The following suggested measures are aimed primarily at fashion and lifestyle stores but the great majority of points will be relevant for all businesses dealing with the public.
HR issues before employees return and store opens:
- Individual risk assessments for personnel
- Consider roles according to results of risk assessments
- Training of managers
- Try to keep groups of employees separate by different shifts
- Stagger shift times to avoid too many staff in kitchen area
- Try to allow staff to travel outside rush hours
- Allow extra working time for cleaning
H&S issues before employees return and store opens:
- Premises risk assessment
- Conduct premises/equipment checks:
- Fire safety
- Electrics
- Water
- IT systems
- HVAC systems
- Establish supply system for PPE: masks/gloves/sanitiser
- Establish system for issuing/storing/disposing of supplies of PPE – centralised “hygiene station” for staff
- Put up signage/posters – for both staff and public
- Establish Markings on floor
- “Hygiene” station at entrance of store for public – sanitiser/masks/gloves/tissues available – it would be necessary for a member of staff to man the station and explain measures required from the public while in store
- Introduce barriers for IN/OUT at entrance area
- Consider one-way system and barriers at cash-desks and “pinch” points
- Consider screens at cash-desks
- Put barriers at “blind” points where there is a risk of people bumping into or not seeing other people
- Conduct deep clean day before staff return
- Consider employing full-time cleaner/s once store open
- Position suitable closed bins with bags for disposing of tissues and PPE
- Establish a room/area where staff/public who develop symptoms can be isolated before going directly home
- Consider moving staff lockers to an area in the store, stock room or a changing room
- Policy and procedures for changing rooms: if open, need to be manned and carefully controlled: eg member of public or staff call out if they are entering/exiting; provision of sanitiser
- Policy and procedures for stock room usage
HR issues after employees return and store opens:
- Training first day back on all new policies and procedures for staff conduct and dealing with the public
- Training for security staff – checking their own training compatible with Company policies
- Daily updates/training/group consultations – it will be key to keep staff confident and their suggestions should be encouraged
- Make sure employees do not come to work if they/the people they live with have symptoms: companies can claim up to 14 days SSP from Govt, so as incentive:
- pay supplement on top of SSP? but this may not be a big enough incentive
- or suggest that if employee takes half of sick days as holiday, company pays the other half at full pay?
- Issue regular employee updates on govt/medical advice
- Make sure staff do not work alongside same colleague for more than 15 minutes
- Limit numbers in rest/kitchen/toilet areas
- Regular timed breaks for handwashing/changing PPE
- Discuss with employees their H&S outside the workplace – do they have sufficient PPE?
H&S issues after employees return and store opens:
- Monthly individual personnel risk assessments
- Regular cleaning of surfaces and touch points – training needed
- Extra deep cleaning if symptomatic person identified on premises
- Gloves and aprons used while cleaning should be double-bagged and tied, stored for 72 hours then disposed of in accordance with Westfield guidelines
- System for cleaning tried items or labelling/quarantining items for 48 hours
- Prevent payment by cash
- Leave doors used by staff half-open to minimise touching and provide sight lines (excluding fire doors)
- Handling deliveries: assume all deliveries might be contaminated
- Ask staff to bring own lunch – not use shared facilities
- Provide staff with their own equipment/space not to be shared (eg pens/paper/IT equipment/steamers/PDQ terminal/etc)
- Provide individual bottled water to staff
- System for checking contractors are complying with H&S measures
Lastly, hold regular management meetings to review all of the above and adapt or introduce new measures as required.