Risk assessment - pandemic

It’s vital that you take reasonable steps to prevent staff from being exposed to the risks of any type of pandemic. Our risk assessment identifies the hazards and appropriate control measures to follow.

Purpose

Our Risk Assessment - Pandemic, in our standard health and safety risk assessment template, identifies activities that may need to be completed during any pandemic. It identifies the “Persons at risk”, the “Significant hazards” and, most importantly, the “Risk control measures” that should be followed to reduce the risks to an acceptable level.

Detail

The first sections cover “Working during the pandemic”. Here our suggested control measures follow the government guidance closely. We have stated that “You must only travel to your workplace if your work absolutely cannot be done from home.” and “If you leave your home, you should minimise any time spent outside and ensure that you are two metres apart from anyone outside your household.”

Note. . We suggest that you keep abreast of developing situations so you don’t risk a fine for failure to comply.

Welfare facilities

If staff and others are working on your premises, you must provide appropriate toilet, washroom and rest facilities. We have highlighted the need for all persons using such facilities to maintain good hygiene standards and impose a two-metre rule in so far as is reasonably practicable.

Maintaining standards

The document clarifies that your safe systems of work must be maintained. For example, staff are not to complete tasks they are not deemed competent in or use machinery in ways it is not designed for.