Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that workplaces are implementing the recommendations from covid-19 risk assessments.

Businesses must control the risks in their workplace including those from COVID-19. The first step is to conduct a risk assessment. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has detailed web guidance on COVID risk assessments which complements information on Gov.UK about Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) and that published by the Welsh & Scottish Governments. Businesses are responsible for implementing the controls identified by this risk assessment.

HSE and Local Authorities use a range of interventions to influence, encourage and advise business and, where necessary, hold to account those who fail to meet their responsibilities. Throughout the pandemic, HSE has engaged with businesses through the three stage Spot Check process which includes phone calls and, where face to face contact is necessary, site visits. Determining whether businesses have implemented the controls identified by this risk assessment is a central part of the process.

HSE has to date conducted 183,632 COVID related spot checks in 2020/21.