How to Protect Your Staff and Customers Now the High Street Has Reopened

Posted On: September 20, 2020 By: jodee

Although there is talk of local lockdowns, circuit breakers and second waves, the high street is back open again following a long period of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. This chance to trade again is very much welcomed by retailers across the country, but it brings with it a number of issues.

Although there is talk of local lockdowns, circuit breakers and second waves, the high street is back open again following a long period of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. This chance to trade again is very much welcomed by retailers across the country, but it brings with it a number of issues. How to reassure staff that they will be safe at work and how to instill confidence in your customers that you will look after them while they visit are two huge problems to overcome, and Covid-secure PPE can provide the solutions.

 

At The Retail Factory, we can supply anything from hand sanitiser to plastic sneeze guards, making this the one-stop shop for personal protective equipment.

 

Surgical Face Masks

 

As the law stands at the time of writing, all customers must wear a face covering to enter a shop, and all staff who are not situated behind a perspex screen must do too. When the face mask rule came in originally, staff were exempt, but a concerning rise in the coronavirus infection rate saw the government move to make all shopworkers cover their mouths and noses. Within a couple of days they backed down on a blanket requirement and agreed that retail staff who operated behind a screen did not need to wear one.

 

In many retail situations, you have workers on the shopfloor. Whether they are serving customers, replenishing stock or completing any other task, you can supply them with a single-use covering to protect them and others from particles in the air. Similarly, you can provide customers with a mask if they have forgotten theirs, meaning you don’t miss out on sales because someone does not have the legal PPE to enter the shop.

 

It is also worth providing instructions for staff and customers as to the best practice for face mask wearing:

 

1. Wash or sanitise your hands
2. Pull the head bands loose
3. Put the mask over your mouth and nose
4. Press the metallic strip to create a seal over your nose
5. Check the seal
6. Enter the shop floor.

 

Packs of 50 surgical face masks are £36 exc VAT at The Retail Factory.

 

Visors For Shop Workers

An alternative to a face mask, if you find one difficult to wear because of a medical condition, is providing visors for shop workers. These come ready to assemble and provide protection for your customers from particles emitting from your staff. This is a great way to show that you are doing everything you can in terms of PPE to provide a safe shopping experience.

 

To order a pallet of face visors for shop workers, visit the product page.

 

Office Sneeze Protection Guards

While office workers are being asked to work from home again, if they can, now is the time to ensure their return to the workplace in the future is as safe and secure as possible. Our office sneeze protection guards create a clear barrier between workers, so that they can  feel as safe as possible back in an office environment.

 

The guards are easy to assemble, come in a choice of sizes and are retractable so that they can sit neatly out of the way in an empty office, but be called into action when it fills up in order to help slow the spread of Covid-19.

 

After a second stint of home working, many employees might be concerned when it comes time to return to the office. If you can show them that you have a safe solution that still allows them to see and converse with their colleagues whilst stopping them from breathing in particles from sneezes and coughs, they will feel much more confident about working in the office again.

 

This essential form of PPE starts at £139.99 exc VAT and you can buy your Office Protection Screens right now.  

 

Hand Sanitiser

 

One of the simplest Covid-secure measures is to supply adequate hand sanitiser for both staff and customers. Hand hygiene has never been more important than it is in the midst of a pandemic, and especially in shops. When customers are handling stock (no matter how many signs there are asking them to only touch what they wish to buy), and staff having to touch the same products, there is huge potential to transmit the virus.

 

If you provide sanitising points for customers, including at the door and at the tills, it gives them a positive impression of your focus on their health. Similarly, giving staff the opportunity to sanitise their hands before and after handling stock, cash and anything else they need to touch, keeps them as safe as possible too.

 

We stock a range of different hand sanitiser solutions, as well as refills for your current bottles. Find out more at the hand sanitiser page.

 

If you have any other questions about coronavirus PPE for staff and customers, call us on 0333 344 2693 and chat to us today.