Top tips for businesses preparing to reopen

As most businesses await news of further guidance on how to run their shops, cafes, restaurants and more, we thought we would get the ball rolling with some quick and easy reminders before…

As most businesses await news of further guidance on how to run their shops, cafes, restaurants and more, we thought we would get the ball rolling with some quick and easy reminders before re-opening.

Put together by our business services and regulatory teams, we hope you will find this useful to slowly start thinking about business as usual:

  1. Insurance - Please check that any insurance pertaining to your premises has been re-activated or renewed - you can check this directly with your provider.
  2. Legionella - Businesses which have been closed and not in use must ensure they include the safety of their water systems in their reopening check lists. Legionnaires Disease is found in hot and cold water systems and as a business owner you have a duty to ensure the risk is managed correctly. For advice on what you should be doing please refer to https://www.cieh.org/media/4208/legionella-guidance-covid-19.pdf
  3. Alcohol Licence - If you are thinking of selling alcohol in an outdoor area or selling hot food/drinks after 11pm, please check your premises licence including the licensed area marked on the plan. Your outdoor area will require a licence for this activity.
  4. Pavement Licence - If you wish to utilise the pavement outside your premises (and it is a designated highway, not private land) for tables, seating or other furniture, you may require a pavement licence. You can find more information about this process at Pavement licence together with the policy and conditions of licence. Any premises or pavement licence enquiries can be sent to commercial@barrowbc.gov.uk or by contacting 01229 876543.
  5. Waste disposal - Ensure you have sorted out your trade waste ahead of time. You can find out more about trade waste services on Cumbria County Council’s website.
  6. Covid Risk assessment - Review your Covid risk assessment and ensure staff are aware and trained in the changes – an example template can be found on the HSE website.
  7. Control customer flow - As part of the Covid risk assessment, please think about how you will control the flow of customers. For example, people coming in and out for the use of toilets, how you will require people to pay and where and how you will ensure people queue outside adhering to social distancing rules. There are guidelines in place but each individual premises will need to ensure it is set up in the best possible way for their situation.
  8. Cleaning - Ensure to carry out a deep clean of your Kitchen ready for trading and disinfect (recommend BS EN 1276) all surfaces, products, handles etc - before re-opening and subsequently after opening.
  9. Date coding - If you are a food premises, carry out stock rotation and discard out of date products as necessary.
  10. Hands - Face - Space - Ensure that you keep up to date with the most current guidance regarding hand sanitising, wearing of face coverings and social distancing requirements https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
  11. Workplace Pack - Public Health England have also put together a 'Workplace Pack' in order to support and help businesses with the management of Covid cases in the work setting. It would be handy to keep close by, should the need arise. You can find this pack here.

For the most up to date guidance and advice, please visit the gov.uk website. When specific guidelines have been released, this is where you will find it first. We will of course update our website as soon as we have also been advised by central government.

If you have any questions and cannot find the answer on the Barrow Borough Council or Gov.uk websites, please email customerservices@barrowbc.gov.ukwhere we will be happy to help