The four nations of the UK have each prepared and published guidance and best practice documents to help you feel COVID confident both in the workplace, and in your day-to-day.

In this article, we have collated information about staying safe and maintaining the fight against COVID from across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

 

England

 

The UK Government latest guidance for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments and for people who provide close contact services such as hairdressers and beauty therapists can be found here: Shops, branches, and close contact services – Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

The guidance covers six steps to protect yourself, your staff and your customers during coronavirus. These include:

1. Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes the risk from COVID-19
2. Provide adequate ventilation
3. Clean more often
4. Turn away people with COVID-19 symptoms
5. Enable people to check in at your venue
6. Communicate and train

 

Click here to read the UK Government’s Autumn and Winter Plan for England, outlining its plans relating to COVID-19 and keeping people safe.

 

1. Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes the risk from COVID-19

• • Complete a risk assessment, considering the measures set out in the guidance. Also consider reasonable adjustments needed for staff and customers with disabilities. Share it with all your staff. Keep it updated. Find out how to do a risk assessment.

2. Provide adequate ventilation

• • You should make sure there is a supply of fresh air to indoor spaces where there are people present. This can be natural ventilation through opening windows, doors and vents, mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, or a combination of both. You should identify any poorly ventilated spaces in your premises and take steps to improve fresh air flow in these areas. In some places, a CO2 monitor can help identify if the space is poorly ventilated. Read the advice on air conditioning and ventilation on the HSE website.

3. Clean more often

• • It’s especially important to clean surfaces that people touch a lot. You should ask your staff and your customers to use hand sanitiser and to clean their hands frequently.

4. Turn away people with COVID-19 symptoms

• • Staff members or customers should self-isolate if they have a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste. They must also self-isolate if they:
    • have tested positive for COVID-19
    • live in a household with someone who has symptoms, unless they’re exempt from self-isolation
    • have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace
  • If you know that a worker is legally required to self-isolate, you must not allow them to come to work. It’s an offence to do this. Find out more about who should self-isolate.

5. Enable people to check in at your venue

• • You’re no longer legally required to collect customer contact details, but doing so will support NHS Test and Trace to contact those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 so that they can book a test. You can enable people to check in to your venue by displaying an NHS QR code poster. You do not have to ask people to check in or turn people away if they refuse. If you choose to display a QR code, you should also have a system in place to record contact details for people who want to check in but do not have the app.

6. Communicate and train

• • Keep all your workers, contractors and visitors up-to-date on how you’re using and updating safety measures.

 

COVID-19 remains a serious health risk, therefore you should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others. The following are recommendations from the Government:

1. 1. Let fresh air in if you meet indoors. Meeting outdoors is safer;
   2. Wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you do not normally meet;
   3. Get tested and self-isolate if required;
   4. If you haven’t already, get vaccinated.

 

Scotland  

 

The Scottish Government’s latest guidance for people who provide close contact retail services can be found here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): close contact services – gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This guidance should be read alongside the safer businesses and workplaces guidance.

 

It is important to note that by law, face coverings must continue to be worn in most indoor public places in Scotland, including retail, restaurants, cafes, bars and public houses, in indoor communal spaces in workplaces and on public transport, unless you are exempt for specific circumstances. See: a full list of the areas you must wear a face covering

 

As close contact services may, by nature, carry an increased risk of transmission, this guidance aims to help you understand what you need to do to keep your workplace, staff and customers safe during coronavirus.

 

Click here to read the Scottish Government’s more general ‘staying safe and protecting others’ guidance.

 

Key mitigations include:

1. Face coverings

• • By law, face coverings must continue to be worn in most indoor public places including retail, restaurants, cafes, bars and public houses, in indoor communal spaces in workplaces and on public transport, unless you are exempt for specific circumstances. See: a full list of the areas you must wear a face covering. For treatments in the mouth/nose area clients must follow the advice laid out below. Individuals who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination are still required to follow the rules on face coverings.

2. Self-isolation and Test and Protect

• • Everyone should continue to follow Test and Protect rules and guidance which means you should stay at home if you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.
  • For information on self-isolation and supporting employees with Covid symptoms please see the safer workplaces guidance.
  • Anyone working in close contact services should not work at all if they have symptoms or are required to self-isolate. Self-employed practitioners should not have clients to their premises/home for services.
  • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will still be required to self-isolate for ten days.

3. Get vaccinated when offered

• • Support staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s offered to them and encourage appointment uptake.

4. Ventilation

• • By taking measures to increase the volume of outside air entering a building, such as opening windows, doors or vents, you can help minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19 to colleagues and customers.
  • Employers should identify poorly-ventilated areas in their premises and take steps to improve air flow.
  • A range of guidance has been developed to help businesses, employers and employees understand what good ventilation is:
    • Scottish Government ventilation guidance
    • the Health and Safety Executive guidance on ventilation and air conditioning during COVID-19.

5. Good hand hygiene and surface cleaning

• • Good hygiene measures are key workplace-specific measures to create a safe working environment. These include, for example:
    • providing access to sanitiser and hand-washing facilities
    • regular cleaning of work equipment, chairs and work stations
    • regular cleaning and sanitising of break out areas

 

6. Good practice

• • Due to the potential for increased risk of transmission, the Scottish Government also recommends:
    • minimising the time spent in close contact to the client, for example stepping back to have conversations about treatments etc
    • implementing risk reduction controls to minimise hazards and risks. While in the premises customers should, as far as possible, avoid touching surfaces or items that do not relate to their treatment
    • for mobile practitioners, in addition to the above please remember the risk of transmission still exists and that as you move between premises you should take action to reduce the risk of transmission including equipment cleaning and hand washing
    • not working in locations where a client/customer or a member of their household is isolating or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
    • limiting workspaces to a single well-ventilated room where possible if a service is being provided to more than one customer/client at the same location, if dealing with more than one client you should look to distance clients as much as possible or ideally taking them at separate time slots and clean down between clients

 

More generally, in Scotland, it is recommend that in order to stay safe you should:

• • get the vaccine when you are offered it;
  • wear a face covering where required;
  • wash your hands regularly, and cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing;
  • self isolate and take a PCR test if you have symptoms;
  • take regular tests if you don’t have symptoms to reduce the risk of spreading the virus;
  • meet outside if you can, and open windows when indoors;
  • keep your distance from people not in your group;
  • work from home, or do a mixture of home and office working if possible;
  • use the Protect Scotland and Check-in Scotland

 

Wales

 

The latest guidance in Wales takes the form of an Action Card which provides advice on measures to take to minimise the risk of coronavirus at close contact services premises: https://gov.wales/close-contact-services-potential-reasonable-measures-action-card-coronavirus-html

 

Those responsible for these businesses are required to take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of people being exposed to coronavirus, and spreading the virus, at their premises. As a basis for deciding what measures should be taken, they must also carry out a specific assessment of the risk posed by the coronavirus.

 

The Action Card highlights risks generally associated with these venues and considers what reasonable measures could to be taken to mitigate those risks. These include:

1. Using Personal Protective Equipment, face coverings and screens

• • Practitioners wearing face mask and full face visor or goggles when undertaking treatment. These should be changed or cleaned between clients.
  • Practitioners wearing disposable gloves and aprons when undertaking treatment. These should be changed and disposed of, or cleaned (when non–disposable) between clients.
  • Providing clients with face coverings and disposable gowns as appropriate. These should be changed and disposed of after use.
  • Avoiding undertaking certain treatments or minimising the time spent undertaking them where face coverings can’t be worn by the customer due to a medical exemption or where face or eye protection can’t be worn by the practitioner for safety reasons.
  • Helping to ensure that people present comply with their legal obligation to wear a face covering (while waiting).
  • Erecting screens between work stations and at the reception desk (in particular where physical distancing is not possible).

2. Keeping your premises clean

• • Cleaning workstations, including equipment and furnishings, between clients.
  • Replacing towels after use.
  • Thorough and regular cleaning using disinfectant in high footfall areas and in high contact touchpoints such as counter tops, tables and door handles.
  • Placing hand sanitisers in multiple locations, particularly at entry points and elsewhere at key touchpoints, and providing automated soap dispensers, water and paper towels in washrooms.
  • Cleaning till points between staff using appropriate cleaning products and use card or App payments only
  • Facilitating regular handwashing breaks.

3. Working outdoors or improving ventilation

• • Where it is practical to do so, working outside instead of inside.
  • Enhancing airflow by opening windows and propping open internal doors (but not fire doors) where possible.
  • If there is a lack of natural ventilation, ensuring mechanical ventilation systems provide 100% fresh air and do not recirculate air from one space to another.
  • Making sure mechanical ventilation systems are effectively maintained and have been serviced.

4. Keeping your distance where you can

• • Maintaining physical distancing between staff and clients, and distance between work stations.

5. Looking after your staff

• • Implementing systems to minimise contacts between staff. For example, stagger staff shifts, break times and deliveries; set a maximum number for kitchens, staff rooms, changing rooms and areas such as smoking shelters.
  • Providing staff with face coverings or other PPE.
  • Facilitating (and not preventing) members of staff that test positive from self-isolating, as required by law.

6. Help Test, Trace, Protect (TTP)

• • Understanding the role of the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect system has in monitoring and controlling the virus.
  • Retain client details, including the name of the practitioner for each client, to support the NHS Wales TTP Service.

7. Communicate

• • You have a legal obligation to provide information to those receiving your services about how to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.
  • This could include announcements, clear signage (e.g. signs, floor tape or paint) for limits on the number people present in a particular area or room, queuing systems and one way systems.

 

More generally, the Welsh Government recommends the following actions to help keep Wales safe:

• • get both of your jabs;
  • get tested and self-isolate if you have symptoms;
  • outdoors is safer than indoors;
  • keep your distance when you can;
  • wash your hands;
  • wear a face covering.

 

Click here to access the Welsh Government’s more general ‘Keeping Yourself and Others From Coronavirus’ guidance.

 

Northern Ireland

 

The Northern Ireland Executive’s latest guidance on keeping workers and clients safe during COVID-19 in close contact services can be found here: Keeping workers and clients safe during COVID- 19 in close contact services contact services (economy-ni.gov.uk).

 

The guidance gives practical considerations of how workplaces can operate safely while minimising the risk of spreading COVID-19. Each business will need to translate this into the specific actions it needs to take, depending on the nature of their business, including the size and type of business, how it is organised, operated, managed and regulated.

 

They will also need to monitor these measures to make sure they are continuing to protect clients and workers. This guidance does not supersede any legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment or equalities.

 

To help you decide which actions to take, you must carry out an appropriate COVID-19 risk assessment, just as you would for other health and safety related hazards. For further information on thinking about risk visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm

 

Although many coronavirus restrictions have eased, regulations and guidance remain in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The Northern Ireland Executive are recommending the following actions in order to continue to protect yourself and others:

• book a test and self-isolate for 10 days if you have COVID-19 symptoms;
• get a PCR test if you’ve been identified as a close contact and self-isolate if you haven’t been fully vaccinated;
• wash your hands;
• wear a face-covering;
• keep your distance from others;
• limit your contacts;
• avoid large gatherings and busy places;
• spend time outdoors rather than indoors;
• don’t travel to or from places with higher COVID-19 infection rates.

 

Click here to explore all of the current COVID rules and regulations in Northern Ireland.