Guidance issued for businesses reopening

Published: 30 June 2020

From Saturday 4th July more types of Derby businesses will be permitted to open, including food and drink businesses such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, accommodation businesses such as hotels, B&B’s, and holiday accommodation and personal care businesses including hairdressers and barbers.

Whilst we’re all looking forward to people returning to the city centre and our district centres, and seeing the benefits of this increased footfall, Derby City Council’s Food and Health and Safety team are reminding businesses of the need to ensure compliance with health and safety/public health law, to help reduce risks and prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading.

The Government has produced guidance to help businesses to keep their staff and customers safe during COVID-19 and businesses must only open if they can operate safely and follow the Governments guidance.

In order to demonstrate this, all businesses must carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment and must implement adequate controls within their workplace to minimise the spread of the virus within the community.

This means that businesses will need to look at their activities and by considering the nature of the business and the layout of the premises, identify where the possible risks of transmission of the virus are. This must also include assessing the risks created by customers queuing outside the front of their business, as businesses must not allow uncontrolled queuing on the public highway. They will then need to implement appropriate controls to eliminate or reduce any potential risks.

The Government is still advocating the 2m social distancing rule along with thorough and regular hand washing, and surface cleaning. However, where 2m distancing is not possible to maintain it can be reduced to 1m provided there are other mitigating controls in place, identified in businesses COVID-19 risk assessment.

In businesses where employees need to work in close proximity to their clients, including hairdressers and barbers’ clear visors that cover the forehead, extend below the chin and wrap around the side of the face must be warn.

Further guidance and advice in relation to the COVID-19 risk assessment process is available from the Health and Safety Executives website,  or from the Council’s Health and Safety website,

Councillor Jonathan Smale, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetpride said:

We’re looking forward to seeing more businesses re-opening but we need to make sure it’s happening as safely as possible. We’re working really hard with all concerned across the city to make sure that as many as can be are ready for customers but businesses also need to do their part in completing these important risks assessments. For both workers and customers, things are going to be very different for the foreseeable future and so we all need to be patient and respectful and work together to make visiting Derby, whether it’s for shopping, a haircut, eating out or a night in a hotel, a safe and enjoyable experience

Business, Health, Public safety