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Retailers react to disposable vape ban.

5 Feb 2024

The retail sector has been responding to government plans to ban disposable vapes as part of plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping.
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UK’s indie food retailers to be recognised in the Farm Shop and Deli Retailer Awards 2024.

23 Jan 2024

Bakers, butchers, cheesemongers, delicatessens, fishmongers, greengrocers, village stores and small farm shops from around the UK have been shortlisted in the Farm Shop and Deli Retailer Awards... Read more…

How Independent Retailers Can Stand Out in A Crowded Market

23 Jan 2024

An interesting article has appeared in Forbes reflecting many of the issues that Indie Retail & ActSmart members will be experiencing – the challenges and... Read more…

Eight in Ten Small Businesses Taking Positive Steps to Strengthen Their Enterprises in 2024

22 Jan 2024

Eight in ten small business owners (81%) are planning to develop their companies in 2024, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. The research shows that over a third (33%) are... Read more…

The Times names 12 of the UK’s best independent bookshops — as chosen by its readers.

22 Jan 2024

The Times has named 12 of the UK’s best independent bookshops — as chosen by its readers. Readers highlighted places that combined books with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.... Read more…

Bira Launches Second Annual Campaign for Valentine's Day - #LoveYourHighStreet

22 Jan 2024

The British Independent Retailers Association is championing the high street again this Valentine's Day for the second consecutive year with its #LoveYourHighStreet campaign.
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Family-run shop in Lanarkshire village scoops community retailer award for second year running.

10 Jan 2024

Nads Store, a family-run shop in Law, Lanarkshire, has been named Community Retailer of the Year at the Scottish Asian and Business Awards ceremony for the second year running.
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Bira urges vigilance against loan fee fraud following FCA guidance.

10 Jan 2024

In the face of the escalating threat of loan fee fraud, the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is urging its members to heed the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) recent guidance... Read more…

Canal boat record store Rubber Ducky Records is back afloat.

9 Jan 2024

Canal boat record store Rubber Ducky Records is back on the water after it sank last April, ruining over 1,000 vinyl records and a stow of music equipment stored on... Read more…

New research shows UK retail sector powered by entrepreneurs and start-ups

9 Jan 2024

While mass-market players continue to dominate the UK retail industry, research by Geek Retreat shows that 15% of Brits have set up their own business in the past ten years, and of these,... Read more…

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Government releases Workplace Safety Guidance: can you continue to enforce mask wearing?

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News

Theface masks Government has now published the revised Workplace Safety Guidance as England moves to Step 4 of the covid-19 roadmap on 19th July. As outlined in previous updates, legal requirements to wear face coverings, engage in social distancing and limit contact have been removed. Instead people will be asked to make informed decisions and act carefully and proportionately, to manage the risks to themselves and others

The new Workplace Safety Guidance for Shops, Branches and Close Contact Services encourage business to undertake six priority actions:

  • Complete a health and safety risk assessment for stores
  • Provide adequate ventilation
  • Clean surfaces more often
  • Turn away customers or colleagues that have covid-19 symptoms
  • Enable people to check in using a Test and Trace QR code
  • Communicate your procedures to colleagues and customers

The guidance states that face coverings are no longer required by law but states that government expects and recommends that people continue to wear a face covering in crowed, enclosed spaces. On risk assessments the guidance outlines that employers have a legal requirement to carry out risk assessments and that Covid-19 is a workplace hazard that should be addressed in assessments. Interactive tools from the Health and Safety Executive ae available here to help you develop a risk assessment.

The guidance also places greater emphasis on the important of good ventilation, either through natural ventilation or mechanical ventilation such as fans or ducts. Its recommended that poor areas of ventilation are identified in risk assessments and options considered to increase air flow. The HSE have developed guidance on ventilation here.

Please note that the workplace safety guidance applies to England only. There are different regulations and guidance in place for Scotland and Wales.

 

Can you continue to enforce mask wearing? 

Businesses who want to enforce mask-wearing in future will face a number of competing responsibilities and duties:

  • Under the Equality Act 2010 they will have a duty not to discriminate against anyone wishing to use their services
  • However, they will also owe duties to their own employees and other customers including:
    - Duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to conduct their businesses in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their workers and customers
    - Potentially duties to make reasonable adjustments for vulnerable disabled employees or customers who may remain at higher risk from COVID-19.
The key step that businesses can take if they do want to continue with a mask wearing policy is therefore to think about their justification defence in advance. That will mean considering and clearly documenting the legitimate aim they wish to rely on and considering the proportionality of their approach. Key points to consider may be:
  • Obtaining scientific evidence on the level of risk posed by your business
  • Engaging with unions
  • An updated risk assessment of their premises, including infection control risks - for example a business with poor ventilation might be viewed differently to one with a state of the art ventilation system
  • Gauging/surveying customer opinion - if the majority of customers support a mask-wearing policy that should help show it is proportionate
  • Considering what exemptions will be allowed and how they will be applied
  • Staff training
  • Ensuring they know and understand their service users and employees - businesses with known vulnerable employees or service users may be in a stronger position to enforce the use of masks.

Overall, having a well thought out policy and ensuring consistency of treatment will be key to reducing the risk of claims.

 

Display in-store guidance

For ACT resources to display in-store regarding face coverings, social distancing and hand sanitising visit our website here.

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