Mid Devon District Council is one of a number of local councils that has joined forces with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to help businesses tackle Covid 19 and keep the community safe.

The Council’s Environmental Health teams will be working with the HSE in the coming weeks to offer businesses extra support and advice around Covid guidelines, to help stop the virus spreading.

The initiative was launched by the HSE to ensure employers are adapting their work environment to sufficiently manage the risk posed by Covid 19. It is a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps and adjustments to control the risk and protect people and the community.

During the spot checks businesses will be given advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors. Where businesses are not managing this, Mid Devon District Council will take action. This can range from giving specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, prosecution.

Cllr Dennis Knowles, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing said: “This virus has had a huge impact on our local businesses but thankfully the majority of firms and their staff have already taken the steps needed to ensure they are as safe as they can be. The measures may feel restrictive but they are necessary and we want to do all we can to ensure customers are safe and businesses can continue to operate and support the Mid Devon economy.”

Some businesses need to put extra adjustments in place to help limit the spread of coronavirus. The HSE and local authority officers are finding some common issues across a range of sectors that include: failing to provide arrangements for track and trace, supervising and maintaining social distancing and failing to introduce an adequate cleaning regime particularly at busy times of the day.

By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, we can benefit the health of our residents and workers as well as support the local economy.

The latest information and safer business guidance is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus