Safer Spaces - Hospitality Edition - September 2020

HOSPITALITY EDITION | UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 25 2020

TIPS AND ADVICE FOR BARS, RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS OPENING DURING COVID-19

KEY POINTS n How to set up and display an NHS Test and Trace QR Code poster n New laws on face coverings n Carry out a Risk Assessment for your staff and customers

n Colmore BID are working with Yoello to bring you mobile ordering and payments. We are funding your set up and the first three months of Yoello. This service allows customers to access your venue for eatin, takeaway, collection and delivery by placing orders over their phone.

There are no contracts for the service so you can cancel after your free period if it isn’t for you.

Yoello provide you with QR codes that you can place in your venue that customers can scan and access your menu online.

Customers will be able to select the items they want and pay for it using a web app. The app will have a Colmore BID community option where users will be able to see what food options are available near their location.

This is available to all venues in the Colmore Business District.

Let us know if you would be interested in this system by contacting Katy. paddock@ colmorebid. co.uk.

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THINKING ABOUT RISK ALL EMPLOYERS SHOULD CARRY OUT A COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT COVID-19 is a public health emergency. Everyone needs to assess and manage the risks of COVID-19, and in particular businesses should consider the risks to their workers and customers.

As an employer, you also have a legal responsibility to protect workers and others from risk to their health and safety. This means you need to think about the risks they face and do everything reasonably practicable to minimise them, recognising you cannot completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19.

You must make sure that the risk assessment for your business addresses the risks of COVID-19, using this guidance to inform your decisions and control measures. You should also consider the security implications of any decisions and control measures you intend to put in place, as any revisions could present

new or altered security risks that may require mitigation.

A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork, but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace.

If you have fewer than five workers, you don’t have to write anything down as part of your risk assessment.

Your risk assessment will help you decide whether you have done everything you need to.

Employers have a duty to consult their people on health and safety.

You can do this by listening and talking to them about the work and how you will manage risks from COVID-19. The people who do the work are often the best people to understand the risks in the workplace and will have a view on how to work safely. Involving them in making decisions shows

that you take their health and safety seriously. At its most effective, full involvement of your workers creates a culture where relationships between employers and workers are based on collaboration, trust and joint problem solving. As is normal practice, workers should be involved in assessing workplace risks and the development and review of workplace health and safety policies in partnership with the employer.

Employers and workers should always come together to resolve issues. If concerns still cannot be resolved, see below for further steps you can take.

Failure to complete a risk assessment which takes account of COVID-19, or completing a risk assessment but failing to put in place sufficient measures to manage the risk of COVID-19, could constitute a breach of health and safety law.

CUT OUT & DISPLAY YOUR RISK ASSESSMENT POSTER: BACK PAGE

SAFER SPACES – HOSPITALITY | AUTUMN 2020

COVID-19: WHAT HAS CHANGED AS OF SEPTEMBER 22 LATEST GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES AND NEW LAWS NOW IN PLACE n It is critical that everybody observes the following key behaviours: HANDS - Wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds.

FACE - Cover your face in enclosed spaces, especially where social distancing may be difficult and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.

SPACE - Stay 2 metres apart where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place.

BUSINESSES n Businesses selling food or drink (including cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants), social clubs, casinos, bowling alleys, amusement arcades (and other indoor leisure centres or facilities), funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks and activities, and bingo halls, must be closed between 10pm and 5am. This will include takeaways but delivery services can continue after 10pm (from 24 September). n In licensed premises, food and drink must be ordered from, and served at, a table. n Customers must eat and drink at a table in any premises selling food and drink to consume on site (from 24 September). n Businesses will need to display the official NHS QR code posters so that customers can ‘check-in’ at different premises using this option as an alternative to providing their contact details once the app is rolled out nationally (from 24 September).

Businesses and organisations will face stricter rules to make their premises COVID Secure (from 28 September): n A wider range of leisure and entertainment venues, services provided in community centres, and close contact services will be subject to the COVID-19 Secure requirements in law and fines of up to £10,000 for repeated breaches. n Employers must not knowingly require or encourage someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work. n Businesses must remind people to wear face coverings where mandated.

WORKING FROM HOME To help contain the virus, office workers who can work effectively from home should do so over the winter.

Where an employer, in consultation with their employee, judges an employee can carry out their normal duties from home they should do

so. Public sector employees working in essential services, including education settings, should continue to go into work where necessary.

Anyone else who cannot work from home should go to their place of work. The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk.

FACE COVERINGS n Customers in private hire vehicles and taxis must wear face coverings (from 23 September). n Customers in hospitality venues must wear face coverings, except when seated at a table to eat or drink. All staff in hospitality and retail will now also be required to wear face coverings (from 24 September). n People who are already exempt from the existing face covering obligations, such as because of an underlying health condition, will continue to be exempt from these new obligations. n Guidance stating that face coverings and visors should be worn in close contact services will now become law (from 24 September). n Staff working on public transport and taxi drivers will continue to be advised to wear face coverings.

MEETING PEOPLE SAFELY n Support groups must be limited to a maximum of 15 people (from 24 September). n Indoor organised sport for over 18s will no longer be exempt from the rule of six. There is an exemption for indoor organised team sports for disabled people (from 24 September). n There will be a new exemption in those areas of local intervention where household mixing is not allowed to permit friends and family to provide informal childcare for children under 14 (from 24 September). n Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and receptions will be restricted to a maximum of 15 people (down from 30). Other significant standalone life events will be subject to the ‘rule of six’ limits, except funerals (from 28 September).

Government has announced an initial £60 million to support additional enforcement activity by local authorities and the police, in addition to funding that has already been awarded.

The spread of the virus is also affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibition halls and large sporting events, so this will not be possible to from 1 October.

The government’s expectation is the measures described above will need to remain in place until March.

Keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.

Steps that will usually be needed: n Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products. n Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, such as door handles, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements. n Clearing workspaces and removing waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift. n Limiting or restricting use of hightouch items and equipment, for example, printers or whiteboards. n If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you should refer to the specific guidance.

SAFER SPACES – HOSPITALITY | AUTUMN 2020

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NEW GUIDELINES FOR VENUES

MAXIMUM OF 6 PER GROUP 1

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Let customers know that by law they can only visit in groups of up to 6 people (unless they are visiting as a household or support bubble which is larger than 6).

Check with customers on arrival who they are with and how many people will be attending. Put up signs to remind customers to only interact with their group.

Ask customers indoors to remain seated. Provide table service only, and discourage customers from standing at the bar.

Keep groups apart. Space out tables, consider using barriers between groups, and manage the number of customers in the venue.

Manage food and drink service safely. Avoid situations where customers need to collect their own food, cutlery and condiments. Avoid contact between staff and guests.

Lower music and other background noise. Prevent shouting, singing and dancing in the venue by making sure music and broadcasts are played at a low volume.

KEEPING THE VENUE CLEAN n Following government guidance on cleaning food preparation and food service areas. n Wedging doors open, where appropriate, to reduce touchpoints. This does not apply to fire doors. n If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then you should refer to the specific guidance. n Frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products. n Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces touched regularly including counters, tills, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for cleaning products. Maintaining good ventilation in the work environment. For example, opening windows and doors frequently, where possible.

KEEPING THE KITCHEN CLEAN Steps that will usually be needed: n Cleaning surfaces and objects between each customer use. For example, cleaning tables, card machines, chairs, trays and laminated menus in view of customers before customer use. n Recognising that cleaning measures are already stringent in kitchen areas, consider the need for additional cleaning and disinfection measures. n Having bins for collection of used towels and staff overalls. Washing hands before handling plates and cutlery. n Continuing high frequency of hand washing throughout the day.

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SAFER SPACES – HOSPITALITY | AUTUMN 2020

FOOD PACKAGING The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises that the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low. The risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also very low.

While food packaging is not known to present a specific risk, efforts should be made to ensure it is cleaned and handled in line with usual food safety practices.

CUSTOMER TOILETS n Using signs and posters to build awareness of good handwashing technique. n Consider the use of social distancing marking in areas where queues normally form, and the adoption of a limited entry approach (while avoiding the creation of additional bottlenecks). n To enable good hand hygiene consider making hand sanitiser available on entry to toilets where safe and practical. n Setting clear use and cleaning guidance for toilets, with increased frequency of cleaning in line with usage. Use normal cleaning products, paying attention to frequently hand touched surfaces. n Keep the facilities well ventilated, for example by fixing doors open where appropriate.

DISPLAY A QR CODE POSTER How to create unique poster for your venue Businesses can now use an online service to create a QR code to be put on display in their venue.

Visitors can scan the QR code when they arrive, using the NHS COVID-19 App. This is also a key element in helping to trace and stop the spread of COVID-19. If you know a venue owner, or visit a venue where they are not displaying a QR code, please make them aware that venues should create and display a QR code if they are: A business, place of worship or community organisation with a physical location that is open to the public. An event which is taking place in a physical location.

If owners have more than one venue, they need to create separate QR codes for each location. Users can add multiple locations in the service.

QR posters can be created by following this link:

gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster Pictured: An example of the NHS QR code posters

ABOUT THE NHS COVID-19 APP Part of large scale test and trace programme The new NHS COVID-19 app, now available to download for free in England and Wales, is the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from coronavirus. The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones and community.

The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in. It uses proven technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy.

The app is part of the large-scale COVID-19 testing and tracing programme called NHS Test and Trace and as many people as possible in Birmingham need to be encouraged to start using them.

The app will be used to notify users if they come into contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. It also alerts people at risk of COVID-19, asking them to isolate before they potentially pass the virus on to others, as well as providing local area alerts

and QR venue check-in. The app is vital as it will help the NHS to understand if the virus is spreading in a particular area.

This will help local authorities can respond to it quickly, stop it spreading further and ultimately save lives.

The app can do all this whilst also protecting the user’s anonymity – no one, including the government, will know who or where a particular user is.

The key messages that currently needs to be

conveyed to family, friends and communities regarding the NHS COVID-19 app and NHS QR codes for venues are: n Download the NHS COVID-19 app today – it’s the simplest way to protect yourself and those you love. n The new NHS COVID-19 app is the fastest way of knowing when you’re at risk of Coronavirus. n Create a coronavirus NHS QR code for your venue (see above).

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Greater flexibility to pay back loans The burden will be lifted on more than a million businesses who took out a Bounce Back Loan through a new Pay as You Grow flexible repayment system. This will provide flexibility for firms repaying a Bounce Back Loan.

This includes extending the length of the loan from six years to ten, which will cut monthly repayments by nearly half. Interestonly periods of up to six months and payment holidays will also be available to businesses. These measures will further protect jobs by helping businesses recover from the pandemic.

The government also intends to give Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders the ability to extend the length of loans from a maximum of six years to ten years if it will help businesses to repay the loan.

In addition, the Chancellor also announced he would be extending applications for the government’s coronavirus loan schemes that are helping over a million businesses until the end of November.

As a result, more businesses will now be able to benefit from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund. This change aligns all the end dates of these schemes, ensuring that there is further support in place for those firms who need it.

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CHANCELLOR PLEDGES NEW BUSINESS AID The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined additional SUPPORT FOR WORKERS government support to provide certainty to A new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from businesses and workers impacted by coronavirus November 1st to protect viable jobs in businesses across the UK. who are facing lower demand over the winter Delivering a speech in Parliament, the Chancellor months due to coronavirus. announced a package of measures that will continue Under the scheme, which will run for six to protect jobs and help businesses through the months and help keep employees attached to the uncertain months ahead as we continue to tackle workforce, the government will contribute towards the spread of the virus. The package includes a new the wages of employees who are working fewer Jobs Support Scheme to protect millions of returning than normal hours due to decreased demand. workers, extending the Self Employment Income Employers will continue to pay the wages of Support Scheme and 15% VAT cut for the hospitality staff for the hours they work – but for the hours not and tourism sectors, and help for businesses in worked, the government and the employer will each repaying government-backed loans. pay one third of their equivalent salary.

The announcement comes after means employees who can only The Job Support goThis the Prime Minister set out further back to work on shorter time will measures to combat the spread still be paid two thirds of the hours for Scheme will of the virus over the winter, while those hours they can’t work. be open to preserving the ability to grow the In order to support only viable jobs, businesses even employees must be working at least economy.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer 33% of their usual hours. The level if they have Rishi Sunak said: of grant will be calculated based on not used the The resurgence of the virus, and employee’s usual salary, capped at the measures we need to take in furlough scheme £697.92 per month. response, pose a threat to our fragile The Job Support Scheme will be economic recovery… open to businesses across the UK Our approach to the next phase of support must even if they have not previously used the furlough be different to that which came before. scheme, with further guidance being published in The primary goal of our economic policy remains due course. unchanged – to support people’s jobs – but the way It is designed to sit alongside the Jobs Retention we achieve that must evolve.

Bonus and could be worth over 60% of average wages of workers who have been furloughed –

SAFER SPACES – HOSPITALITY | AUTUMN 2020

FURTHER GUIDANCE COVID-19: WHAT YOU NEED TO DO https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS DURING CORONAVIRUS https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYEES DURING CORONAVIRUS https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-and-support-for-employees-duringcoronavirus-covid-19 BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/coronavirus_advice

and are kept on until the start of February 2021.

Businesses can benefit from both schemes in order to help protect jobs.

In addition, the Government is continuing its support for millions of self-employed individuals by extending the Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grant (SEISS). An initial taxable grant will be provided to those who are currently eligible for SEISS and are continuing to actively trade but face reduced demand due to coronavirus. The initial lump sum will cover three months’ worth of profits for the period from November to the end of January next year. This is worth 20% of average monthly profits, up to a total of £1,875.

An additional second grant, which may be adjusted to respond to changing circumstances, will be available for self-employed individuals The government to cover the period from February 2021 to the end of April – ensuring our support will extend continues right through to next year. This the temporary is in addition to the more than £13 billion of support already provided for over 2.6 15% VAT cut million self-employed individuals through for the tourism the first two stages of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme – one of the most and hospitality generous in the world.

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TAX CUTS AND DEFERRALS

As part of the package, the government also announced it will extend the temporary 15% VAT cut for the tourism and hospitality sectors to the end of March next year. This will give businesses in the sector – which has been severely impacted by the pandemic – the confidence to maintain staff as they adapt to a new trading environment.

In addition, up to half a million business who deferred their VAT bills will be given more breathing space through the New Payment Scheme, which gives them the option to pay back in smaller instalments. Rather than paying a lump sum in full at the end March next year, they will be able to make 11 smaller interest-free payments during the 2021-22 financial year.

On top of this, around 11 million self-assessment taxpayers will be able to benefit from a separate additional 12-month extension from HMRC on the ‘Time to Pay’ self-service facility, meaning payments deferred from July 2020, and those due in January 2021, will now not need to be paid until January 2022.

NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ WEST MIDLANDS POLICE https://west-midlands.police.uk/coronavirus PUBLIC TRANSPORT West Midlands Railway: https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/ West Midlands Metro: https://westmidlandsmetro.com/ National Express West Midlands: https://nxbus.co.uk/

n The ‘Safer Spaces’ guide featuring advice and tips for businesses emerging from the coronavirus lockdown has been produced by Colmore BID. Information has been sourced from government plaforms under Open Government Licence.

Produced for Colmore BID by Edwin Ellis Creative Media.

2nd Floor, 37a Waterloo Street, Birmingham B2 5TJ Email: info@colmorebid.co.uk Tel: 0121 212 1410

Staying COVID-19 Secure in 2020 We confirm we have complied with the government’s guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19 FIVE STEPS TO SAFER WORKING TOGETHER

We have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and shared the results with the people who work here We have cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with guidance We have taken all reasonable steps to help people work safely from a COVID-19 Secure workplace or work from home We have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance in the workplace Where people cannot keep 2m apart we have ensured at least a 1m distance and taken all the mitigating actions possible to manage transmission risk

Signed on behalf of employer Employer

Who to contact:

Employer representative signature

Employer name

Date

Your Health and Safety Representative (or the Health and Safety Executive at www.hse.gov.uk or 0300 003 1647)