Enforcement officers checking premises

Bridgend County Borough Council’s enforcement officers are continuing to visit a range of premises to ensure regulations are being met to help minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

Updated Welsh Government regulations now require people responsible for premises to take all reasonable measures to ensure that a two-metre distance can be maintained between people who are on the premises or are waiting to go in to the premises, and to provide information to anyone entering or working there on how to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

They must also take other reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure, primarily by improving hygiene and minimising face-to-face interaction, especially in situations where two-metre distancing isn’t possible.

All those responsible for premises must take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus in workplaces and premises open to the public. This includes taking all reasonable measures to ensure two-metres distance is kept between people on the premises, other than members of the same household or extended household and any carers of those people.

Through our Shared Regulatory Services (SRS), the enforcement team are responding to complaints and visiting premises where there higher-risk activities may be taking place. Where a business is not complying with the requirements of the legislation, SRS officers will provide advice and support. As a last resort for non-compliance, a Premises Improvement Notice can be issued which will specify the measures that need to be taken in order to meet the regulations within a certain time limit.

If the premises fail to comply, enforcement officers can issue a Premises Closure Notice, requiring the premises, or part of it, to be closed for up to 14 days. In some circumstances, enforcement officers will also be able to close the premises immediately without having served an improvement notice, but this would only be where there has been a sufficiently serious breach of regulations.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, the Bridgend County Borough Council cabinet member whose portfolio includes Shared Regulatory Services

For up-to-date information for employers in Wales, visit the Healthy Working Wales website or the business pages at Bridgend County Borough Council’s website.