COVID-19 Secure guidelines are followed closely. When in the workplace, everyone should make every reasonable effort to comply with the social distancing guidelines set out by the government (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable).
Fresh air helps to dilute the virus in occupied spaces so provide adequate ventilation through doors, windows and vents, by mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, or a combination of both.
Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity can be redesigned to maintain a 2m distance or 1m+ with risk mitigations where 2m is not viable.
Further mitigating actions include:
– further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
– keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
– using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
– using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible
– reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)
Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, even through redesigning a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between their staff.
You should ensure that steps are taken to avoid people needing to unduly raise their voices to each other. This includes, but is not limited to, refraining from playing music or broadcasts that may encourage shouting, including if played at a volume that makes normal conversation difficult. This is because of the potential for increased risk of transmission, particularly from aerosol transmission. We will develop further guidance, based on scientific evidence, to enable these activities as soon as possible.
Remind customers and staff to wear face coverings where they are required, for example, through use of signage.
If people must work face-to-face for a sustained period with more than a small group of fixed partners, then you will need to assess whether the activity can safely go ahead. No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.
In your assessment you should have particular regard to whether the people doing the work are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
If your building has been unoccupied for a period during any lockdowns, consider legionella risk and HSE advice.
Show Guidance
Show Guidance:
We have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the people who work here
We have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with guidance
We have taken all reasonable steps to help people work from home
We have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace
Where people cannot keep 2m apart, we have ensured at least a 1m distance and taken all the mitigating actions possible to manage transmission risk.
Once the above 5 items have been checked please go to https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb963fcd3bf7f5d39550303/staying-covid-19-secure.pdf
print, sign and place in your workplace.
2. Keeping your customers and visitors safe
Objective: to support NHS Test and Trace in betting shops.
This guidance is for betting shops only. Other shops and branches do not need to maintain records of customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace.
In order to ensure that betting shops are able to remain open, you must:
Display the official NHS QR code poster. The posters can be generated online. https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
Ask every customer or visitor aged 16 and over to check in to your venue or provide their contact details. This can be done quickly and easily using the NHS COVID-19 app to scan in the NHS QR code poster.
Have a system in place to ensure that you can collect that information from your customers and visitors who do not have a smartphone or do not want to use the NHS COVID-19 app. You must keep this data for 21 days and provide it to NHS Test and Trace, if it is requested.Check what data you need to collect and how it should be managed. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace
Any business that is found not to be compliant with these requirements will be subject to financial penalties. It is vital that you comply with these requirements to help keep people safe, and to keep businesses open. Find out more about the NHS Test and Trace requirements.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works
There is separate guidance on keeping a record of staff shift patterns. See section 7.1.
Objective: To minimise the contact resulting from visits to stores or outlets
Steps that will usually be needed:
Calculating the maximum number of customers that can reasonably follow social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable) within the store and any outdoor selling areas. Take into account total floorspace as well as likely pinch points and busy areas.
Limiting the number of customers in the store, overall and in any particular congestion areas, for example doorways between outside and inside spaces.
Encouraging customers to use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as they enter the premises to reduce the risk of transmission by touching products while browsing.
Encouraging customers to avoid handling products whilst browsing, if at all possible.
Suspending or reducing customer services that cannot be undertaken without contravening social distancing guidelines. This may include re-thinking how assistance is provided, for example, using fixed pairs of colleagues to lift heavy objects rather than a single colleague lifting with a customer.
Encouraging customers to shop alone or in household or support bubble groups where possible, unless they need specific assistance.
Reminding customers who are accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them at all times and should follow social distancing guidelines.
Looking at how people move through the shop and how you could adjust this to reduce congestion and contact between customers, for example, queue management or one-way flow, where possible.
Ensuring any changes to entrances, exits and queue management take into account reasonable adjustments for those who need them, including disabled shoppers. For example, maintaining pedestrian and parking access for disabled customers.
Working with neighbouring businesses and local authorities to provide additional parking or facilities such as bike racks, where possible, to help customers avoid using public transport.
Using outside premises for queuing where available and safe, for example some car parks.
Managing outside queues to ensure they do not cause a risk to individuals, other businesses or additional security risks, for example by introducing queuing systems, having staff direct customers and protecting queues from traffic by routing them behind permanent physical structures such as street furniture, bike racks, bollards or putting up barriers.
Working with your local authority or landlord to take into account the impact of your processes, including queues, on public spaces such as high streets and public car parks.
Shopping centres should take responsibility for managing the number of customers in the centre and the queuing process in communal areas on behalf of their retail.
Having clearly designated positions from which colleagues can provide advice or assistance to customers whilst maintaining social distance.
Working with neighbouring businesses and local authorities to consider how to spread the number of people arriving throughout the day for example by staggering opening hours; this will help reduce demand on public transport at key times and avoid overcrowding.
Avoid sharing vehicles except within a family, for example on test drives. If it is not possible, keep the number of people in the vehicle to a minimum and as distanced within the vehicle space as possible.
Switching on ventilation systems that draw in fresh air or opening windows (partially if it’s cold). For more information on ventilation in vehicles read HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning. https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm
Customer restaurants and cafes should refer to guidance on keeping workers and customers safe during COVID-19 in restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery
Objective: To make sure people understand what they need to do to maintain safety.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Providing clear guidance on social distancing and hygiene to people on arrival, for example, signage and visual aids.
Informing customers that they should be prepared to remove face coverings safely if asked to do so by police officers and staff for the purposes of identification.
Providing written or spoken communication of the latest guidelines to both workers and customers inside and outside the store. You should display posters or information setting out how clients should behave on your premises to keep everyone safe. Consider the particular needs of those with protected characteristics, such as those who are hearing or visually impaired.
Ensuring latest guidelines are visible in selling and non-selling areas.
Ensuring information provided to visitors, such as advice on the location or size of queues, does not compromise their safety.
Objective: To use ventilation to mitigate the transmission risk of COVID-19. Ventilation can be used as a control measure to reduce the risk of transmission of COVD-19 in enclosed spaces.
Ventilation should be used as a control measure to reduce the risk of aerosol transmission of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces.
Ventilation will not reduce the risk of droplet or surface transmission, so other control measures such as cleaning and social distancing are also required.
There are different ways of providing ventilation, including mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, natural ventilation which relies on passive flow through openings (doors, windows, vents) or a combination of the two.
The risk of transmission is greater in spaces that are poorly ventilated. HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning explains how to identify those spaces and steps to take to improve ventilation.
Read advice on air conditioning and ventilation from HSE. https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation.htm
Objective: To ensure that toilets are kept open and to ensure/promote good hygiene, social distancing, and cleanliness in toilet facilities.
Public toilets, portable toilets and toilets inside premises should be kept open and carefully managed to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19
Steps that will usually be needed:
Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency and to avoid touching your face, and to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available.
Consider the use of social distancing marking in areas where queues normally form, and the adoption of a limited entry approach, with one in, one out (whilst avoiding the creation of additional bottlenecks).
To enable good hand hygiene consider making hand sanitiser available on entry to toilets where safe, practical and accessible, and ensure suitable handwashing facilities including running water, liquid soap and suitable options for drying (paper towels, continuous roller towels or hand driers) are available. Consider the needs of people with disabilities.
Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets, with increased frequency of cleaning in line with usage. Use normal cleaning products, paying attention to frequently hand touched surfaces, and consider use of disposable cloths or paper roll to clean all hard surfaces.
Keeping the facilities well ventilated, for example by ensuring extractor fans work effectively and opening windows and vents where possible.
Special care should be taken for cleaning of portable toilets and larger toilet blocks.
Putting up a visible cleaning schedule can keep it up to date and visible.
Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection.
3. Who should go to work
Objective: Employers should ensure workplaces are safe for anyone who cannot work from home. It is recognised that for people who work in these types of workplace, it is often not possible to work from home.
Anyone who can work from home should do so. However, employers should consider whether home working is appropriate for workers facing mental or physical health difficulties, or those with a particularly challenging home working environment.
The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 Secure guidelines are followed closely. Employers should consult with their workers to determine who needs to come into the workplace. Businesses should also consider the impact of workers coming into the workplace on local transport and take appropriate mitigating actions (for example, staggered start and finish times for staff). Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.
When employers consider that workers should come into their place of work then this will need to be reflected in the COVID-19 workplace risk assessment and actions taken to manage the risks of transmission in line with this guidance.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Considering the maximum number of people who can be safely accommodated on site.
Monitoring the wellbeing of people who are working from home and helping them stay connected to the rest of the workforce, especially if the majority of their colleagues are on-site.
Keeping in touch with off-site workers on their working arrangements including their welfare, mental and physical health and personal security.
Providing equipment for people to work from home safely and effectively (for example, remote access to work systems), accounting for different types of needs, including the needs of people with disabilities.
Objective: To support those who are at higher risk of infection and/or an adverse outcome if infected.
The Public Health England report Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19 shows that some groups of people may be at more risk of being infected and/or an adverse outcome if infected. Read progress update reports.
The higher-risk groups include those who:
• are older males
• have a high body mass index (BMI)
• have health conditions such as diabetes
• are from some Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds
You should consider this in your risk assessment.
Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals are advised to work from home where possible but can still attend work if they cannot work from home. Employers should consider whether clinically extremely vulnerable individuals can take on an alternative role or change their working patterns temporarily to avoid travelling during busy periods.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Providing support for workers around mental health and wellbeing. This could include advice or telephone support.
See current guidance for advice on who is in the clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable groups. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Objective: To make sure individuals who are advised to stay at home under existing government guidance to stop infection spreading do not physically come to work. This includes individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 as well as those who live in a household or are in a support bubble with someone who has symptoms and those who are required to self-isolate as part of NHS Test and Trace.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Enabling workers to work from home while self-isolating if appropriate.
By law, employers must not knowingly require or encourage someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work.
See current guidance for employees and employers relating to statutory sick pay due to COVID-19.
Ensuring any workers who have symptoms of COVID-19 – a high temperature, new and persistent cough or anosmia – should self-isolate immediately and continue for 10 days. The day their symptoms started counts as day zero.Workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate immediately and continue for 10 days. The day of the test counts as day zero. Where a worker has tested positive while not experiencing symptoms but develops symptoms during the isolation period, they should restart the 10-day isolation period from the day the symptoms developed. See current guidance for people who live in households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infections. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Ensuring any workers who are contacts of individuals who test positive for COVID-19 self-isolate for a period of 10 days. Contacts will need to self-isolate immediately and continue for 10 days. The day the contact with the individual who tested positive took place counts as day zero.
Ensuring any workers who have been informed by NHS Test and Trace that they are a close contact of a person who has had a positive test result for COVID-19 follows the requirement to self-isolate. See the guidance for those who have been in contact with, but do not live with, a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person/guidance-for-contacts-of-people-with-possible-or-confirmed-coronavirus-covid-19-infection-who-do-not-live-with-the-person
Objective: To make sure that nobody is discriminated against.
In applying this guidance, employers should be mindful of the particular needs of different groups of workers or individuals.
It is breaking the law to discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex or disability, race or ethnicity.
Businesses have particular responsibilities towards disabled customers.
Employers also have particular responsibilities towards disabled workers and those who are new or expectant mothers. Read COVID-19 advice for pregnant employees. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees
Steps that will usually be needed:
Understanding and taking into account the particular circumstances of those with protected characteristics.
Involving and communicating appropriately with workers whose protected characteristics might either expose them to a different degree of risk, or might make any steps you are thinking about inappropriate or challenging for them.
Considering whether you need to put in place any particular measures or adjustments to take account of your duties under the equalities legislation.
Making reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled workers being put at a disadvantage, and assessing the health and safety risks for new or expectant mothers.
Making sure that the steps you take do not have an unjustifiable negative impact on some groups compared to others, for example, those with caring responsibilities or those with religious commitments.
4. Social distancing for workers
Objective: Ensuring workers maintain social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable), wherever possible, including while arriving at and departing from work, while in work and when travelling between sites.
You should maintain social distancing in the workplace wherever possible, taking account of those with protected characteristics as social distancing may not be possible or will be more challenging for workers with certain disabilities, such as individuals in wheelchairs or with visual impairments. Employers should discuss with disabled workers what reasonable adjustments can be made to the workplace so they can work safely.
Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity can be redesigned to maintain a 2m distance or 1m+ with risk mitigations where 2m is not viable.
Mitigating actions include:
further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible
reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others)
Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, even through redesigning a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between staff.
Social distancing applies to all parts of a business, not just the place where people spend most of their time, but also entrances and exits, break rooms, canteens and similar settings. These are often the most challenging areas to maintain social distancing and workers should be specifically reminded.
Objective: To maintain social distancing wherever possible, on arrival and departure and to enable handwashing upon arrival.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Staggering arrival and departure times at work to reduce crowding into and out of the workplace, taking account of the impact on those with protected characteristics.
Providing additional parking or facilities such as bike-racks to help people walk, run or cycle to work where possible.
Limiting passengers in corporate vehicles, for example, work minibuses. This could include leaving seats empty.
Reducing congestion, for example, by having more entry points to the workplace in larger stores.
Using markings and introducing one-way flow at entry and exit points.
Providing handwashing facilities (or hand sanitiser where not possible), at entry and exit points and not using touch-based security devices such as keypads where possible.
Maintaining use of security access devices, such as keypads or passes, and adjusting processes at entry/exit points to reduce risk of transmission . For example, cleaning pass readers regularly and asking staff to hold their passes above pass readers rather than touching them.
See government guidance on travelling to and from work (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers) and getting help with daily activities outside your home during coronavirus. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-people-outside-of-their-home/supporting-people-outside-of-their-home
Objective: To maintain social distancing as far as possible while people travel through the workplace.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Reducing movement by discouraging non-essential trips within buildings and sites, for example, restricting access to some areas, encouraging use of radios, telephones or other electronic devices where permitted, and cleaning them between use.
Introducing more one-way flow through buildings. Providing floor markings and signage should remind both workers and customers to follow to social distancing wherever possible.
Reducing maximum occupancy for lifts, providing hand sanitiser for the operation of lifts and encouraging use of stairs wherever possible.
Making sure that people with disabilities are able to access lifts.
Managing use of high traffic areas including corridors, lifts, turnstiles and walkways to maintain social distancing.
Objective: To maintain social distancing between individuals when they are at their workstations.
For people who work in one place, workstations should allow them to maintain social distancing wherever possible.
Workstations should be assigned to an individual as much as possible. If they need to be shared, they should be shared by the smallest possible number of people.
If it is not possible to ensure workstations comply with social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable), then businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate, and if so take all mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission
Steps that will usually be needed:
Reviewing layouts and processes to allow workers to work further apart from each other.
Using floor tape or paint to mark areas to help people keep to a 2m distance.
Avoiding people working face-to-face. For example, by working side-by-side or facing away from each other.
Using screens to create a physical barrier between people.
Using a consistent pairing system if workers have to be in close proximity. For example, maintenance activities that cannot be redesigned.
Minimising contacts around transactions, for example, considering using contactless payments.
Rethinking demonstrations and promotions to minimise direct contact and to maintain social distancing.
Objective: To reduce transmission due to face-to-face meetings and maintain social distancing in meetings.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Using remote working tools to avoid in person meetings.
Ensuring participants physically attend meetings only where reasonably necessary. Participants should maintain social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable).
Avoiding transmission during meetings, for example avoiding sharing pens, documents and other objects.
Providing hand sanitiser in meeting rooms.
Holding meetings outdoors or in rooms where there is good ventilation through open doors, windows and vents, mechanical ventilation (such as air conditioning) or a combination of both.
Airing rooms between meetings, opening all the doors and windows as fully as possible to maximise the ventilation in the room.
For areas where regular meetings take place, using floor signage to help people maintain social distancing.
Objective: To maintain social distancing while using common areas.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Staggering break times to reduce pressure on the staff break rooms or places to eat and ensuring social distancing is maintained in staff break rooms.
Using safe outside areas for breaks.
Creating additional space by using other parts of the working area or building that have been freed up by remote working.
Installing screens to protect workers serving customers at till points.
Providing packaged meals or similar to avoid fully opening staff canteens.
Reconfiguring seating and tables to optimise spacing and reduce face-to-face interactions.
Encouraging workers to remain on-site and, when not possible, maintaining social distancing while off-site.
Considering use of social distance marking for other common areas such as toilets, showers, lockers and changing rooms and in any other areas where queues typically form.
Objective: To prioritise safety during incidents.
In an emergency, for example, an accident, provision of first aid, fire or break-in, people do not have to comply with social distancing guidelines if it would be unsafe.
People involved in the provision of assistance to others should pay particular attention to sanitation measures immediately afterwards including washing hands.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Reviewing your incident and emergency procedures to ensure they reflect the social distancing principles as far as possible.
Considering whether you have enough appropriately trained staff to keep people safe. For example, having dedicated staff to encourage social distancing or to manage security.
Considering the security implications of any changes you intend to make to your operations and practices in response to COVID-19, as any revisions may present new or altered security risks which may need mitigations.
For organisations who conduct physical searches of people, considering how to ensure safety of those conducting searches while maintaining security standards.
Following government guidance on managing security risks. https://www.cpni.gov.uk/staying-secure-during-covid-19-0
5. Cleaning the workplace
Objective: To make sure that any site or location that has been closed or partially operated is clean and ready to restart, including:
• An assessment for all sites, or parts of sites, that have been closed, before restarting work.
• Cleaning procedures and providing hand sanitiser, before restarting work.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Checking whether you need to service or adjust ventilation systems, for example, so that they do not automatically reduce ventilation levels due to lower than normal occupancy levels.
Most air conditioning systems do not need adjustment if they draw in a supply of fresh air. HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning provides further information. https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products.
Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, including self checkouts, trolleys, coffee machines, betting machines or staff handheld devices, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for cleaning products.
Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift.
If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then refer to the specific guidance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings
Providing extra non recycling bins for workers and customers to dispose of single use face coverings and PPE. You should refer to guidance (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-disposing-of-waste) for information on how to dispose of personal or business waste, including face coverings and PPE.
Objective: To help everyone keep good hygiene through the working day.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique, the need to increase handwashing frequency, avoid touching your face and to cough or sneeze into a tissue which is binned safely, or into your arm if a tissue is not available.
Providing regular reminders and signage to maintain hygiene standards.
Providing hand sanitiser in multiple locations in addition to washrooms.
Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets to ensure they are kept clean and social distancing is achieved as much as possible.
Enhancing cleaning for busy areas.
Providing more waste facilities and more frequent rubbish collection.
Providing hand drying facilities – paper towels, continuous roller towels or electrical driers.
Objective: To minimise the risk of transmission through customer fitting rooms.
The enclosed nature of fitting rooms may result in increased risk of transmission of COVID-19. They should therefore be carefully managed to reduce that risk. Retail businesses should update their risk assessments for each premises where fitting rooms are being used.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Adopting a limited entry approach, where entry is managed by a member of staff. Avoid the creation of bottlenecks and consider using one-in one-out, except where customers require specific assistance, including customers with children or those with disabilities.
Limiting use of cubicles to one person at a time, except where customers require specific assistance. Keep multi-occupancy fitting rooms closed.
Leaving a gap of several minutes between one customer leaving a cubicle and the next customer entering. For stores with 2 or more cubicles, this could be achieved by alternating cubicle usage.
Where possible, leaving doors or curtains open in vacant fitting rooms to increase fresh air flow into cubicles that have recently been occupied, before the next customer enters.
Making hand sanitiser available on entry and exit.
Using social distancing marking in areas where queues normally form.
Setting clear use and cleaning guidance, where fitting rooms are cleaned frequently or between every use. Use normal cleaning products, paying attention to frequently hand touched surfaces, and consider use of disposable cloths or paper roll to clean all hard surfaces. Creating procedures to manage clothes that have been tried on, to minimise contact between customers and staff.
Ensuring any activity which involves close contact between customers and colleagues, for example fitting assistance, is carried out in line with the guidance on keeping workers and clients safe during COVID-19 in close contact services. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services
Keeping the facilities well ventilated, for example by ensuring extractor fans work effectively and opening windows and vents where possible.
Objective: To reduce transmission through contact with objects in the store.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Encouraging increased handwashing and introducing more handwashing facilities for workers and customers or providing hand sanitiser where this is not practical.
Limiting customer handling of merchandise and testers, for example, through different display methods, new signage or rotation, or cleaning of high touch stock with your usual cleaning products.
Putting in place a process to manage customer use of testers, for example by having staff monitor the use of testers, limit customer handling, and clean them between uses. For cosmetic and make-up testing, this could also involve using disposable applicators and placing them into disposable pots, using sanitised tiles, and decanting products. Any activity which involves close contact between customers and colleagues should be carried out in line with the guidance on keeping workers and clients safe during COVID-19 in close contact services. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services
Putting in place picking-up and dropping-off collection points where possible, rather than passing goods hand-to-hand.
Staggering collection times for customers collecting items, with a queuing system in place to ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m+ with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable).
Setting up ‘no contact’ return procedures where customers take return goods to a designated area.
Encouraging contactless refunds, where possible.
Providing guidance to how workers can safely assist customers with handling large item purchases.
Considering placing protective coverings on large items that may require customer testing or use, for example, furniture, beds or seats. Ensuring frequent cleaning of these coverings between uses, using usual cleaning products.
Cleaning touchpoints after each customer use or handover. For some examples, such as rental equipment, and test drive and rental vehicles, interior and exterior touchpoints should be considered.
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings
Show Guidance:
Show Guidance:
7. Workforce Management
Objective: To change the way work is organised to create distinct groups and reduce the number of contacts each worker has.
Steps that will usually be needed:
As far as possible, where workers are split into teams or shift groups, fixing these teams or shift groups so that where contact is unavoidable, this happens between the same people.
Identifying areas where people have to directly pass things to each other and find ways to remove direct contact such as by using drop-off points or transfer zones.
Taking into account the particular circumstances of those with different protected characteristics, including disability, maternity and religion, and how they may be impacted by shift patterns and measures to reduce people flow.
Betting shops are required by law to maintain records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace.
All other retail businesses should assist the test and trace service by keeping a temporary record of your staff shift patterns for 21 days and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.
Check what data you need to collect and how it should be managed. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/maintaining-records-of-staff-customers-and-visitors-to-support-nhs-test-and-trace
Objective: To provide guidance in an event of a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace.
Steps that will usually be needed:
As part of your risk assessment, you should ensure you have an up to date plan in case there is a COVID-19 outbreak. This plan should nominate a single point of contact (SPOC) where possible who should lead on contacting local Public Health teams.
Contact your local PHE health protection team if you have had an outbreak and need further guidance. Find your local PHE health protection team. https://www.gov.uk/health-protection-team
If the local PHE health protection team declares an outbreak, you will be asked to record details of symptomatic staff and assist with identifying contacts. You should therefore ensure all employment records are up to date. You will be provided with information about the outbreak management process, which will help you to implement control measures, assist with communications to staff, and reinforce prevention messages.
Objective: To avoid unnecessary work travel and keep people safe when they do need to travel between locations.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Walking or cycling where possible. Where not possible, you can use public transport or drive. You must wear a face covering when using public transport.
Minimising the number of people outside of your household or support bubble (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household#what-a-support-bubble-is) travelling together in any one vehicle, using fixed travel partners.
Providing adequate ventilation by switching on ventilation systems that draw in fresh air or opening windows (partially if it’s cold),and avoiding sitting face-to-face. For more information on ventilation in vehicles read HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning. https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/ventilation-in-vehicles.htm
Cleaning shared vehicles between shifts or on handover.
Where workers are required to stay away from their home, centrally logging the stay and making sure any overnight accommodation meets social distancing guidelines.
Objective: To help workers delivering to other sites such as factories, logistics sites or customers’ premises to maintain social distancing and hygiene practices.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Putting in place procedures to minimise person-to-person contact during deliveries to other sites.
Maintaining consistent pairing where 2-person deliveries are required.
Minimising contact during payments and exchange of documentation, for example by using electronic payment methods and electronically signed and exchanged documents.
Objective: To make sure all workers understand COVID-19 related safety procedures.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Providing clear, consistent and regular communication to improve understanding and consistency of ways of working.
Engaging with worker and worker representatives through existing communication routes and worker representatives to explain and agree any changes in working arrangements.
Developing communication and training materials for workers prior to returning to site, especially around new procedures for arrival at work.
Objective: To make sure all workers are kept up to date with how safety measures are being implemented or updated.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Ongoing engagement with workers (including through trade unions or employee representative groups) to monitor and understand any unforeseen impacts of changes to working environments.
Awareness and focus on the importance of mental health at times of uncertainty. The government has published guidance on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19
Using simple, clear messaging to explain guidelines using images and clear language, with consideration of groups for which English may not be their first language and those with protected characteristics such as visual impairments
Using visual communications, for example whiteboards or signage, to explain changes to rotas or stock shortages without the need for face to face communications.
Communicating approaches and operational procedures to suppliers, customers or trade bodies to help their adoption and to share experience.
Objective: To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission
Staff canteens and restaurants that are open to the public should follow the guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery). They must maintain records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace.
Staff canteens and restaurants that are open to staff only will usually need to take the steps below.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Hand washing facilities or hand sanitiser must be available at the entrance to canteens and their use should be supervised.
Break times should be staggered to ensure no overcrowding, so that staff can adhere to social distancing rules.
Queue points on the floor should be clearly marked to ensure social distancing is possible.
There should not be any sharing of food and drink by staff who do not share a household.
Minimise self-serving options for food and drink. As far as possible, food served and/or displayed should be individually wrapped to minimise contact and avoid spread of infection.
Increase the frequency of cleaning, especially hand touch surfaces, such as table tops, drinks levers, keypads, grab-rails, elevator buttons, light switches, door handles, and any surface or item which is designed to be, or has a high likelihood of being touched.
Plates, cutlery and glasses should be handwashed in hot soapy water or washed with detergent in a dishwasher rated for disinfection.
Canteens and restaurants should be thoroughly cleaned after each group of staff use them.
Provide adequate ventilation by opening doors, windows and vents or by mechanical ventilation through fans and ducts, or a combination of both. HSE guidance on ventilation and air conditioning provides further information.
A system to reduce the use of cash for food or to facilitate the exclusive use of debit cards and contactless payment should be considered.
Where possible, cohorts of workers should be matched to zoned canteen areas.
8. Inbound and Outbound Goods
Objective: To maintain social distancing and avoid surface transmission when goods enter and leave the site, especially in high volume situations, for example, distribution centres or despatch areas.
Steps that will usually be needed:
Revising pick-up and drop-off collection points, procedures, signage and markings.
Minimising unnecessary contact at gatehouse security, yard and warehouse. For example, non-contact deliveries where the nature of the product allows for use of electronic pre-booking.
Considering methods to reduce frequency of deliveries, for example, by ordering larger quantities less often.
Where possible and safe, having single workers load or unload vehicles.
Where possible, using the same pairs of people for loads where more than one is needed.
Enabling drivers to access welfare facilities when required, consistent with other guidance.
Encouraging drivers to stay in their vehicles where this does not compromise their safety and existing safe working practice, such as preventing drive-aways.
9. Tests and vaccinations
It’s important that you continue to put measures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including maintaining social distancing, frequent cleaning, good hygiene and adequate ventilation , even if your employees have:
• received a recent negative test result
• had the vaccine (either 1 or 2 doses)
Where you’re providing testing on-site, you should ensure that workplace testing is carried out in a safe manner and in an appropriate setting where control measures are in place to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the testing process. These include maintaining social distancing where possible, frequent cleaning, good hygiene and adequate ventilation.
You should also ensure that an appropriate setting is available for individuals to wait in while their test is processed.
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms can get a free NHS test. https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
You can also order rapid lateral flow tests, to test employees with no coronavirus symptoms.
Registration for free test kits is closed from 11.59pm on 12 April; businesses can access tests through private providers and community testing sites.
Regular testing, alongside control measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, will have a key role to play in future. Regular testing could help identify more positive cases of COVID-19 in the workplace. Read further guidance on your options for workplace testing (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-guidance-for-employers/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-guidance-for-employers-and-third-party-healthcare-providers), or call 119 for more information.
Where to obtain further guidance
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for employers and businesses https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for employees
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/worker-support
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for food businesses on coronavirus https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-food-businesses/guidance-for-food-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19
Find advice and support from your business representative organisation or trade association. (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-support-from-business-representative-organisations-and-trade-associations)
Download the ‘Staying COVID-19 Secure’ notice
• Staying COVID-19 Secure (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-covid-19-secure-in-2020-notice)
Poster to display in your workplace to show you have followed the guidance.
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format. (safer.workplaces@beis.gov.uk)
Sign Off:
© Crown copyright 2020
This publication is licensed under the terms
of the Open Government Licence v3.0
except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3
This publication is also available on our website at:
www.gov.uk/workingsafely
Images are not covered under the terms of the Open Government Licence and must not be reproduced or used under copyright rules.
Contact us if you have any enquiries about this publication, including requests for alternative formats, at: enquiries@beis.gov.uk