Basildon Risk Assessment

Dear All,

As you are aware, we have all been working tirelessly to ensure that the workplace is a COVID-Secure environment to provide a safe place to work following lockdown. I would like to take this opportunity now to thank you all for doing your very best to comply with the measures we have put in place already.

To arrive at the current measures we have put in place, in compliance with government regulations, we have performed a risk assessment on creating the most COVID-Secure environment we possibly can and can confirm the following steps we have taken following the government guidelines. Please note this list is not exhaustive of the steps taken, of which there are many more, but these are the main steps taken that will affect you on a daily basis.

If you wish to discuss the steps taken in any further detail, please contact me and I will happily run you through the additional steps taken and the processes in place (for example steps we need to take for anyone who needs to self-isolate):

Work Places and workstations:

• Anti-COVID screens between desks where employees are facing one another
• All staff are required to wash their hands or use hand sanitiser every time they enter or exit the building. This is the first thing everyone should do in the morning and the last thing everyone does at close of business.
• Hand Sanitiser is provided at various places in the office:

• Coffee Machine
• Scanners (to be implemented ASAP)
• Reception
• Board Room
• Front door (to be implemented ASAP)

• Hand wash readily available at all hand washing points (toilets and kitchen sink)

Social Distancing:

• Staff instructed to maintain social distancing (Poster will be erected at “choke points” such as the kitchen and corridors). Current government guidelines on social distancing is as per the below:

Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity can be redesigned to maintain a 2m distance or 1m with risk mitigations where 2m is not viable.

Further mitigating actions include:

• Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
• Keeping the activity time involved  as short as possible.
• Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other.
• Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.
• Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).

As per the above advice, our risk assessment concluded that prior to the most recent government guidelines, we already had compliant procedures in place and where we didn’t we have taken measures to ensure risk mitigation compliance on all of the above 5 points. However, regardless of the above factors, please ensure, that where possible, 2M social distance is maintained.

• Face to Face meetings in an enclosed space should be avoided where possible. Where this is not possible, please ensure 2M distance is maintained (again where possible but note 1M+ Risk mitigation is acceptable) and you look to ventilate the workspace where possible.
• Ensure only one person is using the stairs at any point i.e. no crossing.
• Wait at choke points such as corridors for people to pass to ensure maximum social distancing is maintained.
• At the workstations please avoid leaning over staff and using another staff members keyboard/mouse where possible. We understand this is not always possible in order to carry out the work efficiently, and in those circumstances please clean the equipment before and after use as well as using hand sanitiser before and after use.

Cleaning:

• We have increased the intensity of cleaning workstations and surface cleaning since the COVID outbreak began back in March. At the end of every day, all workstations and anti-COVID screens are cleaned extensively with anti-viral surface cleaner and all touch points such as door handles are bleached. All staff are under strict instructions to clear their desks every night to ensure this is made possible. Any employee not clearing their desks may face disciplinary action.
• Staff are encouraged to clean their keyboard and mice on a regular basis (daily where possible).
• Do not share stationery. If you require any stationery that you currently share, please let Reception know and they will order you some.

Ventilation:

•  Part of the COVID-Secure guidelines state that businesses should use ventilation to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, it is with immediate effect that we encourage windows to be opened where possible. When using the boardroom, is it mandatory that the windows are opened to increase ventilation.
• All doors in corridors and through to the upstairs are being left open to avoid unnecessary contact with door handles and increase ventilation.
• Air conditioning filters are cleaned regularly.
• Use desk fans to increase circulation of air in conjunction with open windows. Desk fans should only be used when there is good ventilation to increase the flow of fresh air into the building.

Common Areas:

Common areas for us include toilets, the lunch room and the board room. We have implemented the following procedures in these areas:

• A maximum of two people in the ladies toilets at any one time, please ensure you remain just inside the cubicle until the other person has left the sink area, before ensuring you wash your hands before leaving.  Please do not congregate in the ladies toilet to chat. The men’s toilets are single occupancy and therefore social distancing is ensured.
• The lunch room is to only be used to prepare food, clean up cutlery and cups etc…, and to wash hands. It is not to be used to eat food in (unless on any given day the board room is required for business activities)
• Only two people will be allowed in the lunch room at a time to maintain social distancing. If there are two people using it when you need to use it, please wait outside the room until 1 person leaves.
• The board room is now where we expect people to eat their lunch. It is a much bigger space, it is well ventilated when the windows are opened (please ensure they are closed if you are the last person to leave) and it makes social distancing much easier to comply with. It should allow 3-4 people to comfortably take their lunch at the same time. However, please be mindful of anyone else wanting to take their lunch. If you have finished eating and someone else wants to some in and take lunch, please vacate the room to allow this to happen.
• There will be times where the business requires the board room for business activities and everyone will be notified prior to this and you will have to revert to the current lunch room. Again please be mindful of colleagues wanting to take lunch at the same time. If you have finished eating, please move on.
• Government advice states that we should encourage staff to bring their own lunch to work. This reduces the contact you have outside the work bubble. We understand this is not always possible but it will help decrease your chances of contracting COVID 19 from an outside source.
• The official advice from the government is that we should look to stagger our lunches. We do already do this with an early lunch break and a late lunch break, thus reducing the numbers of people taking lunch at the same time, whilst maintaining cover on the desks.

Visitors:

• The majority of visitors are banned from the office unless they are emergency workers (IT, builders, plumbers, maintenance staff etc…).
• All visitors allowed into the building will be made to wash their hands or use hand sanitisers before they start works. This is everyone’s responsibility so if you let someone into the building, it is your responsibility to ensure they comply.
• Additionally, you need to make them aware of our social distancing policies. Remind them that we are operating a 1M+ policy and to maintain 2M wherever possible.
• Daily post, parcels and deliveries of suppliers will only be received downstairs. No one is to be allowed upstairs or beyond the men’s toilets downstairs. When receiving goods, whoever takes receipt of the delivery needs to ensure they wash their hands or use hand sanitiser after receiving the goods.
• Please strive to maintain social distancing with any delivery drivers, couriers or postmen/women. If the delivery driver is not respecting the 2M rules, please remind them politely to do so.
• Signing visitors into the building: This is to be carried out by a staff member from now on. The guest book is no longer on display on reception it is held behind the reception desk.
• Prior to answering the door buzzer phone, please use hand sanitiser. Once answered it needs to be wiped down with anti-viral spray once used.

Communication:

We will be putting up information posters around the building in the coming days. These are to help remind people of the procedures we have in place. If you are at all unsure of anything, or have any concerns, please put them in writing to me on email, and we can discuss them further.

As mentioned above, this list is by no means exhaustive,  and is subject to change in accordance with government guidelines.

Please do your very best to follow these new procedures, we understand, as does the government, that they are not always practical or possible, but if we all work with the common goal of keeping the workplace as COVID-Secure as possible we in turn ensure that we are doing our very best to keep the business running as safely as possible.

Birmingham Risk Assessment

As you are aware, we have all been working tirelessly to ensure that the workplace is a COVID-Secure environment to provide a safe place to work following lockdown. I would like to take this opportunity now to thank you all for doing your very best to comply with the measures we have put in place already.

To arrive at the current measures we have put in place, in compliance with government regulations, we have performed a risk assessment on creating the most COVID-Secure environment we possibly can and can confirm the following steps we have taken following the government guidelines. Please note this list is not exhaustive of the steps taken, of which there are many more, but these are the main steps taken that will affect you on a daily basis.

If you wish to discuss the steps taken in any further detail, please contact me and I will happily run you through the additional steps taken.

Work Places and workstations:

• Anti-COVID screens between desks where employees are facing one another
• All staff are required to wash their hands or use hand sanitiser every time they enter or exit the building. This is the first thing everyone should do in the morning and the last thing everyone does at close of business.
• Hand Sanitiser is provided the office at:

• Scanner / photocopier.
• Alliance office entrance door

• Hand wash readily available at all hand washing points (toilets and kitchen sink)
• Wet wipes are available at the building entrance door.

Social Distancing:

• Staff are  instructed to maintain social distancing (Poster will be erected at “choke points” such as the kitchen and corridors). Current government guidelines on social distancing is as per the below:

Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity can be redesigned to maintain a 2m distance or 1m with risk mitigations where 2m is not viable.

Further mitigating actions include:

• Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
• Keeping the activity time involved  as short as possible.
• Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other.
• Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.
• Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).

As per the above advice, our risk assessment concluded that prior to the most recent government guidelines, we already had compliant procedures in place and where we didn’t we have taken measures to ensure risk mitigation compliance on all of the above 5 points. However, regardless of the above factors, please ensure, that where possible, 2M social distance is maintained.

• Face to Face meetings in an enclosed space should be avoided where possible. Where this is not possible, please ensure 2M distance is maintained (again where possible but note 1M+ Risk mitigation is acceptable) and you look to ventilate the workspace where possible.
• Ensure only one person is using the stairs at any point i.e. no crossing.
• Wait at choke points such as corridors for people to pass to ensure maximum social distancing is maintained.
• At the workstations please avoid leaning over staff and using another staff members keyboard/mouse where possible. We understand this is not always possible in order to carry out the work efficiently, and in those circumstances please clean the equipment before and after use as well as using hand sanitiser before and after use.

Cleaning:

• We have increased the intensity of cleaning workstations and surface cleaning since the COVID outbreak began back in March. At the end of every day, all workstations and anti-COVID screens are cleaned extensively with anti-viral surface cleaner and all touch points such as door handles are bleached. All staff are under strict instructions to clear their desks every night to ensure this is made possible. Any employee not clearing their desks may face disciplinary action.
• Staff are encouraged to clean their keyboard and mice on a regular basis (daily where possible).
• Do not share stationery. If you require any stationery that you currently share, please let Reception know and they will order you some.

Ventilation:

•  Part of the COVID-Secure guidelines state that businesses should use ventilation to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, it is with immediate effect that we encourage windows to be opened where possible. When using the boardroom, is it mandatory that the windows are opened to increase ventilation.
• All doors in corridors and through to the upstairs are being left open to avoid unnecessary contact with door handles and increase ventilation.
• Air conditioning filters are cleaned regularly.
• Use desk fans to increase circulation of air in conjunction with open windows. Desk fans should only be used when there is good ventilation to increase the flow of fresh air into the building.

Common Areas:

Common areas for us include toilets, the Kitchen and the board room. We have implemented the following procedures in these areas:

• A maximum of one person at any one time in the toilet area, please remain outside  until the other person has left the toilet area. Ensuring you wash your hands before leaving.  Please us the NEW slide door sign to indicate occupancy.
• The kitchen area is only to be used for food and drink preparation unless eating. Consumption of food is to be restricted to two people in the kitchen and three in the boardroom (unless on any given day the board room is required for business activities).
• The board room is the first option for people to eat their lunch. It is a much bigger space, it is well ventilated when the windows are opened (please ensure they are closed if you are the last person to leave) and it makes social distancing much easier to comply with. Please vacate the room once you have finished eating.
• There will be times where the business requires the board room for business activities and everyone will be notified prior to this and you will have to revert to the kitchen. Again please be mindful of colleagues wanting to take lunch at the same time. If you have finished eating, please move on.
• Government advice states that we should encourage staff to bring their own lunch to work. This reduces the contact you have outside the work bubble. We understand this is not always possible but it will help decrease your chances of contracting COVID 19 from an outside source.
• The official advice from the government is that we should look to stagger our lunches. We do already do this with an early lunch break and a late lunch break, thus reducing the numbers of people taking lunch at the same time, whilst maintaining cover on the desks.

Visitors:

• The majority of visitors are banned from the office unless they are emergency workers (IT, builders, plumbers, maintenance staff etc…).
• All visitors allowed into the building will be made to wash their hands or use hand sanitisers before they start works. This is everyone’s responsibility so if you let someone into the building, it is your responsibility to ensure they comply.
• Additionally, you need to make them aware of our social distancing policies. Remind them that we are operating a 1M+ policy and to maintain 2M wherever possible.
• Daily post, parcels and deliveries of suppliers will only be received downstairs. No one is to be allowed upstairs. When receiving goods, whoever takes receipt of the delivery needs to ensure they wash their hands or use hand sanitiser after receiving the goods.
• Please strive to maintain social distancing with any delivery drivers, couriers or postmen/women. If the delivery driver is not respecting the 2M rules, please remind them politely to do so.
• Signing visitors into the building: This is to be carried out by a staff member from now on. The guest book is no longer on display, it is held behind the printer at the office door.

Communication:

We have put up information posters around the building. These are to help remind people of the procedures we have in place. If you are at all unsure of anything, or have any concerns, please put them in writing to me on email, and we can discuss them further.

As mentioned above, this list is by no means exhaustive,  and is subject to change in accordance with government guidelines.

Please do your very best to follow these procedures, we understand, as does the government, that they are not always practical or possible, but if we all work with the common goal of keeping the workplace as COVID-Secure as possible we in turn ensure that we are doing our very best to keep the business running as safely as possible.

LHR Risk Assessment

Dear All,

As you are aware, we have all been working tirelessly to ensure that the workplace is a COVID-Secure environment to provide a safe place to work following lockdown. I would like to take this opportunity now to thank you all for doing your very best to comply with the measures we have put in place already.

To arrive at the current measures we have put in place, in compliance with government regulations, we have performed a risk assessment on creating the most COVID-Secure environment we possibly can and can confirm the following steps we have taken following the government guidelines. Please note this list is not exhaustive of the steps taken, of which there are many more, but these are the main steps taken that will affect you on a daily basis.

If you wish to discuss the steps taken in any further detail, please contact me and I will happily run you through the additional steps taken and the processes in place (for example steps we need to take for anyone who needs to self-isolate):

Work Places and workstations:

• All staff are required to wash their hands or use hand sanitiser every time they enter or exit the building / office. This is the first thing everyone should do in the morning and the last thing everyone does at close of business.
• Hand Sanitiser is provided at various places in the office:

• Scanner
• Front door
• Kettle / Tea & Coffee making facilities.

• Hand wash readily available at all hand washing points (toilets and kitchen sink) with our own anti-bacterial hand wash in the office for Alliance use .

Social Distancing:

• Staff instructed to maintain social distancing (Poster will be erected at “choke points” such as the kitchen and corridors). Current government guidelines on social distancing is as per the below:

Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity can be redesigned to maintain a 2m distance or 1m with risk mitigations where 2m is not viable.

Further mitigating actions include:

• Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
• Keeping the activity time involved  as short as possible.
• Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other.
• Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.
• Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).

As per the above advice, our risk assessment concluded that prior to the most recent government guidelines, we already had compliant procedures in place and where we didn’t we have taken measures to ensure risk mitigation compliance on all of the above 5 points. However, regardless of the above factors, please ensure, that where possible, 2M social distance is maintained.

• Face to Face meetings in an enclosed space should be avoided where possible. Where this is not possible, please ensure 2M distance is maintained (again where possible but note 1M+ Risk mitigation is acceptable) and you look to ventilate the workspace where possible.
• Ensure only one person is using the stairs at any point i.e. no crossing.
• Wait at choke points such as corridors for people to pass to ensure maximum social distancing is maintained.
• At the workstations please avoid leaning over staff and using another staff members keyboard/mouse where possible. We understand this is not always possible in order to carry out the work efficiently, and in those circumstances please clean the equipment before and after use as well as using hand sanitiser before and after use.

Cleaning:

• At the end of every day, all workstations are to be cleaned extensively with anti-viral surface cleaner and all touch points such as door handles should be regularly wiped down . Any employee not cleaning their desks may face disciplinary action.
• Staff are encouraged to clean their keyboard and mice on a regular basis (daily where possible) and are encouraged to keep their own workstation clean with the cleaning products provided.
• Do not share stationery. If you require any stationery that we currently do not have please make a request for some to be ordered .

Ventilation:

•  Part of the COVID-Secure guidelines state that businesses should use ventilation to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, it is with immediate effect that we encourage windows to be opened where possible.
• All doors in corridors and through to the upstairs are being left open to avoid unnecessary contact with door handles and increase ventilation.
• Use of Air conditioning should be avoided where possible.
• Use floor fans to increase circulation of air in conjunction with open windows. Fans should only be used when there is good ventilation to increase the flow of fresh air into the building.

Common Areas:

Common areas for us include toilets , we have implemented the following procedures in these areas:

• A maximum of two people in the toilet at any one time, please ensure you remain just inside the cubicle until the other person has left the sink area, before ensuring you wash your hands before leaving.  Please do not congregate in the toilet to chat.
• Government advice states that we should encourage staff to bring their own lunch to work. This reduces the contact you have outside the work bubble. We understand this is not always possible but it will help decrease your chances of contracting COVID 19 from an outside source or need to leave the office.
• The official advice from the government is that we should look to stagger our lunches. We do this already thus reducing the numbers of people taking lunch at the same time, whilst maintaining cover on the desks.

Visitors:

• The majority of visitors are banned from the office unless they are emergency workers (IT, builders, plumbers, maintenance staff etc…).
• All visitors allowed into the building will be made to wash their hands or use hand sanitisers before they start works. This is everyone’s responsibility so if you let someone into the building, it is your responsibility to ensure they comply.
• Additionally, you need to make them aware of our social distancing policies. Remind them that we are operating a 1M+ policy and to maintain 2M wherever possible.
• Daily post, parcels and deliveries of suppliers will only be received downstairs. No one is to be allowed upstairs. When receiving goods or post, whoever takes receipt of that delivery needs to ensure they wash their hands or use hand sanitiser after receiving the goods.
• Please strive to maintain social distancing with any delivery drivers, couriers or postmen/women. If the delivery driver is not respecting the 2M rules, please remind them politely to do so.
• Signing visitors into the building: This is to be carried out by a staff member from now on.
• Prior to answering the door buzzer phone, please use hand sanitiser next to it. Once answered it needs to be wiped down with anti-viral spray once used and again hand sanitiser used.

Communication:

We will be putting up information posters around the office & in communal areas Alliance may use in the coming days. These are to help remind people of the procedures we have in place. If you are at all unsure of anything, or have any concerns, please put them in writing to me on email, and we can discuss them further.

As mentioned above, this list is by no means exhaustive,  and is subject to change in accordance with government guidelines.

Please do your very best to follow these new procedures, we understand, as does the government, that they are not always practical or possible, but if we all work with the common goal of keeping the workplace as COVID-Secure as possible we in turn ensure that we are doing our very best to keep the business running as safely as possible.