Health and Safety Covid Spot Checks - is your Business Prepared?

2/28/2021 12:00:00 AM

Health and Safety Covid Spot Checks - is your Business Prepared?

Since last year the Health and Safety Executive, (HSE), have been carrying out spot checks and inspections on all types of businesses, in all areas, to ensure they are COVID-secure.

They are making calls so that they can give expert advice on how to manage the risks and protect workers, customers and suppliers.

By calling and visiting the premises of businesses that remain open, they will speak to employers to check the measures they have put in place are in line with government guidance. HSE Inspectors make COVID-secure checks as part of their normal role in visiting workplaces during the pandemic. To ensure they reach as many workplaces as possible nationally and help support their core role, they are working with trained and approved partners to deliver spot checks.

Inspectors from approved partners that visit premises will be carrying identification from their business and a letter of authorisation from the HSE. If you want to verify the authenticity of an inspector that calls or visits your business, you can call 0300 790 6896.

If you receive a call or spot check you should participate fully. Failure to do so could lead to enforcement action.

As well as participating in the visits, it is important you should take steps to help keep your workplace COVID-secure. This includes:

Carrying out a COVID-19 risk assessment
Maintaining social distancing
Keeping your workplace clean with hand washing and hygiene procedures

Simon Broome, Towergate’s UK Regions Risk Manager has noticed an increase in HSE spot-checks recently. He says “more and more clients I talk to are telling me that they have had a visit from the HSE in relation to COVID-19. Businesses that are not managing COVID-19 risks will be given immediate advice and guidance and may be asked to stop certain procedures until they are compliant. Those businesses that continue to flout the rules will receive an enforcement notice or even face prosecution."

Business insurance from Towergate

At Towergate we don’t just offer traditional insurance broking: we believe that prevention is better than cure. That is why we have our own risk management consultancy focusing on pre-loss mitigation and business continuity, and have developed our own business interruption calculator.

We engage actively with insurers and our clients to obtain protection for businesses of all sizes. Our wide range of covers help protect your organisation should the worst happen.

See our range of specialist business insurance or contact your local office.

We are passionate about tackling the unprecedented levels of underinsurance in the UK: watch our video on how to avoid this for your business.

About the author

Simon Broome SIIRSM Tech IOSH has over 25 years' experience around risk management, honed through his industry background and working on operating software and management systems. He is a Specialist Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management and a Technical Member of IOSH, and also holds the NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management. In his current role at Towergate as risk manager - UK regions, he works closely with clients, brokering teams and insurance underwriters, providing client support for risk management and claims defensibility to reduce potential risk exposures.