Health and safety compliance in pubs
For many, the main focus will be on ensuring that all the new COVID-19 workplace guidelines are being followed. But after months of being in lockdown, pub and restaurant owners will have to make sure their properties still have their basic health and safety measures in place. A story hit the headlines this week of a pub being fined £130,000 after a fire broke out, which was caused by insufficient health and safety measures. While you can’t always prevent accidents from happening, you can ensure that you’re compliant with health and safety measures that minimise the chance of emergencies like this.
If you’re reopening a restaurant or pub after lockdown, here are a few key areas you should be sure to cover in advance.
Pubs and restaurants are likely to attract large numbers of people who will be excited to enjoy the hospitality industry after such a long wait. Your team will have to be up-to-date with their fire safety awareness and well-drilled in practical exercises such as using a fire extinguisher or fire safety evacuation chair. It would also be important to conduct a thorough risk assessment and run practice fire evacuation drills prior to reopening.
Health and safety regulations have become more important than ever in the effort to prevent unnecessary injuries that could take up valuable NHS resources. With lockdown restrictions lifting, this focus on being safe in the workplace won’t change. For pubs and restaurants, ensuring your staff are compliant with basic health and safety measures will minimise the chance of accidents happening on your premises. It also means your team will feel prepared and ready to tackle the new COVID-19 regulations with more confidence.
It goes without saying that infection control in pubs and restaurants is going to be of paramount importance. Preventing the spread of disease is top of everyone’s priority list. That is the only way to ensure the recent lockdown is the last. This means implementing basic infection control procedures such as making sure tables, chairs and other high-contact surfaces are regularly cleaned. It also means taking measures to minimise contact, such as one-way systems, contactless payments and keeping tables separate. We have updated our infection control training session to include coronavirus emergency regulations, so your team will be receiving the most relevant and up-to-date training.