In this post, we will share with you the advice we have received from insurers and partner organisations to help you reinstate your business.
- Unoccupied PremisesĀ
We are aware many business premises are still closed due to COVID-19, with staff working remotely, where possible. We have been working with the insurers to understand how long insurers are comfortable with premises remaining unoccupied (i.e. there is no one there on a day-to-day basis and the premises isn’t being checked regularly). Most insurers have indicated that they are comfortable with premises to remain unoccupied for 90 days or for as long as lockdown is in force, however, some insurers differ. Please check what your insurer is proposing here. If you believe that your property will be unoccupied beyond the time stated by your insurer, please contact the team at Stanmore to discuss. - Looking to Reopen – check the safety of your property?
We understand that as restrictions are being eased you may be considering reopening your premises.Ā As your property may have been unattended for a number of weeks there are some checks you need to undertake to ensure the safety of the premises:- Check the grounds in case intruders have left waste, also check for signs of attempted or actual break-ins.
- Clear any debris and assess the damage
- Check your perimeter fences and gates – are they in working order, do they need any repairs
- Check security systems are still operational including CCTV (also check CCTV for any evidence of intruders)
- Check your H&S equipment including; fire alarms and fire extinguishers
- Conduct a check on your water (please wear PPE when checking water systems); fire up your boiler to over 60 degrees, flush the water system, check water coolers and drinks machines, safely dispose of any wastewater. (Thank you to QualSurv for recommending these water safety measures)
- Check for weather damage to the roof, doors and windows. Check gutters for obstructions.
- Looking to Reopen – carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
You will need to consider how to keep staff safe when you reopen your premises. The objective of this is to identify sensible measures to control the risk in the workplace. While there is no requirement for an employer with fewer than five employees to have a written risk assessment, an assessment should still be done and, in any case, it may help to write it down. Employers should consider involving workers in making decisions about health and safety, and must consult with the health and safety representatives of the recognised trade union or workforce.To reduce risk, employers should ensure that:- The frequency of handwashing increases
- Where possible staff work from home, if this is not feasible every reasonable effort to implement social distancing measures should be made to ensure that employees are kept 2m apart
- If social distancing cannot be achieved, employers should consider whether an activity needs to continue for the business to operate and, if so, take additional measures such as installing screens between workstations, using back-to-back rather than side-to-side working and reduceĀ the number of people each person has contact with
- If people must work face-to-face for a sustained period, employers should assess whether that activity can safely go ahead.
Ā