HSE SPOT CHECKS & INSPECTIONS CONTINUING DURING COVID PANDEMIC

21st January 2021

The below article will provide you with the most up to date information on the HSE’s  continuance of their plan to conduct spot checks and inspections during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including during this national lockdown. It will also give you an overview on what to expect during a spot check/inspection as well as some points to follow to continue to keep your business COVID secure. Finally, the article will conclude with an update on spot check/inspections in the transport and logistics sector.

With the increase in the number of coronavirus cases and the national lockdown restrictions now in place, all businesses that continue to operate must ensure their workplaces are COVID-secure. It is vital that all businesses follow the guidance and manage the risks to protect themselves, workers, visitors, and customers.

The information from this article has been taken directly from the ‘HSE’ website.

During this current National Lockdown, the HSE will continue to carry out spot checks and inspections on all types of businesses. The HSE have said that they are going to be increasing the number of calls and visits to check COVID-secure measures have been implemented are in line with the government guidance.

What to Expect During a Spot Check/Inspection

The HSE will carry out unannounced and random spot checks and inspections. During the time that these are going ahead the HSE will provide help and guidance on how to manage risk and protect workers and visitors.Where businesses are not managing this, the HSE will take immediate action. This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.

Keeping Your Business COVID Secure

The HSE provides guidance on their website on being COVID-19 secure. Further information can be found here.

Update on Spot Inspections in The Transport & Logistics Sector

Since December the HSE have been working with Local Authorities to carry out spot checks and inspections on businesses in the Transport and Logistics sector. This was started due to an increase in the demand of goods over the festive/sales period being delivered to stores and the home.

During this period most of the inspectors picked up on good practices being demonstrated on many of their visits.
From a COVID-secure perspective these good practices ranged from:

  • Access to toilets
  •  Handwashing facilities
  • Rest areas – Arrangements made for visiting drivers to safely access site facilities.
  • Active monitoring (COVID marshals) 
  • Limiting numbers of workers in canteens and break rooms to allow social distancing.
  • Provision of COVID-kits to drivers including hand sanitiser and wipes.
  • Grouping workers who typically work closely together.
  • Providing delivery notes to drivers electronically in their cabs rather than requiring them to visit the transport office.
  • Staggering shift starts to reduce congestion at entry points.
  • Rearranging desks and fitting screens in offices so that office workers could work safely.

Although there were many good practices picked up during these inspections there were also areas for improvements such as:

  • Poor ventilation in office spaces
  • Lack of a site-specific risk assessment
  • Hand sanitiser being too far away from workstations to be used regularly

During these visits’ inspectors provided verbal advice or took enforcement action where there was a serious risk of harm to workers on site. In most cases, issues were quickly resolved during the inspection.

BSA have designed several services to assist you with being COVID secure, a selection of these are:

-Returning To Work Safely Packages
-Covid-19 Risk Assessments
-Health and Safety Policy Updates

For more information about these services please click on the COVID assistance wording which will take you directly to our COVID assistance webpage.

If you would like Bernard Sims Associates to help you with any of the above services or for more information then please email us on bsims@bsims.co.uk or call on 01483 467270 where we will be more than happy to assist you.

Keep Safe and Well.

Bernard Sims Associates