How do I complete a coronavirus risk assessment?
The Health and Safety Executive has provided guidance on how to manage risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus.
As part of a risk assessment, you should:
- Identify work or activities that might lead to the transmission of the virus
- Think about who might be at risk
- Consider how likely it is that someone could be exposed
- Remove activities where transmission is likely to occur or, if that isn’t possible, take steps to control the risk
Find more information on conducting a risk assessment here.
What steps do I need to take to make my workplace safer?
The steps you need to take will depend on the results of your risk assessment. However, general actions advised by the government include:
- Increasing how often you clean surfaces, tools and equipment
- Asking staff and customers to clean their hands more and use hand sanitiser
- Introduce a one-way system to help with social distancing
- Increase ventilation by keeping doors and windows open where possible
- Take part in NHS Test and Trace by keeping a record of all customers for 21 days
Check the government’s detailed guidelines on how to make different types of workplace coronavirus secure.
Do my employees need to wear face masks?
Face coverings must be worn by retail, leisure and hospitality staff if they’re working in areas that are open to the public and are likely to come into contact with a member of the public. This includes:
- Shops and supermarkets
- Bars and pubs
- Restaurants and cafes
- Banks
- Estate agents
- Post offices
- Public areas of hotels and hostels
However, if your business has taken steps advised by the Health and Safety Executive on coronavirus secure workplaces and created a physical barrier between workers and members of the public, then staff behind the barrier aren’t required to wear a face covering.
For other indoor settings, you should assess the use of face coverings on a case-by-case basis, depending on the working environment.
You can find out more about requirements around face coverings on the government website.
Do I need to keep staff records for NHS Test and Trace?
There is a higher risk of transmitting coronavirus in premises where customers and visitors spend a longer time in one place.
The following venues must keep a record of all staff working on the premises, shift times on a given day and their contact details:
- Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés
- Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums and cinemas
- Close contact services, including hairdressers and tailors
- Community centres, libraries and village halls
Find a full list of sectors within scope here.
If your business falls in one of these sectors, collecting contact details and maintaining records for NHS Test and Trace is a legal requirement.
Do I need to keep customer records for NHS Test and Trace?
There is a higher risk of transmitting coronavirus in premises where customers and visitors spend a longer time in one place.
The following venues must keep a record of all customers and visitors:
- Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés
- Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums and cinemas
- Close contact services, including hairdressers and tailors
- Community centres, libraries and village halls
Find a full list of sectors within scope here.
If your business falls in one of these sectors, collecting contact details and maintaining records for NHS Test and Trace is a legal requirement.
If you need to record customer details, you should:
- Keep these records for 21 days and provide data to NHS Test and Trace if requested
- Display a NHS QR poster so customers and visitors can use this alternative option to check in. Create a unique NHS QR code for your venue here
- Adhere to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
What information do I need to collect for NHS Test and Trace records?
Venues should ask every customer or visitor for the following details, unless they have checked in using the NHS app:
- Name. If there is a group of people, you can record the name of the “lead member” of the group (up to six people) and the number of people in the group
- A contact phone number for each customer or visitor, or for the lead member of a group
- Date of visit and arrival time
- Name of the assigned staff member, for example, if the customer will only interact with one member of staff
Find out more about required information on the government website.
What should I do if an employee has coronavirus symptoms?
Employees with coronavirus symptoms should self-isolate and work from home if they can.
If it’s not possible to work from home, self-isolating employees should receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme allows some employers to claim back employees’ coronavirus-related SSP. Check if you’re eligible here.
Employers can be fined up to £10,000 if they force or allow an employee who needs to self-isolate to come into work.
What should I do if an employee has been told to self-isolate but doesn’t have symptoms?
Your employees may need to self-isolate even if they don’t have coronavirus symptoms. This could be for one of the following reasons:
- They have been told to self-isolate by the Test and Trace service
- They need to self-isolate because someone in their household has symptoms
If your employee has to self-isolate, they should tell you as soon as possible. People can be fined up to £10,000 for not self-isolating when they have been told to do so.
Employees who must self-isolate should work from home if they can.
If your employees can’t work from home, they should receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme allows some employers to claim back employees’ coronavirus-related SSP. Check if you’re eligible here.
Employers can be fined up to £10,000 if they force or allow an employee who needs to self-isolate to come into work.
Do I pay employees if they need to self-isolate but can’t work from home?
Employees who need to self-isolate but can’t work from home are eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Employers should pay SSP from the first qualifying day an employee is off work, providing they are off work for at least four days in a row. This includes non-working days.
The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme allows some employers to claim back employees’ coronavirus-related SSP. Check if you’re eligible here.
Employees 
