Hastings Borough Council one of 38 working with the HSE to ensure local businesses are COVID-secure

Hastings Borough Council is one of 38 councils in the UK selected to begin work on a scheme with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support local businesses ensure that they are COVID-secure and to help tackle coronavirus in the local area.

As part of this new partnership work with the Health and Safety Executive, the council will be conducting spot checks on local businesses to ensure they are COVID-secure.

The approach to the checks is to be supportive and helpful. Advice and guidance will be provided to help businesses comply with the government's COVID-secure guidelines, manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors.

It 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. Where businesses are not managing this, action will be taken. This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.

The council is also continuing to work alongside Public Health to support the understanding of any patterns in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the area.

Cllr Kim Forward, leader of the council, said,

"Businesses in Hastings have on the whole been fantastic during the pandemic in how they have adapted to government COVID-secure guidelines to keep their employees and customers safe. The council has been supporting them with this throughout, providing advice and inspecting premises to understand how they are managing risks and assist them with any challenges. 

"It is great that the council has been selected as one of only 38 councils to be part of this scheme with the Health and Safety Executive, which will provide even more assistance to local businesses as they continue to work hard adapting to and complying with government guidance as it evolves.

"Businesses that need support can find how we can help on our website. We urge all residents to be respectful of the systems put in place by local businesses. Residents that have any concerns about how a local business is operating can report them to us via our website.

"To keep enjoying the freedoms we currently have, to keep our businesses open and to keep each other safe we must all have a responsibility to follow the guidance and obey rules in place."

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