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HAZARD

Exposure from others due to:
1) Living with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

2) Have come into close contact (within 2 metres for 15 minutes or more) with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

3) Being advised by a public health agency that contact with a diagnosed case has occurred.

RISK

4

x

3

=

12

CONTROL MEASURES

  • Continue following government action of self isolation and only to leave house on the following circumstances: for medical reasons; to shop for necessary food supplies; for exercise;; and for work where you cannot do this at home

  • Any existing individual risk assessments (disability, young persons or new / expectant mothers) to be reviewed

  • Maintain contact with line management and Human Resources (HR) and to follow company policy / guidance.

  • Travel is only required where you cannot work from home.Use private transportation, cycle or walk. As a last resort public transport to be used as a minimum and to implement social distancing where possible

  • To continue following ongoing government guidance

  • Stay at home and only attend hospital in an emergency. Do not attend GP surgery and phone NHS line (111) if further advice is required

  • Company to ensure extremely clinically vulnerable persons do not come to work and continue to shield themselves whilst following their specific medical advice issued to them

  • Follow good NHS hygiene measures at all times

  • Avoid all visitors to your home unless they are providing a medical requirement

  • Do not approach delivery staff, allow packages to be left on the doorstep

  • Do not take any antibiotics as they do not work against viruses.

RR

4

x

1

=

4

PERSON AT RISK

Individual workers

Suspected case whilst working on site

4

x

4

=

16

If a worker develops a high temperature or a persistent cough while at work, they should:

  •  Return home immediately 

  • Avoid touching anything 

  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin, or if they do not have tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow.

  • They must then follow the guidance on self-isolation and not return to work until their period of self-isolation has been completed.

  • The work area should receive deep cleaning and social distancing maintained

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

General  travel including foreign travel

4

x

4

=

16

  • Do not travel unless you cannot work from home or deemed a key worker – implement teleconferencing for meetings

  • Where an individual has recently travelled abroad, they must self-isolate for 14 days

  • Please continue to follow any further national government advice provided

  • Where an occupational health (OH) service provider has been appointed, please seek additional advice or concerns through this service

  • All persons to limit their use of public transport. Where travel is essential, please use private single occupancy where possible, cycle or walk

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Access / egress to site

4

x

4

=

16

Where possible, please consider and implement the following practices:

  • Ensure all extremely clinically vulnerable persons do not attend site

  • Stop all non-essential visitors

  • Log all visitors to site 

  • Introduce staggered start and finish times to reduce congestion and contact at all times

  • Monitor site access points to enable social distancing – you may need to change the number of access points, either increase to reduce congestion or decrease to enable monitoring 

  • Remove or disable entry systems that require skin contact e.g. fingerprint scanners and look to increase cleaning or removal of common ‘touch points’ on site

  • Require all workers to wash or clean their hands before entering or leaving the site 

  • Allow plenty of space (two metres) between people waiting to enter site 

  • Regularly clean common contact surfaces in reception, office, access control and delivery areas e.g. scanners, turnstiles, screens, telephone handsets, desks, particularly during peak flow times 

  • Reduce the number of people in attendance at site inductions and consider holding them outdoors wherever possible 

  • Drivers should remain in their vehicles if the load will allow it and must wash or clean their hands before unloading goods and materials.

  • Designate walking routes and one way systems with signage to help maintain social distancing

  • Additional parking and cycling facilities to be implemented to encourage those to avoid using public transport when travelling to work

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Inclement weather – cold temperature

2

x

2

=

4

  • All persons to dress appropriately for the weather

  • Welfare facilities provided to shelter from the elements

  • Maintain good hygiene measures at all times

  • PPE on individual issue basis and not to be shared

2

x

1

=

2

Individual workers

Poor hygiene

4

x

4

=

16

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.  Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap and water is not available and hand washing technique to be adopted as directed by NHS

  • Avoid touching your face/eyes/nose/mouth with unwashed hands and cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw it in the bin.

  • Provide additional hand washing facilities to the usual welfare facilities if a large spread out site or significant numbers of personnel on site

  • Regularly clean the hand washing facilities and check soap and sanitiser levels 

  • Provide suitable and sufficient rubbish bins for hand towels with regular removal and disposal.

  • Sites will need extra supplies of soap, hand sanitiser and paper towels and these should be securely stored.

  • Restrict the number of people using toilet facilities at any one time e.g. use a welfare attendant  Wash hands before and after using the facilities  Enhance the cleaning regimes for toilet facilities particularly door handles, locks and the toilet flush  Portable toilets should be avoided wherever possible, but where in use these should be cleaned and emptied more frequently

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Canteen - exposure from large numbers of persons

4

x

4

=

16

  • The workforce can stay on site once they have entered it and not use local shops to limit contact with others.

  • Dedicated eating areas should be identified on site to reduce food waste and contamination 

  • Break times should be staggered to reduce congestion and contact at all times 

  • Hand cleaning facilities or hand sanitiser should be available at the entrance of any room where people eat and should be used by workers when entering and leaving the area 

  • The workforce should be asked to bring pre-prepared meals and refillable drinking bottles from home 

  • Workers should sit 2 metres apart from each other whilst eating and avoid all contact

  •  Where catering is provided on site, it should provide pre-prepared and wrapped food only - Payments should be taken by contactless card wherever possible and Crockery, eating utensils, cups etc. should not be used 

  • Drinking water should be provided with enhanced cleaning measures of the tap mechanism introduced 

  • Tables should be cleaned between each use 

  • All rubbish should be put straight in the bin and not left for someone else to clear up 

  • All areas used for eating must be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each break and shift, including chairs, door handles, vending machines and payment devices.

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Use of Changing facilities, showers and drying rooms

4

x

4

=

16

  • Introduce staggered start and finish times to reduce congestion and contact at all times 

  • Introduce enhanced cleaning of all facilities throughout the day and at the end of each day

  • Consider increasing the number or size of facilities available on site if possible

  • Based on the size of each facility, determine how many people can use it at any one time to maintain a distance of two metres 

  • Provide suitable and sufficient rubbish bins in these areas with regular removal and disposal.

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Manual handling - dual lifting

4

x

4

=

16

  • Always consider if the task can be performed with one person using mechanical aid

  • Ensure the individual(s) are fit for work prior to commencing task

  • Break down the load where possible so that one person can comfortably carry

  • Assess your route so you can maintain 2m social distance whilst moving the load

  • Where dual lifts cannot be avoided, lift facing away from each each or side by side rather than face to face where possible

  • Where teams are used, try to keep to fixed teams / partnering to prevent cross over of workers

  • Where PPE is to be used, this is on an individual issue and items should not be shared

1

x

4

=

4

Individual workers

Taking / accepting deliveries - contact with materials and persons (driver)

4

x

4

=

16

  • Review logistics plans to ensure safest routes have been identified including implementing one way systems

  • Maintain 2m social distancing when accepting materials

  • Materials to be placed outside of sites to reduce exposure to drivers

  • Review work programme to assess whether ‘just in time’ arrangements can be made to prevent additional or unnecessary deliveries

  • Hand washing and sanitizer measures available to maintain good hygiene

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Working in local vicinity to construction workforce (maintaining 2m distancing)

4

x

4

=

16

  • Starting and finishing times are to be staggered and reviewed to ensure no build up of staff / teams in areas

  • Workers who are unwell with symptoms of Covid-19 should not attend the workplace

  • Work design to be reviewed regularly to identify any safer ways to move around site

  • Work programme to be reviewed to identify any work reordering that would limit exposure to others

  • Tasks are to be rearranged to enable them to be done by one person or as small number of persons without compromising safety measures.

  • Maintain social distancing measure of 2 metres from each other as much as possible with supervision in place to monitor compliance

  • Avoid skin to skin and face to face contact

  • Stairs should be used in preference to lifts or hoists and consider one ways systems around construction sites

  • Consider alternative or additional mechanical aids to reduce worker interface

  • Any additional COVID 19 measures specified by your Principal Contractor’s site rules must be followed. Details of this shall be shared at site induction

  • Above hygiene measures and additional cleaning schedules to remain (regularly washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water)

  • Any health concern to be raised immediately to line management / principal Contractor

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

Working within 2 metres of working team

4

x

4

=

16

  • Always consider if the task can be performed differently without having to breach the 2m social distancing rule

  • Workers are to limit face to face working and work facing away from each other when possible

  • Limit the frequency of working within 2m to an absolute minimum and ensure it is for strictly low intensity, sporadic work where exposure to this distance is less than 15 mins

  • Consider introducing an enhanced authorisation process (permit to work)  for activities where less than 2m distance may be required

  • Provide additional supervision to monitor distancing and teams not to be rotated

  • Continue to conduct dynamic risk assessments whilst completing the work and speak up if there is a safer way of completing the task

  • All equipment to be thoroughly cleaned prior and after using it.

  • Increased ventilation will be provided within enclosed spaces

  • Sites can consider face covering however, it is advised to speak to your H&S competent person on these matters and supplies should be reserved for medical staff as it has been documented that the protective effect is minimal and supplies have been difficult to procure

  •  Where respiratory protective equipment (RPE) needs to be worn, face fit testing (FFT) must be in place. This equipment is reserved to protect workers from other hazardous substances rather than COVID19 as there is limited evidence that the equipment will offer a high level of protection

  • Consideration given to disposable gloves and eyewear to prevent and reduce potential contamination

  •  Reusable PPE should be thoroughly cleaned after use and not shared between workers. These should be stored in suitable places

  • Single use PPE should be disposed of so that it cannot be reused and to control potential contamination is controlled (waste removed by a responsible, approved contractor).

  • Workers deemed clinically vulnerable should never work within 2m of persons and preference should be given to whether any change in task can allow an individual to work from home where possible

4

x

2

=

8

Individual workers

First aid - including mental health

4

x

4

=

16

  • First aid contents to be monitored to ensure adequate supplies remain

  • First aid and cover arrangements to be reviewed

  • First aider certificates to be checked for validity and understand amended practices in regards to attending a casualty during COVID (such as revised CPR methodology)

  • Emergency plans on site and communicated so all staff understand what action to take in the event of a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19

  • Mental health first aiders to be considered

  • Communicate any occupational health service available to the workforce including any available employee assistance programme (EAP) or public support

  • Line management to regularly communicate to their team(s)

  • Effective reporting system established on site in order to rectify any raised issues or incidents in a timely manner

4

x

1

=

4

Individual workers

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Notes

Management

  • Please ensure all staff are aware of reporting requirements and that all confirmed cases are escalated to your H&S competent person .

  • Information notes are to be sent out and any updates communicated in a timely manner to the workforce.

  • This must include letting staff know about symptoms and actions the medical professionals are advising people to take.

  • A colleague who has been isolated for 14 days cannot return to work until the appropriate ‘fit note’ documentation is provided by their GP/healthcare provider to demonstrate they are now fit to return to work.

  • Assessments to be reviewed every 6 months or where significant change has occurred

  • Please remind staff that in order to minimise the risk of spread of infection, we rely on everyone in the industry taking responsibility for their actions and behaviours.

  • Please encourage an open and collaborative approach between your teams on site where any issues can be openly discussed and addressed.

If in England call NHS on 111, if in Scotland call your GP or NHS 24, If in Wales call 0845 46 47 or 111 or if in Northern Ireland contact 0300 200 7885 where you will be assessed by an appropriate specialist.  NHS guidance is that you do not go directly to your GP surgery, community pharmacy or hospital unless an emergency occurs.

Introduction

Exposure Risk

Travel

Access & Egress

Welfare / Hygiene

Social Distancing (2m and working within 2m of workers)

Assessment Date: 1st June 2021

Review Date: 31st May 2022

Version: 1.10

COVID-19 Risk Assessment

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