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9th June 2020
Categories: Member News
COVID-19 SECURE
Re-opening your Accommodation and producing your Risk Assessment
This document has been produced in conjunction with the English Riviera BID Company based on DRAFT Government guidelines to help Serviced Accommodation members become COVID Secure if it is possible to do so, and produce a RISK ASSESSMENT for their own business before re-opening.
Final Government guidance will follow (published on the Government’s website here) but this document will allow you to start thinking about your own safety, as well as that of your staff and customers before 4th July, which, remains a ‘conditional’ date for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector to re-open, subject to emerging medical and clinical advice.
This advice is for serviced accommodation businesses only. If your business includes other services such as a bar or a restaurant providing evening meals, you will also need to read the appropriate guidelines for that business sector. On request we can share with you the other Guidance details.
Summary of the guidance
It will be a legal requirement of re-opening that a lead manager has ensured your business demonstrates compliance and understanding of the COVID-19 Secure guidelines by producing a written RISK ASSESSENT document and implementing it.
Every accommodation business will be different and need to think carefully about their own needs and circumstances.
A Government representative can request to see your Risk Assessment at any time.
Staff Safety
Staff must not come to work if they have symptoms of coronavirus or live in a household where someone has coronavirus. Your staff need to be regularly briefed and offered training to ensure that the guidelines are implemented.
Businesses must carry out a return to work conversation, before re-opening, to ensure doing so would keep themselves, their families and other staff safe. They should also consider their journey to work.
Proper hand washing continues to be vital to the reduction of transmission and should be done at regular intervals. Hand sanitiser, if used needs to be anti-viral with a high alcohol content.
Provision and use of protective clothing and equipment for staff will be entirely compliant and in line with Government and PHE guidance. We understand there are publicised issues of PPE stock, to help you find materials we have worked with TDA to find a local supplier. Edmundson Torquay has excellent stock levels of sanitiser, masks and cleaning products, as well as having good stock of Perspex screens. The Company has the Royal Warrant to supply the Crown and is also a supplier to the NHS. The Company are very supportive and will prioritise English Riviera tourism and hospitality businesses orders. To find out more and to discuss your requirements in the first instance please visit http://www.edmundson-electrical.co.uk/ and contact David Martini, david.martini@eel.co.uk, mobile 07956 492480.
Training should be given to ensure that all staff understand the new risks. This need not take long but should include details on 2m social distancing, routes of transmission and the importance of hand washing and surface disinfection at key times. All staff should be instructed about not coming to work if they have a fever, new cough or loss of taste or smell. They should stay at home for seven days (or for as long as prevailing guidance dictates).
In-room dining if applicable has advantages in terms of social distancing and to reduce risks of transmission/infection.
Where a guest is UNABLE to check out, then the following guidelines must be followed:
Hotel cleaning after a suspected contamination
Bedrooms - do not allow anyone to enter the room for 72 hours to significantly reduce the risk of the virus surviving on surfaces including soft furnishings which can’t be disinfected easily. If you do this, current UK Government guidance is that you can follow normal room cleaning regimes, as detailed above.
HVAC units - at checkout of a suspected guest infection, the HVAC unit filter should be changed, and the old filter bagged and disposed of properly. All vents and louvers should be wiped down and cleaned with a disinfectant. Appropriate protection worn throughout.
If you can’t keep the room unoccupied -
Your RISK ASSESSMENT should also look at food and beverage offerings such as breakfast, creating a plan to ensure social distancing controls and training for all staff.
Template - COVID-19 Secure Risk Assessment
You will need to complete one for your own individual business.
Risk Assessment Approach
Whilst every business is different, there are two things in common – the staff and the customer. Both will have “journeys” through the premises.
The risk assessment document could form the basis of discussions with the local authority prior to opening to ensure that there is agreement on the risk-based approach and controls set up. By setting concerns and control measures in a logical way this will give confidence to enforcement officers and customers and show that due consideration has been undertaken.
This will also be useful to ensure that customers know what the new “rules” are so that everyone’s expectations are managed in advance.
The hazard
Coronavirus is a respiratory disease that can invade a host via the respiratory route or via hand to eye / mouth / nose contact. People who appear healthy may be carrying and shedding the virus, this means we need to assume that anyone could be carrying the virus.
The main controls are:
Journey - By plotting out the routes taken by staff and customers in your business, you will have a clear idea of where the potential issues may arise, particularly in relation to social distancing. Create a flow list for customers and then for staff.
After doing this you may find that your business needs to be adapted because you can’t manage social distancing rules effectively, and you may need to reconsider your whole business, or part of it to make it work. It is likely that you may then have to re-draw the “new normal” customer or staff journey.
Controls - based on the above principles and your own enhanced measures, list what actions you are taking to make your business COVID-19 Secure.
You can support this document with photographs of your control measures where appropriate.
Your Risk Assessment is a living document that will be continuously edited and updated as our understanding of the virus improves and government guidance changes.
Detailed below are some examples of COVID-19 ‘Controls’ you need to consider, these will need to be adapted and added to as appropriate for your own business.
Guest Journey |
Controls (examples in blue) |
---|---|
Pre-booking |
Page on website detailing COVID-19 Secure plan |
Pre-arrival |
Sending a pre-arrival email explaining the new procedures |
Arriving on the car park and queuing outside |
Closing out every other parking space, tape on floor to denote 2m spaced queueing areas |
Entering the business |
Hand sanitiser next to front entrance |
Reception / check in |
Screen on reception, signage to let guests know to queue 2m apart, paperless check in procedure |
Key allocation |
Keys sanitised since last guest |
Journey to the room / corridors / stairs |
Directions given to room rather than showing to the room, keep left signs for corridors and stairs |
Help with baggage |
Bags placed in room whilst guests wait in reception where safe to do so, hands washed afterwards |
Bedroom |
Welcome letter to explain new room servicing policy, and level of cleaning since room last used |
Bathroom |
Remove cotton wool/buds, individual toiletries |
Tea tray / amenities |
Simplify offering – e.g. lemon/mint tea on request, ask for mugs/spoons to be left outside with rubbish |
Room service / in room food |
Ensure enough butlers’ trays and setup process for cleaning after use to avoid cross-contamination |
Room cleaning / rubbish |
Put a black bin bag in each room and ensure guests are aware their room will not be serviced daily |
Breakfast offering |
Remove buffet and offer an enhanced menu including cereals / fruit salad that they can ask for |
Breakfast service |
Space tables in the dining room, print disposable menus, offer sugar, salt and pepper sachets |
Check out |
Request BACS transfer before check out or contactless payment where possible |
Staff Journey |
Controls |
---|---|
Before returning to work |
Contact all staff, check they are not suffering from any symptoms and discuss mode of transport |
Pre-arrival |
Ensure staff think about limiting contact with other people on route to work |
Arrival / offices / staff areas |
Staff to wash hands on entering and change into clean uniform, taking care around common areas |
Training |
Ensure all staff are trained in any new procedures and able to answer guests’ queries |
Kitchen areas |
Check staff can remain 2m apart where possible and extra opening/closing cleaning procedures in place |
Food storage areas |
Only one person to enter at a time. Hourly cleaning of handles and shelf frontages |
Work benches / tables |
Wipe down of all work areas in between staff changes and at least hourly |
Equipment |
Equipment to be wiped or washed before and after use |
Outdoor areas |
Staff to remain 2m apart in the smoking area and whilst on breaks |
Deliveries |
Deliveries to be dropped off and driver left before staff handle delivery, care not to cross contaminate |
Front of house |
Staff to take orders from a 2m distance where possible and place food on a table next to diners |
Toilet use |
Staff toilets to be limited to one person and sanitised in between use particularly all touch points |
Interaction with customers |
Staff to be aware of social distancing at all times, masks to be worn where this is not possible |
Interaction with work colleagues |
Staff to keep a 2m distance wherever possible and sanitise their work area at the end of their shift |
Feeling unwell |
Staff should advise their manager immediately if they feel unwell or have any known C-19 symptoms |
What you need to do now…
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