Bosses at Poundstretcher say hand sanitiser and face shields have now been put in place following staff concerns at their Westwood branch.
A key worker, who wishes to remain nameless, told The Isle of Thanet News that gloves for till operatives were having to be found by managers searching the warehouse and that they were concerned for staff and customers trying to protect themselves from Covid-19.
They also said protective face shields and masks were not provided.
Gina Hallam the company’s health and safety officer, says the thrift store chain has now ramped up its measures to keep staff safe as the pandemic continues to sweep the country.
She said: “I can confirm that we have control measures in place at the store, and that we have checked this with the Area Manager responsible. The safety of both our valued employees and customers is of paramount importance.”
She said hand gel arrived at the chain’s distribution centre on April 15 with face masks and shields also being provided.
Poundstretcher has more than 500 stores nationally with a second isle branch in Margate.
The chain has implemented the following measures:
- Social distancing floor markings denoting the two metre distancing at till points and throughout the aisles in the store along with customer signage.
- Cleaning stations have been introduced for the basket, trolley, and till areas.
- Personal Protective Equipment in the form of disposable gloves have been made available to employees. In addition stores have now been supplied with face shields and masks and have protective screens at the till points.
- Hygiene measures as per the government best advice including the provision of anti- bacterial soap, disinfectants, hot water, and means of drying hands.
- Reduced trading hours and customer signage.
- Contactless payment requests and customer signage.
- Stores/Management teams have the authority to limit the numbers of customers in store at any one time and then adopt a 1 in 1 out policy
