Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Timms Solicitors – COVID-19 Risk Assessment

Location: Timms Solicitors Offices; Ashby, Burton, Derby & Swadlincote
Re-assessment Date: 12th April 2021
Completed By: Karen Tyers
Review Date: 1st June 2021

Infection Prevention, Cleaning and Staff Safety

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

We are hopeful that in line with Government statements there will be no further lockdowns as the months continue and we adopt an approach of learning to live with Covid-19. The economy has been decimated by the Covid-19 lockdowns and the country has struggled to bounce back as hoped, as a result of the combined impact of Covid-19 and Brexit. We must ensure the safety of our staff by making premises “COVID-19” secure, as an unsafe workplace premises raise the risks of virus transmission.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

There is a direct threat to staff health and wellbeing from transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus whilst at work.

People can catch the virus from others who are infected in the following ways:

The virus moves from person-to-person in droplets from the nose or mouth spread when a person with the virus coughs or exhales
The virus can survive for up to 72 hours out of the body on surfaces which people have coughed on, etc
People can pick up the virus by breathing in the droplets or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their eyes or mouth

Control measures

Ensure that the organisation complies with its duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace/working conditions for staff in the workplace during the coronavirus pandemic by:

Circulating “COVID secure” coronavirus policies and safety procedures to all staff and managers; these set out how staff should behave and the precautions they must adopt during the pandemic to keep them safe
Requiring staff to practice effective social distancing while in and around the workplace, while travelling to work and in all work business

Managers and Department heads should pass on and reinforce key Government public health messages to all staff:

Cover the mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not hands) when coughing or sneezing (Catch it — Bin it — Kill it)
Put used tissues in the bin straight away
Wash hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available)
Avoid close contact with people who are unwell
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
Do not touch face, eyes, nose or mouth if hands are not clean

In all departments, fully implement Public Health England (PHE) Guidance for Employers and Businesses on Coronavirus, including the following key safety precautions:

Keep local/departmental risk assessments under review to ensure that a safe place of work is maintained
Consult with staff and staff representatives – fully involve the workforce at all stages of the pandemic
Make any adjustments to the workspace/rotas/work patterns/ procedures necessary to facilitate effective infection prevention and social distancing at work
Follow government health and travel advice
Provide hand sanitiser as required · Provide infection control personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks and eye protection if required in individual risk assessments and method statements, e.g. cleaning
Increase environmental cleaning in the workplace, and ensure cleaning staff have access to suitable detergents, disinfectants and PPE
Provide additional waste removal facilities and more frequent rubbish collection
Display appropriate public health posters and notices around the workplace and on websites

Staff are not required to wear face coverings whilst at their desk but asked to do so when in communal areas.

Further actions required

None

Homeworking, Hot-desking and Equipment Sharing

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Staff working together in workplace premises inevitably raises the risk of virus transmission. Hot desking and the sharing of equipment present hazards that raise the risk of virus transmission further.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Homeworking reduces the risk of staff gathering in the workplace and of transmitting the virus.

Control measures

Homeworking is supported where symptoms of Covid-19 have been identified pending the appropriate PCR test results in order to reduce the exposure of other staff members to the potential for infection. In the event that a member of staff needs to work from home following a positive Covid-19 test until becoming symptom free or a negative PCR test

The following working arrangements will be put into place to support homeworking:

Managers will plan for the minimum number of people needed on site to operate safely and effectively manage the business and client needs
Departmental and line managers to review all staff job roles in order to facilitate and encourage homeworking wherever appropriate
Homeworking policies to be reviewed to ensure that sufficient support is provided to homeworkers
Managers should monitor the wellbeing of people who are working from home and put in place measures to support their mental and physical health and personal security
Enhanced IT support to be provided to homeworkers to ensure the effectiveness of working arrangements and the security of information and data, for example, remote access to work systems
Arrangements should help homeworkers to stay connected to the rest of the workforce as appropriate
Hot-desking will not be supported at this time
Equipment should not be shared between staff – limit use of high-touch equipment in the workplace, eg whiteboards, pens, etc
Clients attending the office will be requested to bring their own pen or choose a pen from a pen pot provided in the office and then retain that pen.

Further actions required

None

Workplace Social Distancing

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Effective social distancing is a key element in reducing the transmission of COVID-19.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Social distancing refers to people being required to maintain a distance from each other of 2 meters.

Control measures

Staff are required to practice effective social distancing while in and around the workplace, while involved in work activities and when travelling to and from work, whenever possible, by:

Avoiding nonessential contact with others
Keeping a safe distance of at least 2 metres (about 3 steps) from others whenever possible
Avoiding physical contact (eg hugs, handshakes, etc)

Adaptations to the premises to support social distancing should include:

A review of all work premises to identify suitable adaptations which will support social distancing
Offices and workspaces to be set up to support social distancing, e.g. layout changes, appropriate signage, stickers and floor markings to denote safe distances, etc
Workstations and desks to be arranged with a minimum separation between them – where necessary screens will be fitted
Establishing maximum occupancy limits for offices and work area
Reducing the need for staff to move around within the workplace or moving between offices

Adaptations to work processes to support social distancing will include:

Cancelling nonessential meetings
Holding essential meetings in well ventilated rooms with appropriate social distancing in place – limit numbers to essential members only and use phone/video conferencing, etc
Replacing face-to face meetings wherever possible with video conferencing, phone conferencing, etc
Providing hand sanitiser at meetings
Cancelling nonessential training and all face-to-face training/recruitment practices
Carrying out any essential training/ recruitment by using email/online e-learning wherever possible rather than bringing people together face to face
Reduce inter-office travel

Managers should display notices in all premises reminding staff of the key infection prevention requirements, including the need to maintain safe distancing.

Where social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, managers must carry out further risk assessments and consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate – where such activities need to continue appropriate mitigation methods should be put into place, such as:

Increased hand washing
Increased environmental cleaning
Keeping the activity time involved as short as 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)

Further actions required

None

Higher Risk Areas of the Workplace

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Some areas of the workplace may present a higher risk than others – this may include areas such as staff toilets, staff rooms and restrooms.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Heavily used areas of the workplace are more likely to present an infection transmission risk. It is essential for staff to wash hands regularly but also that toilets are kept clean and free of coronavirus contamination.

A number of staff going to the toilet together may compromise their ability to comply with social distancing.

Increased risk of people coughing and touching door handles, taps and toilet flush handles.

Control measures

Ensure higher-risk high traffic areas of the workplace are COVID secure by applying appropriate safety precautions, including:

Stressing the need to wear a face mask at all times when moving around the office including using the toilets and the kitchen
Stressing the need for staff to follow good hygiene practice at all times while at work (i.e. regular handwashing, using tissues and disposing of them appropriately etc)
Managers ensuring that adequate hand cleaning resources are provided; all staff toilets to be supplied with adequate supplies of hot water, liquid soap and paper towels
Printing handwashing instructions/posters and displaying throughout workplace, especially in toilets
Limiting numbers of staff who can use high traffic areas such as corridors, stairs, toilets and restrooms at any one time to ensure social distancing
Controlling the number of people accessing the kitchen by allowing only one person at a time
Monitor high-traffic area use and regulate access as necessary
Establishing safe queuing systems by use of room occupancy limits and floor markings/signage, etc
Placing 60% alcohol hand gels at convenient places around the workplace with instructions for use
Increasing environmental cleaning, especially in and around toilets and restrooms and staff rooms; special attention to be paid to frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, toilet flush handles, light switches, etc
Increasing toilets/washrooms inspections to check for cleanliness/adequate stock of soap/toilet paper, etc
Where possible, providing paper towels as an alternative to hand dryers in handwashing facilities

Further actions required

None

Vulnerable and Extremely Vulnerable Staff

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Some staff may have pre-existing medical conditions which render them more vulnerable to the dangers of coronavirus infection.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Those who are classified by PHE as being at greater risk from COVID-19 include people in the vulnerable (moderate risk) and extremely vulnerable (high risk) categories. Vulnerable (moderate risk) people include those who:

Are 70 or older
Are pregnant
Have a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, emphysema or bronchitis (not severe)
Have heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or liver disease (such as hepatitis)
Are taking medicine that can affect the immune system (such as low doses of steroids) or are very obese

The following PHE advice applies:

Those in the “high risk” (extremely vulnerable) category are subject to special “shielding” arrangements – they are advised to self-isolate and not leave home for any reason for at least 12 weeks
Those in the “moderate risk” (vulnerable) category are advised to stay at home as much as possible – they can go to work if they cannot work from home
People in both categories are advised by the government to be particularly stringent in complying with social distancing requirements

Pregnant women are included in the “moderate risk” category as a precaution but are not considered by PHE to be more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19. There is some evidence that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are hit harder by COVID-19.

Control measures

The following safety and staff health arrangements should apply to staff who are classified as vulnerable (moderate risk) or extremely vulnerable (high-risk):

Managers should identify and be aware of staff who fall into vulnerable and extremely vulnerable categories so they can ensure that they are given adequate protection and support to enable them to comply with government health recommendations
No member of staff in the extremely vulnerable “high-risk” category should be expected to come to work during the pandemic crisis or during recovery from the lockdown – these staff should be advised to follow government medical advice and stay at home
Extremely vulnerable “high-risk” staff will be offered furlough arrangements – where it is possible or appropriate for them to safely work from home without risk this should be facilitated
Staff in the vulnerable “moderate risk” category should be considered on a case by case basis – wherever possible they will be supported to work from home
Staff in the vulnerable “moderate risk” category who cannot work from home and wish to return to work should be offered additional protection so that they can achieve effective social distancing.
Managers should stay in touch with vulnerable or extremely vulnerable staff who are staying at home by phone to ensure they are well and to prevent them from feeling isolated
All reviews of staff roles and safety should be non discriminatory and take into consideration equality considerations and protected characteristics as defined under the Equality Act 2010, eg disabled staff
Reasonable adjustments must be made to avoid disabled workers being put at any disadvantage
Managers should refer to existing policies regarding new and expectant mothers, eg entitlement to suspension on full pay if suitable safe roles cannot be found.

Further actions required

None

Client Meetings

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Face to face meeting risk.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Members of staff can catch the virus from visitors in the ways already described.

Face to face meetings should be kept to a minimum and restricted to those clients who cannot be serviced via telephone, email or video conferencing.

Control measures

The four offices will continue to remain closed to the public.

Where a face to face meeting is the only option the following will apply:

Meetings will be held on a pre-booked appointment basis only
Clients who arrive at the office on a speculative basis will not be seen
Appointments will be limited in order to restrict the number of clients on site at the same time and to ensure there is adequate time for cleaning between meetings
Clients will be asked to confirm by email the night before that they are well and showing no symptoms of Covid-19
Meetings will only be held on the larger meeting rooms at each office

The following actions will be implemented:

“Sneeze screens” will be installed on reception desks and meeting room tables
Hand sanitising gel will be available, and visitors encouraged to use it on arrival
Rooms will be thoroughly cleaned before each client

Further actions required

None

Staff Health and Staffing Levels

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Low staffing hazards due to high rates of staff sickness or staff having to self-isolate themselves at home or remain at home because they are “shielded”.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Staff may get sick with coronavirus infection.

People who have symptoms must “self isolate” at home for 7 days from the start of symptoms to prevent them from passing the infection on and contributing to the overload on the NHS.

Those who live with others and where one person has symptoms must self-isolate as a household for 14 days from the day when the first person in the house became ill. If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14- day isolation period. Those who are considered extremely vulnerable are advised to “shield” themselves at home.

Control measures

The following safety arrangements should apply to staff health or staffing levels:

Staff who are considered extremely vulnerable or high-risk should not be expected to attend for work in the workplace – where possible or appropriate they should be furloughed or supported to work from home
Staff who are sick or self-isolating should phone immediately and inform their line manager – on no account should they attend for work
Make sure that communications go out that no member of staff should come to work if they are self isolating or if they have COVID-19 symptoms or if they feel unwell
Staff may be reallocated from nonessential parts of the organisation to essential functions or may be subject to furlough arrangements
Managers should consider temporary departmental closures or operational adjustments if staffing is reduced to unsafe levels

Further actions required

None

Premises Access and Travel

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Staff who are required to attend for work must be given safe access to the workplace.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Travel to and from work may lead to greater risk of virus transmission.

Public transport may be restricted in order to achieve social distancing on trains, buses, etc.

Access to buildings may create a virus transmission risk if staff all seek entrance at once or are channelled through single points of entry.

Risks may be increased for disabled staff who may have reduced options for access.

Control measures

The following safety arrangements should apply to workplace access and travel arrangements:

Ensure that sufficient access points to the workplace are provided so that staff do not congregate at entrances and exits – ensure that all access points have supplies of sanitizer available
Review disabled access policies and arrangements to ensure safe entrance or exit for disabled staff
Use floor markings and signage at entrances and exits and introduce one-way flow systems at entry and exit points where appropriate
Enable flexible/staggered working arrangements so that staff can avoid travelling at peak times or all arriving or leaving at the same time · Provide hand sanitiser at entrances and exits
Ask staff not to use public transport if at all possible – where they do use public transport they should conform with all requirements, eg wearing face coverings if required, social distancing, etc

In all cases non-essential travel for work purposes should be minimised.

Further actions required

None

Cases of possible Infection on site

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

People becoming unwell while on-site or a symptomatic person using a site.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

High risk of transmission.

Control measures

If a member of staff becomes unwell in the workplace with coronavirus symptoms (a new, continuous cough or a high temperature) they should be sent home and advised to follow government advice to self-isolate.

The following actions should be taken within the workplace:

All surfaces that a symptomatic person has come into contact with must be cleaned and disinfected, especially objects visibly contaminated with body fluids and all potentially contaminated high contact areas such as toilets
Public areas where a symptomatic individual has passed through and spent minimal time, such as corridors, but which are not visibly contaminated with body fluids, can be cleaned thoroughly as normal
Cleaning staff should use disposable cloths or paper roll
Cleaning staff must wear appropriate PPE
Waste from cleaning of areas where possible cases have been (including disposable cloths and tissues) should be “double-bagged” and tied off; it should be placed in a secure holding area for 72 hours before being disposed of in general waste

Further actions required

None

Business Continuity

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Crisis management and business continuity hazards caused by the pandemic emergency.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

The crisis threatens business continuity and ability to deliver essential services to our customers.

Control measures

Managers should refer to business continuity policies and procedures.

After lockdown the following safety arrangements should be applied to establish business recovery:

Establish overall coronavirus risk management team
Ask all departments to review and refresh business continuity plans as necessary
Devise appropriate business recovery plans and keep under constant review

Further actions required

None

Information

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Hazards caused by lack of information or inaccurate information being circulated.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

The pandemic has been accompanied by a large amount of official guidance, some of which needs interpretation, and also by misinformation, rumour and “fake news” or “myths”. If these are allowed to gain traction within the organisation they can obscure and confuse vital health and safety measures.

Control measures

After lockdown the following safety arrangements should be applied to mitigate risks caused by misinformation and “fake” news:

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff business strategies must be based on accurate information and staff must be given consistent, simple and clear messages
Coronavirus risk management team to monitor official advice carefully and update all policies and procedures
Managers to beware fake news and discourage the circulation of misinformation
Keep staff informed – key messages include the need for unwell staff or homeworking staff to stay at home, for frequent handwashing and for social distancing

Further actions required

None

Communication

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Threat to effective communications.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

The pandemic crisis threatens communications with clients/customers/suppliers – such communications are vital in the re-establishment of business activities and procedures after lockdown.

Control measures

After lockdown the following safety arrangements should be applied to mitigate risks to communication systems:

Senior management to review all outward facing communications (e.g. on customer website, etc) to ensure messages are consistent, clear and reflect the customer focused and socially aware values of the organisation
Managers to revise communications strategies and plans
Devise specific plans for how and how often to communicate with clients/customers/ suppliers

Further actions required

None

Cyber Security

Business hazards associated with the Coronavirus pandemic

Cyber-security risks.

Potential risks to workers, contractors, visitors and clients

Cyber-security threats often accompany a crisis, including computer viruses, phishing and scam emails and coronavirus related “ransomware”.

With the organisation and individual staff more reliant than ever on digital communications and the internet, and with more staff working from home and using a variety of digital devices, the need to ensure the security and function of our digital systems is more important than ever.

Control measures

The following safety arrangements should be applied to mitigate cyber risks:

Review cyber security and surveillance infrastructure and ensure that all reasonable protection is in place
Circulate warnings to staff and managers of any credible cyber threats, especially scam emails and text messages
Ensure that staff working from home and using remote working systems are covered by cyber-risk protections
Ensure any homeworking arrangements maintain standards of data protection and IT security
Ensure that existing cyber-security systems do not interfere with the availability of critical safety information and updates relating to coronavirus

Further actions required

None