MAKE YOUR FREE Return to Work Risk Assessment

 Provide hand sanitisers throughout the office and at entry and exit points.

 Increase hand washing facilities with soap and water.

 Implement stringent hand washing rules.

 Have paper towels for staff and visitors to dry their hands.

 Display information to remind staff of good hygiene practices.

 Tell staff to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing and to bin used tissue immediately.

 Advise staff to work from home if possible. 

 Ask staff to avoid rush hour commuting if possible.

 Establish a maximum occupancy limit for offices and work areas.

 Encourage staff to conduct meetings via telecommunication rather than face-to-face.

 In person meetings to be held in large, well-ventilated rooms or outside.

 Carry out all non-essential training and face-to-face recruitment through telecommunication.

 Ensure work stations are at least 2 metres apart.

 Stagger break and lunch times.

 Encourage staff to bring their own food.

 Provide packaged meals to avoid fully opening canteens.

 Encourage staff to eat lunch at their desks or outside.

 Avoid physical contact (e.g. handshakes).

 Implement protective measures (e.g. screens) for staff who deal with members of the public in person.

 Deep clean the office before returning to work.

 Provide antibacterial wipes for workstations, office equipment, and other frequently touched surfaces (e.g. door handles).

 Avoid the use of hot desks and clean them frequently between different users.

 Requiring staff to clear their workstations after work.

 Encourage staff not to share equipment.

 Stop providing office snacks for the duration of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

 Require staff to wash their hands before touching any office snacks.

 Implement flexible start and end times to the workday to allow staff to avoid rush hour public transport.

 Implement a staggered workforce with different starting and end times for different groups of staff.

 Offer additional parking spaces.

 Encourage staff not to share cars and limit use of any work vehicles.

 Pay for taxis to transport staff to and from work.

 Encourage staff to wear face coverings (e.g. cloth face masks) and gloves on public transport.

 Minimise any non-essential travel for work purposes.

 Implement floor markings and signage at entrances and exits and introduce one-way flow systems at entry and exit points and/or throughout the building.

 Consult with other tenants in the shared office building to ensure that the policies implemented regarding the common areas are consistent.

 Restrict the maximum occupancy for lifts and indicate how to social distance in lifts through floor signage.

 Limit access to different areas of the workplace or building.

 Review disabled access policies and arrangements to ensure safe entrance or exit for disabled staff and prioritise disabled use where necessary (e.g. disabled toilet use, use of lifts).

 Provide sessions on mindfulness and mental health and safety.

 Encourage an open door policy for staff to speak to their line manager or HR department.

 Provide information on any Employee Assistance Programmes which may form part of an employee health care plan.

 Tell staff to call NHS 111 if they are worried about Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and not to go to their GP or other healthcare provider.

 Ensure staff emergency contacts and other personal details are up to date.

 Do not encourage staff to come into work when they are ill.

 Advise staff to stay at home and self-isolate for 7 days (if they live alone) or 14 days (if they live with others) if showing any symptoms such as cough or fever.

 Ensure line managers and/or HR personnel can offer support to staff directly or indirectly affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

 Provide staff with information on the best practices to maximise face mask functionality (e.g. washing hands for 20 seconds before putting it on and after removing it), where wearing one.

 Encourage staff not to touch face, eyes, nose or mouth if hands are not clean.

 Consider where individuals may be isolated in the case of an emergency. This should be an area that is at least 2 metres away from other people, ideally behind a closed door (e.g. an office or meeting room).

 Send home staff who become unwell in the workplace with Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and advise them to follow the Government’s self-isolation guidance.

 Follow Government guidance at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19 and any PHE-advice for disposing of waste and cleaning areas where individuals with suspected or confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been.

 Managers, human resources and occupational health departments to identify vulnerable and extremely vulnerable staff to ensure that they are given adequate protection and support.

 Extremely vulnerable staff should not be expected to come to work and alternate arrangements are to be made (e.g. remote working, furloughing, unpaid leave).

 Allow for a flexible approach for staff who are vulnerable or have a vulnerable family member.

 Offer additional protection for vulnerable staff who cannot work from home and wish to return to the office.

 Consult with staff and staff representatives to fully involve the workforce at all stages of the pandemic.

 Reasonable adjustments must be made to avoid disabled workers being put at any disadvantage.

 Managers are to refer to existing policies regarding new and expectant mothers (e.g. entitlement to suspension on full pay if suitable safe roles cannot be found).

 Undertake a general risk assessments for staff working remotely.

 Review any existing remote working policies to ensure that sufficient support is provided to remote workers.

 Managers to monitor the well-being of homeworkers.

 Ensure IT support is put in place to enable homeworkers to continue carrying out their responsibilities and to ensure the security of information and data (e.g. remote access to work systems).

 Encourage homeworkers to reach out and stay connected to the rest of the workforce.

 Managers should refer to business continuity procedures and policies.

 Establish a Coronavirus (COVID-19) risk management team.

 Ask all departments to review and update business continuity plans.

 Implement, regularly review and update appropriate business recovery plans.

 Circulate up to date guidance and information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) to members of staff.

 Base business strategies on accurate guidance and information provided by reputable sources (e.g. the Government and PHE).

 Monitor official advice and updated all relevant policies and procedures.

 Ensure that leadership teams and managers are aware and up to date with official guidance.

 Ensure managers are aware of fake news and discourage the circulation of misinformation.

 Review and update cyber security policies.

 Implement (remote) training on cyber security.

 Ensure that remote workers are using remote-working systems that are covered by cyber-risk protections.

 Ensure that data protection and IT security standards are maintained by remote workers.

 Circulate warnings to staff and managers of any credible cyber threats (e.g. scam emails).

 Consistently monitor cyber risks and update your approach where necessary (e.g. cyber security equipment or policies). This monitoring and updating should continue on a consistent basis.