Almondsbury Creative

Covid-19 Risk Assessment

06/04/21

Assessment carried out by: Garth Jackson

 

Contents

1. Introduction

  • The Hazard
  • Known routes of transmission
  • Main controls
  • Hierarchy of Controls

 

2. Staff Risk Assessment

  • Before Returning to Work
  • Pre-arrival
  • Arrival
  • Uniform Change/Removal
  • Moving around the building
  • Kitchen areas
  • Equipment and Machinery
  • Deliveries and Contractors arriving on the Premises
  • Other areas to consider with specific controls
  • Staff toilet use
  • Interactions with Customers
  • Interactions with Colleagues
  • Use of the Office Space
  • Staff Rooms
  • Leaving Work
  • When a member of staff or their immediate family feel unwell

3. Customer Journey

  • Capacity
  • Booking
  • Arrival – outside the property
  • Arrival – entering the property
  • Moving around / walking to tables
  • At the Bar
  • Ordering Food and Drink
  • Going to the Toilet
  • Paying
  • Leaving the premises

4. Cleaning and Hygiene Controls

  • Keeping the Venue Clean
  • Keeping the Kitchen Clean
  • Handwashing, Hand Sanitisation Stations and Toilets
  • Staff Room
  • Fruit Machine
  • Live Music
  • Condiments and Cutlery

Introduction

To comply with current Government requirements for re-opening businesses in the hospitality sector, this document has been developed to form a framework for hospitality businesses to use an industry-specific template to carry out an assessment of risk of COVID-19 in their business and determine the controls necessary to reduce risks to those who work in and enter the premises. It differs to a “normal” risk assessment because this is a unique situation. The hazard, (SARS-CoV-2) is the same throughout, and the risks depend on the activities at various stages of the customer or employee journey in the premises.

This document has been developed as a hybrid of HACCP and a Risk Assessment, taking a step by step approach, to demonstrate that the business has considered the routes people take through the business and the hazard and risks encountered by both customers and the staff at various steps to therefore give confidence to guests, staff and enforcement agencies that due consideration has been given to this serious issue.

 

This document identifies the routes that people will typically take, either to carry out their jobs or as customers, identify what risks from coronavirus are involved, and subsequently how to take action to reduce these risks.  These process steps may then need to be adjusted and reviewed, if it is found that the route or journey needs to be changed to ensure a safer environment, or if the legislation or government guidance changes.

Customers can be advised of actions taken to give confidence that the business has considered everyone’s safety. This will also be useful to ensure that customers know what the new “rules” are so that everyone’s expectations are managed in advance and that there is a reduced risk of any aggressive behaviour during their visit.

The controls noted in this document are over and above the normal food safety and health and safety policies and procedures that are currently in place.

The Hazard

Covid-19 is a respiratory disease that can invade a host via the respiratory route or via hand to eye / mouth / nose contact.

Any individual may be a symptomless carrier, meaning any of us could be shedding the virus, even without displaying any symptoms and thus we could pass it on either directly or indirectly to others.

  • Other difficulties are that recovered cases may be infectious for an undetermined time, and it is not known what level of immunity is conferred on recovered cases. Furthermore, a recovered case who may have immunity may still spread the virus through touching contaminated surfaces and spreading the contamination by their hands.

 

We therefore must assume that the hazard of SARS-CoV-2 could be present in any staff or visitors to the premises and consider the risk mitigation accordingly.

Known Routes of Transmission

  • Direct contact to face – eyes, nose from droplets spraying from an infected person onto another person who is in close contact.
  • Contamination via droplets from sneezing and coughing landing on surfaces and then transferring via hands on to eyes and nose and mouth. Other means of secretions getting on to surfaces could be from infected people touching their eyes, nose and mouth and then touching surfaces with contaminated hands.
  • Contaminated hands of infected people can transfer the virus directly to others (e.g. handshakes) or on to hand contact surfaces which can be picked up by other people’s hands and transferred to their eyes, nose or mouth.

Main controls

  • Social distancing – 2m apart or 16m2 per table
  • Disinfecting hand contact surfaces
  • Hand washing and hand sanitiser use
  • Not touching eyes, mouth, or nose with contaminated fingers

Hierarchy of Controls

 

2. Staff Risk Assessment

Item No. Area Control
2.1 Before Returning to Work

All employees will be contacted prior to return to discuss their own personal circumstances and whether they are happy to return to work.  This is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of them and their families.

This pre-return interview will cover:

–             Their ability to work (e.g. childcare provisions may have changed)

–             If they are classed as high risk and have been shielding – or live with someone who is

 

Based on the responses, management will take these into consideration when arranging work rotas.

 

All employees will be asked to complete a training course, ensuring awareness of the diseases, how it is transmitted and how to help prevent the disease from spreading.

 

All employees will be provided with details of the contents of this risk assessment, in-particular, the elements of how the working environment has changed and how this will impact their role.

2.2 Pre-arrival

As per current guidelines, if an employee is feeling unwell, they should not turn up to work, but call in advance to make the management team aware.  They should then follow government guidelines before attempting to return to work.

Travel to work: 

Employees should aim to travel to work avoiding public transport.

Employees should aim for their journey to work be direct from their home (e.g. avoid running errands/supermarket shops between leaving home and arriving at work)

Front of house staff should dress for work shortly before arriving for their shift (e.g. don’t wear the same clothes they did the Tesco shop earlier to work).

2.3 Arrival

On arrival, if the pub is open to customers, staff should arrive via the Main Hall entrance.

Immediately on arrival, they must wash their hands.

Coats and bags must be left in the Skittle Alley – each employee will be assigned their own table and cannot use others.

PPE will be made available to staff.

Employees should bring their own filled drinks container to limit trips to the bar for refreshments.

Where shifts would typically be commencing at the same time, these will be staggered if necessary.

2.4 Uniform Change/Removal

Staff should not arrive in their work clothes but get changed in the stage area or skittle alley.

Staff should not leave in their work clothes but change before returning home.

Staff should wash themselves and their workwear as soon as they get home.

 

If it is not practical to change on the premises, the advice is to change for work at home immediately prior to leaving to travel to start your shift and change out of your workwear as soon as you get home.

 

2.5 Moving around the building

The inside trading areas will be closed to the General Public as we will only be trading outside.  However, whilst inside the building please follow social distancing guidelines

 

Bar area:  where possible, only 2 people should be behind the bar.  If the bar requires more than 2 people we shall open the hall bar for draught product pouring purposes.

Cellar:  only one person in the cellar at any one time

Kitchen:  A maximum of 2 people, wearing masks, should be in the kitchen at any point if required

 

2.6 Kitchen areas

Kitchen staff should aim to remain in their kitchen zone as much as possible.

When this is not possible, staff should not loiter in the other zones and return to their workstation as soon as practical

 

Work surfaces should be cleaned down frequently during the shift.

 

Only one person should be accessing the freezers/fridges at any one time.

Handles need to be wiped down frequently.

 

Where possible, only one person should be assigned to working kitchen equipment (microwave, fryers). When this is not practical, staff must ensure that handles are wiped down regularly

2.7 Equipment and Machinery

Front of house – FOH staff will be required to keep their own pen and pad

Bar Staff – will be required to keep their own pen and pad

Tills – only one person should be using the till in any session.  The nominated users will be assigned by management.  If others do need to use the till, they should wipe down the cover prior to use and wipe down again afterwards.

Coffee Machine – one person will be assigned the coffee duties at any one time.  When this is not practical other users should wipe the handles down immediately before and after use.

Phone – one person will be assigned phone duties at any one time.  If they are unable to answer the phone, it should be left to go to answer machine and the message collected later – or use 1471 to call the person back.

 

Kitchen Staff – chefs are recommended to use their own knives where possible.  They should avoid the sharing of utensils.  Utensils in constant use should be washed on a regular basis.

2.8 Deliveries and Contractors arriving on the Premises

Deliveries – request to all suppliers that where possible, deliveries are made when the pub is closed to the public.

 

Staff are reminded to maintain social distancing when accepting deliveries.

Staff must wash hands once a delivery has been accepted and put away.

 

Contractors – where a contractor is required on the premises, they will be asked where possible, to visit when the pub is closed to the public.  They will be asked to wash their hands upon arrival and staff will maintain social distances for the duration of their visit.

2.9 Other areas to consider with specific controls Outside Areas – This risk assessment is specific to ‘The Farm’ which is an outside only venue.  As such, risks will be assessed for that.
2.10 Staff toilet use Staff should use only the toilets in the Moxon Room.
2.11 Interactions with Customers

Taking orders at tables:  Although the majority of ordering will be done online, there will be some ordering done at tables.  As such,  orders must be taken at tables and from a distance of 1 metre.  Employees must not loiter and engage in further conversation with customers

 

Delivering food and drinks to tables:

 

For drink orders,

Drinks will be delivered on trays.

Wait staff will place the tray of drinks on the table and step back, asking the customers to remove the glasses. Customers will be asked to remove the items from the trays themselves while the wait staff step back.  This means wait staff will not have touched the glassware. Once the tray is empty, the wait staff will collect and remove, wiping it down when returning to the tray stack.

 

For food orders, customers will go to the relevant food truck, and from a distance of 1m place their order.  Food will be served over the counter in non-reusable containers

 

 

Clearing tables: Where possible customers will put their used items in the bins around the site.  Otherwise, tables will be cleared by staff using suitable PPE

 

 

2.12 Interactions with Colleagues

Interaction with colleagues cannot be avoided.  Where possible, handovers should be undertaken standing side by side and not face to face, 1 metre apart where possible.

Where staff are part of the same household then the social distancing measure do not apply, and staff can work closer together. However, if one member of the household shows symptoms, then all members of the household must isolate.  The person showing symptoms for 7 days and rest of the household for 14 days.

 

2.13 Use of the Office Space

Employees should not be in the office.  If they are in the office, a distance of 2 metres must be kept between individuals.

Before using any equipment, hands must be cleaned

Any equipment / surfaces used must be wiped down before and after use, e.g. phone, laptop, printer, drawer handles

.

2.14 Staff Room (Skittle Alley)

Staff changing room.  Staff are asked to minimise personal items that are brought into work.

Employees that will be changing in the workplace will be allocated a section of the changing room in which to use.

 

The door handles will be wiped down at the start and end of every day.

Employees are asked to wash their hands often.

2.15 Leaving Work Employees are requested to wash their hands before leaving the workplace and are recommended to shower/ wash immediately upon returning home.
2.16 When a member of staff or their immediate family feel unwell

Staff should follow the existing process if they become to feel unwell at work.

Alert Garth or Beccy who will arrange for the employee to be isolated and arrange for them to return home.

Staff have been advised to ensure they are aware of the current symptoms of covid-19.

If a member of staff has symptoms of Covdi-19 then the following actions will be carried out:

 

·             Separate the ill person from others by at least 2m

·             Dial 111 or use 111 online to obtain the correct advice if necessary

·             If possible, the ill person should wear a face covering.

 

If the staff member does need to self-isolate ensure that this takes place and they do not return to the workplace until it is safe to do so ensuring no one of their household has symptoms etc.

Advise staff to be tested where appropriate.

 

 

3. Customer Journey

 

Item No. Area Control
3.1 Capacity

Tables have set up at least 3m apart.  Customers bringing their own chairs have spaces 5m apart.

Staff have been advised not to move the tables from their position.

Customer signage will advise the same.

If staff observe furniture being moved, they will ask the customer to refrain from doing so.

Any breaches by customers will mean they are asked to leave.

 

In the event of inclement weather, if customers can be seated in the marquee then they will be moved. If there is no space in the marquee, they will have to get wet or go home.

Signage ahead of booking will explain this.

3.2 Booking

Customers are advised that booking is advised and they are likely to be turned away if they don’t and we do not have sufficient space to accommodate them and maintain social distancing safely.

 

Booking arrival times will be staggered to avoid arriving en masse.

 

If customers arrive early and their table is not available, they may be asked to wait in their cars until it is.

 

At busy times, we may advise customers that their table is booked for a set amount of time at which point they will have to move.  This will be made clear to customers at the time of booking and is to ensure the flow of customers is minimised at cross over times.

As per government requirements, we will advise that their contact details will be stored for 2 weeks in the event that we are asked for their details as part of the government’s track and trace programme.  All bookings online and Facebook record this.  Any walk ins will have to provide this information.

 

If it rains, customers will be sat in the marquee, or in a gazebo.  If this cannot be achieved, they will be asked to leave.

3.3 Arrival – outside the venue

Customers will be asked to enter via one of 2 entrances opposite the front of the building.

Clear signage will be in place outside the entrances showing customers what to expect and how we expect them to behave when on the premises.

Signage will also request that customers should not enter if they are feeling unwell.

 

3.4 Arrival – entering the venue

Customers will be met, asked to sanitise hands before being told where their table is, where the new processes will be explained e.g. one-way system, toilets, asking customers to remain seated, table service.  This will not be required on subsequent visits, unless reminders are required

Families will be asked to look after their children to ensure that social distancing is maintained.

If customers fail to follow the guidelines, they may be asked to leave.

 

3.5 Moving around / walking to tables

Customers will be expected to stay seated at all times, moving only for journeys to the toilet or the food vans, when only one member of the party should go (e.g. only one party member should go to the food van, only same family members should go to the toilet)

 

Customers should follow the one-way system in order to minimise contact with other patrons and staff.

3.6 Ordering drinks

Customers will be able to order drinks from our App.

Depending on the order, the drink will either be served direct to the customer on a tray or they will be asked to collect them from a service table.

3.7 Ordering Food

Food will be ordered directly from the food stalls.  Customers are to queue 2m apart and queue size will be limited.  If the queue becomes too long, customers will be asked to sit back down

 

3.8 Going to the Toilet

Staff will monitor and control a 1 in, 1 out policy.

 

Queueing for the toilet 

In the scenario that a queue forms for the toilet, signage, including floor markings will advise customers to maintain a safe distance.  If the queue exceeds three people, staff will politely request that they sit down until the queue subsides.

This will be reviewed after opening and any additional controls will be considered in order to mitigate any issue arising.

3.9 Paying Payment will be made for drinks via our app.  Other payments will be made using contactless payment.  Cash will only be accepted as a last resort
3.10 Leaving the Premises Customers will be asked to leave via 1 or 2 exits.

4. Additional Cleaning and Hygiene Controls

Item No. Area Control
4.1 Keeping the Venue Clean

Daily cleaning before and after sessions will occur.  Tables will be cleaned after every use, including seating.  Touch points will be cleaned every 20 minutes.

Staff will be asked to sanitise/wash hands often

4.2 Keeping the Kitchen Clean Normal cleanliness standards will be adhered to, with surfaces and utensils cleaned as you go.
4.3 Handwashing, Hand Sanitisation Stations and Toilets

Hand sanitisers will be placed across the venue, paying particular attention to entrances and outside the toilets.

Soap will be checked in toilets and topped up daily, or more frequently if necessary

4.4 Staff Changing Room (Skittle Alley)

Door handles will be wiped regularly

Staff will have a section of the floor space allocated to them and should change in that area only.

 

Staff toilet (Disabled) will be cleaned daily as part of the cleaning schedule.

4.5 Pool Table This will remain out of use
4.6 Live Music No live music events will take place until guidance changes from the government and when it is safe to do so
4.7 Condiments and Cutlery Each food vendor to provide their own, disposable cutlery