Fashion retail, fashion designers, tailors and dress makers will be among the retailers that are expected to be able to re-open from the 15^th June. (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will shortly announce their own time lines for the re-opening of retail).

In order for these businesses to reopen they must have undertaken an appropriate Covid-19 risk assessment.

The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance and advice on how to carry out a risk assessment here. You should also involve your team in the assessment process. You must keep a written record of your risk assessment unless you have fewer than 5 employees or are self-employed. If you have more than 50 employees, the government expects you to publish the risk assessment online.

The Government has published guidance on how to manage the re-opening process here and the British Retail Consortium has also published its own guidance available here.

To help manage the risk all businesses should;

1. Increase the frequency of handwashing and surface cleansing
2. Make every effort to allow staff to work from home. Where this is not possible businesses should make every effort to maintain the 2m physical distancing guidelines
3. If it is not possible to maintain the 2m physical distancing take all possible measures to reduce the risk of transmission
4. Use screens where possible; team members should work back to back or side to side; reduce the number of people operating at one time (introduce shift working)
5. Give particular thought to protecting the most vulnerable.

Where possible manufacturing in England has been allowed to remain open throughout the lockdown although many businesses were unable to do so. UKFT has produced guidance on a safe return to work for the manufacturing sector here.

UKFT is in constant dialogue with the government and is outlining the latest support available for businesses on our website. We will update the details as and when the situation changes. 

UKFT Coronavirus Guidance