Covid-secure business spot-checks
We are working with the Health & Safety Executive to contact businesses in Brighton & Hove to check they have Covid-secure measures in place to help keep everyone in the city safe.
Business spot-checks in the city will begin from Monday 29 March.
During the checks, we will provide advice and guidance to help manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors. If businesses aren’t managing this correctly, we will take action.
This can range from giving specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, possible prosecution.
Being Covid-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus.
You can find advice on reopening safely for retail and hospitality businesses in our Covid section.
There’s also detailed government guidance on how to manage the risk of coronavirus in different business sectors.
Reopening business safely
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “We are focused on being as prepared as possible to reopen the city safely.
“Working closely with the Health & Safety Executive, we are talking to local businesses and inspecting premises to make sure they have all the information they need to re-open safely and protect their customers and staff.
“Becoming Covid-secure needs to be the top priority for all businesses in Brighton & Hove.
“It’s a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking all reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus. This means making business adjustments to become Covid-secure.
“We ask employers to work with their employees when implementing changes, to help increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community.
“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 economy.”
Common issues
Health & Safety Executive and local authority inspectors are finding common issues across a range of sectors.
These 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.
All businesses are in scope for spot checks which means businesses of any size, in any sector can receive an unannounced check to ensure they are Covid-secure.
