The government has published new ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines for UK employers to help them get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating as safely as possible.

The new guidance covers eight workplace settings which are allowed to be open. Tiling contractors can find relevant guidelines on working in outdoor environments and construction sites and for fixers, guidance on working in other people’s homes. There’s also advice for retailers. 

The guidelines focus on five key points; work from home if you can, carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with workers or trade unions, maintain social distancing and, where this is not possible, manage transmission risk, all of which must be supported with more stringent cleaning processes.

A downloadable notice is included in the documents, which employers can display in their workplaces to show their employees, customers and other visitors, that they have followed this guidance.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “This guidance provides a framework to get the UK back to work in a way that is safe for everyone.

“These are practical steps to enable employers to identify risks that COVID-19 creates and to take pragmatic measures to mitigate them.

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19