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Reopening Checklist – Consult
It is important to consult with Trustees, staff and volunteers to get their views on whether safe reopening of your site is possible, what form it might take and the adjustments they think are needed to ensure a safe working environment and a worthwhile experience for visitors. If there are union representatives at your museum you should consult with them too.
Encourage the people you consult with to read the Guidelines to understand the considerations that need to be addressed.
Find out what safety concerns people have and discuss what steps can be taken to address them. Many museums are dependent on volunteers for their day to day operation and will need to assess whether enough volunteers are likely to be available to work safely. You might look to do this through group (virtual) meetings of your volunteers, one to one discussions, a survey or a combination of these.
Section 3.3 of the Guidelines ‘Equality in the workplace’ reminds employers of their legal responsibilities not to discriminate because of a protected characteristic, to be mindful of the particular needs of different groups or individuals and to be aware of particular responsibilities towards disabled workers and those who are new and expectant mothers. Use the steps outlined to inform your consultation work.
Consider consulting with your visitors (especially, for example, local people who may be the first to return and may be nervous about public spaces welcoming tourists back to the area). If you have members or season ticket holders make sure you consult with them. Find out what their expectations are, and what you need to have in place to reassure them that you can offer a safe and worthwhile visit.
Next – Step 2 – Assess Risk
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