In July, the Government allowed hairdressers, barbers, nail technicians and some beauty therapists to go back to work.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have released the below statement to ensure that the hair and beauty services sector are complying with Government guidelines:
Services in the client’s highest risk zone – the area in front of the face where splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth may be present – were not allowed due to the hazard this can pose. The Prime Minister has said these will not be able to resume until 15 August at the earliest.
As an employer you are legally responsible for the health and safety of your workers and others affected by your business including clients, contractors, etc. This means you must complete a risk assessment of your business, including an assessment of the risks around COVID-19 along with other risks, and take actions to manage these risks.
The self-employed, including mobile workers, are also expected to carry out a risk assessment of their work in the same way.
The guidelines for Close Contact Services aim to help you manage risks around COVID-19. This includes but is not limited to:
- Wearing a visor
- Using a booking-only system and maintaining social distancing in the workplace
- Frequent washing of hands
- Using screens, back to back/side to side working
- Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and tools, especially after each client
- Contacting clients before working in their homes to check if anyone is isolating or has symptoms
These guidelines have been developed with scientists and health and safety experts to keep you, your workers and clients as safe as possible during the COVID19 pandemic.
If a risk assessment is not carried out properly, or the local authority finds that the actions taken by a business are not enough to keep people safe, they will advise on what additional steps may be required to ensure that business is operating safely, and they may take more formal action; including issuing a notice requiring the business to take steps to improve safety, or stopping them from carrying out particular work.
Further, failure to comply with an enforcement notice from a local authority officer can lead to prosecution in the criminal courts and penalties including fines or up to 2 years imprisonment.
