Risk Assessment
Background: Flexicare UK moved 8 to new premises on November 18th, 2019; which has enabled
Safe working historically and into the future. The office block known as the “Hub” is based in a rural village four miles west of the city of Gloucester.
The Business is situated on a farm turned Business Park which has won numerous awards for being eco-friendly and all rubbish is “burned” daily.
There are a few steps around the outside of the building and two entrances, one at the front of the building and one at the back of the ground floor office which also is a fire exit.
The company overlooks green fields and a lake which is very calming and excellent for health and wellbeing, as people can stroll around the lake during breaks. There is a private car park at the rear of the building and Office/Hub employees drive to work in separate cars.
There is a big metal handle which opens the front door which will be cleaned hourly and
delivery/tradespeople visitors will not be permitted into the Hub to prevent transmission of the
Covid-19 virus.
Risks identified to gain entrance to the building
• Trips/ falls on steps: outside lighting available to aluminate car park and steps
• Transmission of Covid-19 from door handle: management of this to be identified.
• Staff PAs visiting: This has been actioned with PAs collecting any PPE from outside of the
Hub.
• Milk bottles delivered daily: Milk bottles washed in hot soapy water once into building.
• Metal bar on rear exit door, transmission of Covid-19 from door bar: management to be
identified.
• Outside Visitors not to enter the Office Hub.
Layout of Premises/Offices for Covid-19 Transmission breaking.
There are 2 private offices and a Board room on the ground floor as well as a large communal area office on the ground floor.
There is an entrance hall with a cupboard/ladies and gentlemen’s toilets/kitchen and a wooden
swing door with the metal panel to enter the communal office.
There is also a two-flight staircase with a bannister leading up to the first floor with three separate offices, a training area, and a separate kitchen and ladies/gentleman’s toilet with a separate door between.
Risks identified in the building
• Metal on doors/ bannisters (which people hold to go upstairs)/ Training equipment (metal
hoist/bed/ Training model/Training equipment. A cleaning routine will be established.
• where the door handles/ light switches/ bannisters/ rubbish bins/ will be sterilised daily after
burning of all rubbish including GDPR material.
• Photocopier is the biggest risk with communal use.
• Photocopier should be sterilised daily and ONE EMPLOYEE responsible for using the
photocopier, this will be arranged and monitored daily.
• Any access to the stationery cupboard will be limited to ONE EMPLOYEE to prevent
transmission of the virus.
• All employees will be asked to keep their own desks clutter-free, sterilised and with their
own computers/mouse/ pens/stapler/ which should be cleaned daily.
• Lending of pens/ any equipment will not be allowed and should be avoided at all costs.
• Desks in communal area……. These have been moved to at least two metres apart and two
desks have screened in front of them.
• Desks in private offices are separated from the communal area with much more than two
metres apart and each office has a door to close to ensure safety.
• Bins/ There are eight bins on the ground floor which contents will be burnt and bins sterilised
every day.
• Computers are a hazard and each employee is responsible for ensuring that their computer
and mouse is kept scrupulously clean and hazard free, including cleaning of screens which
can often be forgotten.
• Computer Mouse as above.
• Telephones will be sterilised individually by each employee and only answered by the
an individual employee at their own desk, cleaning will be scrupulous around the speaker and
ear part of the phone.
Kitchen:
• Tea towels that have been used/ discard immediately into the washing receptacle.
• Surfaces: These will be sterilised every day at the close of business and kept sterilised during
the day.
• Communal use of Microwave/Sinks/Kettles/Water Boiler……. No employee will be permitted
to use any communal equipment without thorough hand hygiene (as per entrance poster),
and employees will be encouraged to bring packed lunches, the tap operating boiling water
from the urn will be disinfected with wipes prior to being used to make a cup of tea.
• Making cups of tea/coffee for each other will be sadly discouraged to protect the safety of all
employees. (Individuals can only stay safe when they are personally responsible for their
actions).
• Washing of plates/dishes/cutlery will be carried out after eating and rinsed with hot water
and allowed to dry naturally.
• Taps are one area that is often forgotten regarding the transmission of Covid-19. Wipes will
be provided to wipe taps prior to use.
Bathrooms:
• Virus lurking on surfaces/ taps/ sinks: Bathrooms will be sterilised daily prior to
employees using the bathrooms.
• Cleaning fluids and bleach will be used to ensure the bathroom is virus-free.
• Plastic bins in bathrooms will be used, paper towels burned at the end of the shift and
plastic bins sterilised.
• Taps will be sterilised and not touched once thorough hand hygiene has been carried out.
(As per entrance poster).
• Soap will be provided for thorough hand hygiene.
• Paper towels will be provided to ensure thorough hand drying.
• Any plastic gloves used for cleaning/disinfecting will be safely removed and discarded safely
and burnt with daily rubbish.
Training Room:
• Bringing large groups of PAs for training into the training room will be impossible for the
foreseeable future as Social Distancing will be impossible/difficult to maintain. All Care Certificate training is now available remotely, and plans will be put together on how
“practical/mandatory” training can be delivered in the future.
• Equipment in Training Room: This will be kept scrupulously clean and disinfected before and after use. Any training equipment used will also be thoroughly cleaned before and after use.
• Training can be delivered by videos/digitally/ however all care and clinical training is now
available via cloud-based “Bridges”.
Conclusion/Summary
The Staff at the Flexicare UK Hub are well trained in infection control and cleanliness.
During the last six weeks, all Hub staff have embraced, cleaning/burning/disinfecting/ social
distancing/ correct use of photocopier/ and most important regular thorough Hand Hygiene.
We have an abundance of masks for everyone (and other PPE) to prevent transmission of the Covid19 virus. Masks with and without a filter are being made on a regular basis and Hub supplies being topped up with regularity. Videos have been uploaded onto Bridges cloud-based learning of how to perform thorough and correct hand hygiene as well as the safe removal of aprons and gloves. Once a higher level of PPE arrives, subsequent video training will be available for all employees.
General: Any visitors to the HQ will be greeted at a safe social distance, shown to the bathroom for hand hygiene, and possibly (to be agreed) provided with protective clothing. Face to face meetings/Supervision will only be carried out when Essential and at a safe Social
Distancing.