What are the hazards?

Who might be harmed and how?

What are you already doing?

Display screen equipment, desks and desk equipment

Homeworkers – may not be working at appropriate level desk/chair; screen may not be at correct height; may not be using separate keyboard and mouse; may not have correct lighting

Provided home workers with furniture, screen stands, separate mouse and keyboard.

Conducting Health and Safety at home online learning with video demonstrating correct equipment and seating positioning.

Providing self-assessment questionnaire for completion by home worker

Separate questionnaire completed before homeworking began regarding suitability of working arrangements

Risk of infection – deliveries to home based workers

Homeworkers may be infected by items delivered to their home, arranged by employer

Items sent by the firm are prepared by office based staff wearing gloves.

Courier wears mask and gloves and observes ‘no contact’ delivery process

Remind homeworkers receiving work deliveries to take precautions they would normally take on receiving home deliveries – after opening and disposing of package, wash hands or use sanitizing gel.  Clean hardware or furniture on receipt.

Display screen equipment, desks and desk equipment

Office-based workers

risk of infection with Covid 19 through contact with other office-based workers e.g. previous occupant of desk, lack of social distancing by other office-based workers

Office-based workers reduced to only those required for effective management of firm's business activities and an individual’s work; changing government advice kept under review and firms working practices updated accordingly.

Desks used by office-based workers are spaced 2 metres apart or have screens to separate

Office desks reduced from 53 to 30 desks to allow for social distancing.

Cleaning protocols in place requiring our desks to be cleaned on arrival and departure by the user, frequent handwashing and sanitising

Cleaner focusing on communal areas, banisters, door handles et cetera.

Bespoke desk booking app – Smartway – now used to enable management of socially distanced desks and allowing the firm to trace which members of staff have been in the firm when.

Employees working from home unless it is necessary for them to work in the office in order for their role to be effectively carried out – reasons will include to be trained, to supervise or be supervised, for mental health reasons. All staff advised accordingly.

Staff working in the office, to work in "fixed teams" working in the office on specific days in order to reduce contact with other members of staff.

All staff to complete Covid-19 checklist prior to attending the office for the first time during the pandemic.

Staff are advised, signage throughout the firm to remain at the 2 metre distance at all times but where this is not possible, for example in training another person, masks are worn in the office.

Staff are instructed not to attend work if they have any cold flu or coded 19 symptoms and to contact the HR team for advice on isolation.

Employees who are self isolating are paid in full during any absence for this reason, even if their sick leave entitlement has been exhausted

Single point of entry to office (main reception) and single point of exit (Unit 2) to reduce risk.

Open windows to increase ventilation

Risk of infection – from other office workers including in communal areas of office and handling of paper, files and office equipment e.g. printers

Employees working in the office may be infected by touching an objected or piece of equipment handled by an infected person.

Sanitising stations including hand sanitiser, antibacterial cleaner and paper towels provided around the firm including at all printers, kitchens and on entry.

All office based workers wear disposable gloves or hand sanitizer when handling office equipment away from their desks or any items e.g. letters, which subsequently need to be handled by another member of the firm.

Documents for signing are left in trays to be collected.

1 person at a time in the kitchen, No drinks or food to be prepared for other members of the firm.

Frequent cleaning of door handles, bannisters, printers and communal areas such as bathrooms and kitchens

Risk of infection – deliveries to the Office

Employees may be infected by delivery personnel or items that are being delivered

Observing social distancing – deliveries left at door

Separate desks for 2 receptionists

Gloves used to handle items delivered, Reception team wears masks when receiving visitors

Risk of infection – visitors to the Office

Employees may be infected visitors who enter our Office premises e.g., members of staff who are normally home based

Observing social distancing

use of hand sanitiser and gloves on entry

contacting office manager before arrival

no other visitors allowed

Clinically or extremently clinically vulnerable employees or household members of employees

Higher risk from Covid 19

Sheilding no longer in place – government policy

Observing social distancing

use of hand sanitiser and gloves on entry

where an employee or member of their household is in that category, ensure that they continue to work from home or if in the office, continue social distancing and do not deal with visitors or members of the public in their work

Stress and anxiety

All staff could be affected the current pandemic and worries about how this affects their family, themselves and their job.

Regular group and individual supervision sessions are being encouraged over video calls, with webcams being provided to all staff.

Very regular communication to all staff about how we are managing through the pandemic and giving reassurance about how the firm is doing

Home visits to clients

 Risk of infection

No home visits at present however we have put in place a suite of risk assessments for use when the lockdown rules are eased; visits permitted if approved by Director and risk assessments carried out

Attending external meetings

 Risk of infection

No face to face external visits as present

Travel

Risk of infection, travel on public transport

Risk of infection, sharing vehicle

Office based staff all drive to work or are driven by a member of their household

Those on public transport are advised to follow government advice on face masks and travel at quieter times