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Risk assessment implementation template for COVID-19
This template has been developed to help businesses implement the government “COVID- secure guidelines”. It is aimed at
smaller, lower risk businesses, enforced for health and safety by Local Authorities and who do not have dedicated health and safety
advice. Currently the guidance consists of 5 key points contained within https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-
launched-to-help-get-brits-safely-back-to-work these are printed below, and 8 workplace guides at
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Nothing in this document should add or take away from the guidance, and you don’t have to use this template to complete your risk
assessment. We have created this to help businesses go through the risk assessment process and document their findings. It can
be freely copied and used but it is best completed on the computer as the boxes expand. We take no responsibility for your risk
assessment, but we hope this is helpful in getting back to work safely.
Next steps:
Think about your procedure for dealing with actual cases of COVID-19 sickness.
Complete the 5 boxes - the basic risk assessment.
Additional steps from guidance- what specific measures apply to your workplace type.
Implement all the measures and check they work.
Save or upload risk assessment to website, print out notice, sign and display.
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Business name and address:
Person carrying out risk assessment:
Signed and dated (when completed):
First, be clear on your procedure on COVID-19 sickness
What arrangements for sending people home if an employee or customer is displaying symptoms of COVID-19?
Any further cleaning or other actions that you would take to if this happens?
What will you do if an employee informs you that members of his/her household are displaying symptoms of
COVID-19?
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Second, complete the 5 boxes
1 Work from home, if you can
All reasonable steps should be taken by employers to help people work from home. But for those who cannot work from
home and whose workplace has not been told to close, our message is clear: you should go to work. Staff should speak to
their employer about when their workplace will open”.
Which employees can work from home?
If your workplace has not been told to close, when do you plan to open?
How have you communicated with staff about this?
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2 Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions
This guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to
carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in
place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and we expect all
businesses with over 50 employees to do so”.
What consultation with workers or trade unions will you do?
Will you publish the results of your risk assessment on your website?
3 Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible
Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating
one-way walk-throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms”.
This business will maintain 2 metre distances between people by:
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4 Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk
Employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising
the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other”.
This business will manage transmission risk where people cannot be 2 metres apart by:
5 Reinforcing cleaning processes
Workplaces should be cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and
keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points”.
This business will reinforce cleaning processes by:
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Third decide which guides are relevant, put the steps into the table below, and implement
These 8 guides cover a range of different types of work. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an
office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you consider what you need to do to
keep people safe.
Decide which guides are relevant to your business, put the relevant measures in the table below. There is a lot of information in the
guides and it is important to remember that their aim is to help implement the 5 points, and the “steps that are usually needed” are
key to this. Some associations are also providing helpful additional guidance to businesses as to the most appropriate steps to take
in their work area.
The relevant workplace guides for this business are:
The workplace guides have been examined and measures applied in the table below.
Currently there are 8 guides - Construction and other work, factories, plants and warehouses, labs and research facilities,
offices and contact centres, homes, restaurants offering takeaway or delivery, shops and branches, vehicles.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/construction-and-other-outdoor-work
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/factories-plants-and-warehouses
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/labs-and-research-facilities
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/shops-and-branches
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/vehicles
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Further guides are likely to be published shortly, check government websites.
Steps that are
needed from
workplace
guidance
How implemented,
any consultation?
Documentation (eg
written instructions,
notices for customers)
Management walk-
around are the
measures working,
being complied with
by staff and
customers?
following management
check
Example - hazard
tape on floor
marking 2 metre
distance from
checkouts for
queuing customers
Discuss with
employees and put
down tape.
This risk assessment and
verbal instructions.
No, some customers still
too close.
customers to socially
distance. Laminated signs
telling customers to stay
behind the line.
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Steps that are
needed from
workplace
guidance
How implemented,
any consultation?
Documentation (eg
written instructions,
notices for customers)
Management walk-
around are the
measures working,
being complied with
by staff and
customers?
following management
check
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Steps that are
needed from
workplace
guidance
How implemented,
any consultation?
Documentation (eg
written instructions,
notices for customers)
Management walk-
around are the
measures working,
being complied with
by staff and
customers?
following management
check
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After the risk assessment has been completed, what further regular monitoring will be carried out?
How will any further needed changes be put in place?
Finally save and upload your risk assessment onto your website as appropriate and print out and display the notice.
A downloadable notice is included in the downloads section of the 8 workplace guides, “staying COVID-19 secure in 2020” which
employers should display in their workplaces to show their employees, customers and other visitors to their workplace that they
have followed this guidance.