Bridgend Greggs and KFC staff caught breaching Covid rules

OFFICIALS have issued warnings to Greggs and KFC restaurants in Bridgend county after finding staff working without face masks.

Officers from the Shared Regulatory Service (SRS) have issued improvement notices to Greggs (Village Farm Industrial Estate, Pyle) and KFC (Hernston Business Park, Bridgend Bypass) for breaching coronavirus regulations regarding face coverings.

Council workers found three members of staff working closely without masks at Greggs on Monday, February 15, according to documents published on the SRS website.

They also caught a manager wearing just a visor when they should have also been wearing a face covering.

Documents also show one member of staff at KFC was seen not wearing a mask while working closely with another employee and two other employees were wearing masks incorrectly on Tuesday, February 16.

Both businesses were given 24 hours to comply with government regulations.

A KFC spokesperson said:

“Running our restaurants responsibly is our top priority to ensure the safety of both our team members and guests.

“We follow all government guidelines to ensure we have the right procedures and training in place and have reminded all team members in a restaurant of the importance of these.

“We have worked closely and proactively with Bridgend Council to resolve any issues and following a revisit, the notice has now been taken down.

“We will continue to follow all necessary steps to maintain a safe environment for both our teams and fans.”

The Welsh Government website states that face coverings must cover the nose and mouth and a face shield/visor is not classified as a face covering “from a public health perspective”.

The site reads: “Whilst it is appreciated that some people have difficulty making themselves heard when wearing a face covering, visors are designed to protect the eyes from airborne droplets and are not intended for use without a face covering.”

Staff working in indoor public spaces must wear masks “if they are in an area accessible to the public”.

Staff who are not facing the public may also need to wear face coverings “if physical distancing cannot be maintained”.

For example, employers may require staff to wear masks indoors “as a reasonable measure to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus on the premises unless there are strong reasons not to”.

The SRS, a partnership between South Wales Police and Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils, carries out checks on licensed premises to ensure they comply with government guidelines.

It has issued 77 improvement notices to businesses in Bridgend county borough and temporarily closed four for breaching Welsh Government coronavirus rules.

Businesses are usually given 48 hours to comply with the terms of an improvement notice. Failure to comply can result in closure, a fixed penalty notice, or being taken to court.