Craven District Council is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to contact businesses in the district, to check they have Covid-secure measures in place and to help tackle Covid-19 in the local area.

The Council is also working alongside local public health authorities to support the understanding of any patterns in confirmed coronavirus cases in the area.

During the checks, officers provide advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors. If businesses are not managing risk adequately, officers can take action.

This can range from giving advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.

Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus.

Paul Shevlin, chief executive of Craven District Council, said: “We know the vast majority of local businesses have been doing everything they can to operate as safely as possible in these very difficult times.

“As more local businesses start to open up, we will be talking to them, and visiting and inspecting sites in Craven to understand how they are managing risks in line with their specific business activity.

“It’s important that employees are safe too - there is a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus. This means making business adjustments to become COVID-secure.

“We are advising employers to work with their employees when implementing changes, to help increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community.

“Businesses of any size, in any sector, could receive an unannounced check to ensure they are COVID-secure. By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, we can benefit the health of the local community as well as support the local and national UK economy.”

Nationally, HSE and local authority inspectors have found some common issues across a range of sectors that include failing to provide arrangements for monitoring, supervising and maintaining social distancing, and failing to introduce an adequate cleaning regime, particularly at busy times of the day.

For further information on how to manage the risk of coronavirus in different business sectors please read the government guidance at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

More guidance can be found on Craven District Council’s website at www.cravendc.gov.uk/coronavirus

For the latest information and safer business guidance, see www.gov.uk

Editors Notes:

For further media information contact Craven District Council – Jenny Cornish: 01756 706315