Coronavirus Customer Information
By
Ken Cox
Last update September 2021
Glendoick Cafe From Wednesday 15th July 2020
Glendoick Garden Centre opened Friday May 29th 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Business and Social Distancing Guidance
Risk assessment and appropriate measures for COVID-19
Hazard: Infection from COVID 19 from person to person contact or infected surfaces
Location: Whole site
Who is at risk: Staff, customers, contractors, sales reps. Particularly relevant to older persons and those with underlying health conditions.
Precautions & Controls: As contained below, measures to minimise risk of exposure and social distancing guidelines.
In preparing the garden centre & cafe, we have followed the Government and Horticultural Trades Association’s guidelines which include.
- Wear a facemask - it's the law (unless you are exempt)
- A one-way system in the shop & cafe.
- Card only payments (no cash handling). Increased contactless limits.
- Social-distancing queuing system for two tills, from the bottom of the main ramp in the garden centre.
- Social-distancing queuing system for two tills in the cafe.
- Markings on the floor and signage to maintain social distancing.
- Staff using masks, gloves, sanitiser and till staff screens.
- Track & Trace system in place for cafe.
- Outdoor Playpark OPEN
- Indoor soft play CLOSED
General Measures Throughout Garden Centre & Cafe for Staff & Customer Safety
- Risk assessment updated as per the COVID-19 guidance for the workplace.
- Adaptations to the layout of the workplace and the organisation of work undertaken to reduce COVID-19 transmission before garden centre/cafe opens to the public.
- Employees informed about changes and new procedures and training given before they resume work.
- Glendoick will reduce, as far as possible, physical contact between workers during work and at breaks, particularly indoors. Outdoor work is considered to be significantly less risky.
- Glendoick will limit physical interaction between staff and customers via physical distancing both in the shop and outside in plant area and carpark.
- Glendoick has installed plexiglass barriers at till points to reduce the risk of infection for staff and customers. Staff must sanitise the barriers regularly.
- Staff are encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water as often as possible and for 20 seconds every time. They should do so on arrival to and before leaving the garden centre as well as after breaks, use of toilet facilities, after handling deliveries, moving and cleaning trolleys.
- PPE will be provided in the form of face masks and gloves for employees. Staff MUST wear them in accordance with government guidelines. Employees will be trained in correct use of PPE, ensuring that they follow the guidance available on use of facemasks and gloves. These should be disposed of at the end of shift in a bin provided for that purpose.
- Posters encouraging staying home when sick, cough and sneeze etiquette, and hand hygiene are located throughout the premises and at the entrance to the garden centre.
- Vehicles should only be shared between employees who live in the same household.
- Surfaces which are used by staff and customers must be sanitised frequently by staff:
- Chip & pin machines
- Counters
- Door handles
- Trolley handles
- Tools
- Forklift and pallet truck
- Toilet doors, handles, flush handle, taps and other surfaces that people touch often.
- Additional sanitising units are located in trolley areas, entrance back into shop from plant area, entrance to cafe, various locations in cafe and outside both sets of toilets.
Customers and Customer Numbers at Glendoick Garden Centre
- HTA’s recommendation is 1 per 1000 square feet. Our total gross retail area 6,600m2 (Malcolm Scott Architects) so using HTA calculations this means a maximum of around 75-80 customers at one time. Most customers will come singly or in pairs.
- In the cafe we have reduced the number of tables by half and measured out 2 meters between tables.
- Customer numbers into the shop/cafe will be monitored and limited if required.
- A queuing system along the front of the garden centre parking bays will be put in place if the shop is particularly busy. We will use low crash barriers to mark queuing area to keep queue and cars separated.
- The grass carpark is not to be used and will be cordoned off.
Signage, Flow and Floor markings
- At our entrance, Glendoick has signage to ask customers with symptoms not to enter the store, to inform customers that it is mandatory to wear a facemask, to notify customers that the entire store is cashless, to remind both staff and customers to always keep 2 metres from other people wherever possible and to inform them about specific arrangements within the cafe.
- Entry to car park (and possibly shop) will be regulated so the premises do not become overcrowded.
- Floor markings will aid 2m social distancing, particularly in the most crowded areas, such as tills and to provide a route around the garden centre and cafe.
- Signage will be used to direct customers into lanes, particularly in till areas to facilitate movement within the premises while maintaining 2 metre distance.
- Signage will be in place to remind customers to follow social distancing advice and clean their hands regularly.