A template safety notice and risk-acknowledgement for customers of a shop, restaurant or similar premises in England & Wales, combining a public-health safety protocol with a customer declaration.
⚠️ Important (a "waiver" cannot exclude liability for personal injury or death from negligence. Under section 2(1) of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and section 65 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a business cannot exclude or restrict its liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, whether by a notice, a sign, or a "waiver" a customer signs. A document that asks customers to "assume all risk and hold the business harmless" for catching an illness through the business's negligence is therefore largely ineffective for that purpose, and presenting it as if it were binding can mislead customers. This template is framed as a safety protocol plus an honest acknowledgement of risk) not as a liability exclusion. You should still meet your duties to take reasonable care of visitors (Occupiers' Liability Act 1957).
How to use this template - Replace every
[SQUARE-BRACKET]field before use. - This is a period document from the COVID-19 era. Public-health rules change, check the current government and public-health guidance before relying on any specific measure. - Have a solicitor review before display or use, especially the acknowledgement wording.
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[BUSINESS NAME], Health and Safety Notice to Customers
Our commitment. The health and safety of our customers and staff is our priority. We take reasonable steps to provide a safe environment, including the measures below, and we owe our visitors a duty of care which we do not seek to exclude.
Our safety measures.
- We follow current government and public-health guidance applicable to our premises.
- We maintain enhanced cleaning of high-contact surfaces.
- We provide hand-sanitiser at [LOCATIONS].
- We ask anyone who feels unwell or has relevant symptoms not to enter, and to contact us to rearrange.
- [Add any current measures, e.g. ventilation, capacity limits, only those genuinely in place.]
What we ask of you.
- Please follow staff instructions and any signage while on the premises.
- Please use the hand-sanitiser provided and respect other customers' space.
- Please do not visit if you are unwell or have been advised to stay away.
Acknowledgement (optional). By entering, I confirm that I have read this notice, that I am not knowingly unwell, and that I understand there is an inherent risk of exposure to illness in any public place. (This acknowledgement records the customer's understanding; it does not, and is not intended to, exclude the business's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, which cannot lawfully be excluded.)
Signed (optional): __________________ Name: [NAME] Date: [DATE]
--- This template is a starting point and not legal advice. It must reflect current public-health guidance, and it does not exclude liability for negligence, have a qualified solicitor review and adapt it before use. Governing law: England & Wales.