Ernest Jones Covid19 Risk Assessment & Mitigation

To Our Ernest Jones Family

Signet Trading Limited (Ernest Jones) prioritises above all else the safety and wellbeing of its team members, customers and those third parties with whom it works.

Consistent with that priority, and in the context of the regulatory requirements and guidelines issued by the governments and applicable health authorities in the territories within which we operate, we have completed comprehensive Covid:19 risk assessments of our activities and locations.

Having done so, we have identified several risk-mitigation activities which will help us to manage the possibility of Covid:19 transmission and cross contamination.

The following areas of our business have been risk assessed in the context of Covid19;

  • Retail stores
  • Our store support centres
  • Our distribution centre and logistics activity; and our repair centres.

As The Result Of Those Risk Assessments, We Have Implemented A Number Of Additional Controls, These Include:

  • Taking all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m social distance in the workplace. Where social distancing is not always possible, we have put in place measures to manage transmission risk - including limiting the number of customers in our stores, one-way pedestrian traffic systems where practicable and, in certain circumstances, the use of face coverings and personal protective equipment.
  • Introducing signage in the workplace and in stores specifically designed to help ensure that social distancing and hygiene standards are observed, and through “trust manifestos” created for customers and team members, give confidence in relation to the same.
  • Enhancing cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with official guidance for all our operations, including the provision of additional cleaning/sanitising facilities in all our locations.
  • All our team members being required to complete a mandatory training module tied to our new cleaning protocol and self-care policy – making sure that they are fully aware of the precautions required to help control virus transmission before attending a Signet location.
  • Ensuring that, where team members are able to work effectively from home they are encouraged and supported to do so.

Where, notwithstanding the above steps, the risk of transmission cannot be effectively controlled, services and work activities have been suspended until further notice.

Each of our controls in mitigation are discussed and developed in consultation with team members and all Covid:19 risk assessments are published internally for our team members to review at any time. Each risk assessment is subject to a weekly review, led or facilitated by our Health & Safety department, to ensure the controls we have agreed remain relevant and are being implemented.

If you have any questions about this risk assessment and mitigation summary, or our approach to keeping our team members, customers and partners safe through this period, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. This can be through our customer services team or, where appropriate, your usual Signet contact.

June 2020