Business advice

Here is useful guidance and tools to help you understand what is required in order to reopen and to provide all important reassurance to your staff and customers.

The UK government, in consultation with industry, has developed ‘COVID-19 Secure guidance’ to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible.

•       A handy re-opening checklist for businesses, here ^{(pdf, 405kb)}.
•       A template to help you as you look to implement the ‘COVID-19 Secure guidance’, here ^{(docx, 308kb)}.
•       A template risk assessment with example content to help you fill it in, here ^{(docx, 29kb)}.
•       A range of posters you can immediately download and print – you’ll find ones with helpful messages to encourage your customers to social distance, here ^{(pdf, 52kb)}.
•       Useful advice to on choosing the right hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants, here.
•       Health and Safety Executive guidelines on how to maintain social distancing andotect prworkers, here.
•       A poster to place on the doors of properties affected which may be of use here ^{(pdf, 9kb)}. 

You can help reassure your customers, by displaying the COVID-19 Secure poster in your premises.

If you need advice contact us at EHealth@winchester.gov.uk or 01962 848 097.

Information on the Hampshire County Council’s website has been provided by their Public Health team to support you in your responses to a case or outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) linked to your business

Keep Hampshire Safe - information for businesses

This information includes:

• What to do if you have a confirmed case(s) or an outbreak
• How to report an outbreak to your local health protection team
• Communications toolkit for businesses

Following the link above, you will find Action Cards providing specific COVID-19 Early Outbreak Management Information for businesses. The Action Cards are designed to be printed or downloaded to keep on-hand in your business or organisation.

The Action Cards are provided as an aid and should be read in conjunction with the Keep Hampshire Safe Business Flow Chart. This flowchart aims to help you should you have a case of coronavirus in your business, either amongst your staff or customers/visitors and suppliers.

The flow chart will not cover all scenarios, so please also refer to the Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) detailed guidance.

Communications for businesses if you have a confirmed case or outbreak linked to your business

You may need to consider how to manage communications if you have a confirmed case or outbreak linked to your business, whether this is to staff, customers, suppliers, the media or the public. You may have communications support from within your own organisation who will be able to advise you. However, for smaller businesses you may find the communication advice below helpful.

Single confirmed case reported to your business

The following social media message can be used if you have been advised of a single confirmed case linked to your business and you feel you need to communicate via social media. 

"We have been advised of a positive COVID-19 case linked to our business. We are working with NHS Test and Trace and would reassure you that all precautions are being taken to protect our customers, staff and the wider community."

(In a single case it is unlikely that you will have been advised to close your business in which case you may choose to add something like the following to your social media message):

"We are open for business as usual and look forward to continuing to welcome our customers."

Multiple cases reported to your business

In this situation, it is likely that you will have already been contacted by one or more agencies such as Public Health England's South East Health Protection team, Hampshire's County Council's Public Health team or us your Public Protection Service/Environmental Health Team.

After their initial risk assessment with you and dependent on the circumstances, they can provide communications support which may include:

• Information to staff
• Information for customers and visitors
• Initial social media statements

Media handling

There may be media interest when multiple cases are reported linked to a business. With these more complex situations, media enquiries will be managed by Hampshire County Council's communications team working in conjunction with Public Health England's communication team.

If you have any queries or require further information, please contact us.

As work starts up in buildings that have been closed or had reduced occupancy, water system stagnation may have occurred due to lack of use, increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease. The HSE website has detailed guidance on managing legionella risks during the outbreak and how to protect people when the water system is reinstated or returned to use. 

Useful advice leaflets on legionella can also be found here and here ^{(pdf, 546kb)}. 

We have produced a Legionella checklist here ^{(docx, 306kb)}. 

To check what businesses are allowed to open click here.