This sets out practical steps for businesses focused on 5 key points, which should be implemented as soon as it is practical:

1. Work from home, if you can

All reasonable steps should be taken by employers to help people work from home. But for those who cannot work from home and whose workplace has not been told to close, our message is clear: you should go to work. Staff should speak to their employer about when their workplace will open.

2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions

This guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and we expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so.

3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible

Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating one way walk-throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms.

4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk

Employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.

5. Reinforcing cleaning processes

Workplaces should be cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.

A downloadable notice is included in the documents, which employers should display in their workplaces to show their employees, customers and other visitors to their workplace, that they have followed this guidance.

The guidance applies to businesses currently open. This also includes guidance for shops which we believe may be in a position to begin a phased reopening at the earliest from the 1 June.

Guidance for other sectors that are not currently open will be developed and published ahead of those establishments opening to give those businesses time to plan. The government will also shortly set up task forces to work with these sectors to develop safe ways for them to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so, as well as pilot re-openings to test businesses’ ability to adopt the guidelines.

These eight guides, found here, cover a range of different types of work. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe.

Dartmoor Covid 19 Business Survey

Many businesses on Dartmoor are adjusting rapidly, some struggling to keep going, and many face an uncertain future. Whilst there is a lot of information at a regional and national level about the impact of lockdown, we do not understand how Dartmoor is really affected, and the challenges ahead as you see them. 

We are therefore asking if you may please find time to complete this short survey.

The aims of this survey are:

• To provide local evidence of the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on Dartmoor businesses
• To understand what you need, and inform our response, as we work with you and partners, and enter a period of recovery
• To enable us to represent Dartmoor at a regional and national level, and help you get the support Dartmoor businesses need
• To open up communication, and support Dartmoor’s business community

We would be grateful if you can find the time to complete this survey by 18 May 2020. 

The more responses we get, the better picture we have and the stronger case we can build to get the support Dartmoor needs.  

Any information you provide will be held securely, and we will share with you the results (presented anonymously).  Currently, we plan to repeat this survey again in due course to understand how things are changing over the coming months. 

Thank you.

Dartmoor National Park Authority