Businesses including shops, restaurants, pubs and hairdressers across the city, which have passed an inspection by the council’s commercial regulation team, are being given green tick ‘Covid Compliant’ signage to display in their windows.
The purpose of the scheme is to provide reassurance to the public, increase customer confidence and encourage people to support local businesses.
The council has been working closely with businesses to provide advice and to support the implementation of new measures required by law to improve the safety of customers and employees.
A business is deemed to be Covid compliant when it can evidence during inspection that it has the following measures in place:
- a Covid-19 risk assessment
- a contact tracing system is in place to collect the details of customers and visitors
- the NHS QR Code is displayed and working correctly
- Covid-19 safety signage is displayed
- a system is in place for checking Covid-19 symptoms of staff and customers
- a cleaning regime is in place
- facilities for hand washing are available
- steps have been taken to maintain a two-metre distance and where people cannot maintain two metre distancing, the business has implemented risk mitigation
- staff are wearing adequate PPE
- customers are wearing a face covering
The council has already inspected many businesses and will be visiting all establishments over the coming weeks.
Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment, said: “As a council we want to do something to recognise the majority of businesses who have worked hard to get all the right measures in place to keep their staff and customers safe.
“If you see a Covid Compliant tick in the window of a business, it will give reassurance to the public that a venue has passed its inspection.
“This will improve customer confidence and hopefully prove to be a boost to our local businesses which are doing the right thing.
“Clearly, a business is only as good as it’s last inspection, so we want feedback from the public as to the businesses that are doing well and those which they have any concerns about.”
The new scheme has been welcomed by local businesses.
Hayley Hall, from the Lich Gate Tavern Pub in Wolverhampton City Centre, said: “It’s obviously tough trading times at the moment, but giving customers piece of mind and confidence to come in knowing that we are playing by the rules and everything is safe and clean has got to be a good thing.”
Giles Twigg, owner of Inky G’s Tattoos in Broad Street, said: “It is a good scheme if it creates confidence in people to come into the city and visit the businesses which have been struggling over the pandemic.”
The Covid Compliant window stickers will feature a website address – Covid Compliant and QR code to enable people to provide feedback, good or bad, to the council.
Any complaints about businesses will be investigated and the council will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any establishment which is flouting the rules.
The authority has already shut down businesses for breaking the rules and putting people at risk, including a barbers shop in Blakenhall earlier this week.
