 19 February 2021
Dear Business Operator
We are reaching out to our business community to ask for your help at this key stage in the pandemic, to push COVID-19 infection rates within Telford and Wrekin down more quickly.
Although rates in the borough are falling, the decline has not been as rapid as in the west midlands or nationally.
We are asking that you encourage all of your employees, who cannot work from home and have no symptoms to take regular, rapid tests (LFDs). We know that one in three people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms – they are asymptomatic and this is what rapid testing is designed for.
By asking your employees to take rapid tests regularly, you are supporting us to find positive cases more quickly to break the chains of transmission – this will help us work towards returning to normal life as soon and as safely as possible.
Depending on the number of people you employ the following rapid testing options are available:
Use our Council-run community testing sites for members of staff that need to leave home to work for tests every 3-5 days. More information and booking instructions can be found here http://rapidtest.telford.gov.uk/
- Between 50 and 250 employees:
Where possible set up onsite testing. We have been working with employers since December to encourage staff to get tested regularly. We now want to work with employers to offer support and advice for businesses wishing to deliver onsite testing as well as offering the Council testing programme for businesses not delivering testing themselves. You can sign up for onsite testing here https://www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests
How can we help you set up at work testing? Are you already doing it? Do you need more support? You can sign up for onsite testing here https://www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests
Please complete this quick form here and we’ll be in touch to support and help with rapid testing in your business for you and your employees.
By working together we can ensure that the rates of COVID continue to fall, by identifying new cases and advising their contacts to self-isolate. This will help stop the spread of coronavirus and protect vital public and economic services.
In addition, to help you keep your work place COVID-secure we would like to share some of the lessons learnt from the numerous visits to businesses in the borough which our Public Protection officers have made.
Cleaning
Make sure the sanitiser used on site is effective against enveloped viruses such as Covid 19. It needs to be compliant with the EN 14476 standard to be effective which is the same for wipes if they are used.
Staff should be aware that the sanitiser needs to be at the correct dilution as stated on the container and left on the surface for the contact time mentioned on the bottle for it to be effective.
Check that your cleaning company are aware of the EN 14476 standard and the chemicals that they are using on your site are effective against enveloped viruses.
Ventilation
Make sure that you have sufficient air changes within the offices and production areas. You should make sure that sufficient doors and windows are open to allow this if you don’t have mechanical ventilation. If you do have mechanical ventilation you should ensure that you are not re- circulating air. Use the guidance here for further help and advice.
Hand Hygiene
Make sure staff are aware of how best to use hand operable taps and elbow operable taps on site where applicable. With the hand operable taps a paper towel should be used to switch the tap off in order to prevent cross contamination with a dirty tap with clean hands.
Paper towels should be provided in these facilities rather than using hand driers and a sign to that effect should be displayed above the wash hand basins. Please find a poster link here which can be used.
Face Coverings
Ideally staff should be encouraged to wear face coverings in communal areas. Face coverings should cover the nose and mouth. Face shields can be worn with face coverings for added protection BUT they are not a face covering and should not be worn on their own.
Staff should be advised to wash their hands after taking their mask off and before eating.
Fabric face coverings should be washed on a daily basis.
Smoking Shelters / Locker rooms / Toilets and Canteens
Make sure that staff observe social distancing and where applicable maximum occupancy numbers in these areas. If you don’t have maximum occupancy numbers already then you should consider introducing them.
All these areas with the exception of smoking shelters should be included on the cleaning schedule.
Yours sincerely
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