Knot Backwoods Corona Virus Covid 19 Risk Assessment and Safety Policy

Identified hazards Scale of original risk Who might be harmed and how? What is our current procedure How we will manage this risk Action by whom? Scale of adjusted risk
1 Infected participants arrive High All.

Any close contact or cross contamination or airborne carried virus, through coughing etc

 Request participants not to attend if have any Covid 19 symptoms.

Ask participants upon arrival if symptom free and decline entry to any ill participants

 KBW Med
2 Participant becomes ill during a session.

Any signs of fever, cough, breathing difficulty, loss of taste or smell or headache.

 All.

As above.

Particularly anybody who cares for the ill person

 If with parents, politely but firmly ask their whole family to leave immediately and with them any participants who have had close contact with them in last few days.

If without parents, Isolate and call parents to collect immediately. Supervising adult must then wear mask and gloves and stand 2M away and maintain the distancing of that participant from the group whilst they care for the ill participant.

Ask for updates on status of participants health after session.

Inform parents of all other participants

 KBW contact parent to collect participant.

KBW to inform parents of all other participants at the session.

KBW to follow up with phone call in 24 hours, then 48 hours.

KBW
3 A participant becoming ill after a session. All.

Other participants and staff may then unwittingly have contracted virus and may contaminate other members of their family and friends, colleagues etc.

 Request that If a participant becomes ill after a session that parents contact Knot Backwoods so that we may contact all other participants and employees, volunteers etc so they may know to isolate themselves. Parent.

KBW to contact other parents.

KBW to follow up with status enquiry to clarify if had a test and if positive, or if symptoms definitely Covid 19.
4 Close contact through congregating and chatting at arrival/departure point High Harmful to all if gathering too closely Booking and registering on line Encourage not to congregate and request adults to wear face masks.

A Facebook group could be set up for participants and parents to “chat”.

 Participants- especially adults

KBW set up FB group

 Low
5 People’s personal possessions, bags and coats too close together in a bag area High All

Virus spread from cross contamination and from people too close together all at once looking in bags

 Participants put bags and coats in a bag area, to avoid bags causing a trip hazard Coats, bags and possessions should be kept separately by individuals, safely stored out of the way, not in a big pile. Participants Low
6 Unwittingly bringing virus in on hands and spreading Unwittingly carrying it on departure High All

By touching contaminated objects

 Washing or sanitising hands when dirty, before eating or drinking and after using toilet or touching dirty things.

Provide sanitiser and washing facilities

 Sanitise or wash hands thoroughly on arrival after putting down bags and coats and upon departure and thoroughly after each activity and whenever necessary otherwise.

Have additional hand-sanitiser at the gate

 All.

KBW to set out more sanitising stations.

Check hand sanitising/washing is carried out.

Look at purchasing or making a foot operated “Tippy tap”.

 Low
7 Contaminated hands from coughing or sneezing or wiping runny noses High All

Cross contamination when virus spread from item or person to another participant

 Handwashing and sanitising facilities laid out on site and suggest to children they wash hands Ask participants to wash hands after coughing, sneezing, blowing/wiping nose and using tissue. All.

KBW and parents to remind children.

 Low
8 Dirty used tissues High All.

Virus spread from dirty tissues

 Expect participants to put tissue in bin or take home with them.If tissues or other rubbish dropped accidently or left around, KBW would dispose of it immediately in bin bag and wash or sanitise hands afterwards Dispose of tissues safely. Have lidded bins for tissues double bag at end of session and put in other rubbish. or burn immediately.Wash hands afterwards. KBW to provide specific labelled bins for dirty tissues.

KBW to remove bins at end of session, wearing disposable gloves.

All

KBW and parents to remind children.

 Low
9 Spread of virus directly into mouth, nose and eyes. Or vice-versa from touching objects after hands have been in mouth or touching face and through direct contact cross contamination from touching infected items or infected people High All.

Especially small children, who put things in their mouths

 Encourage children not to put hands in mouth Vigilantly encourage everybody to not put hands in mouths and touch face.

Request they wash hands after doing so

 All.

KBW and parents to remind children.

 Med
10 Airborne virus being coughed directly onto someone or onto surface of object someone else will touch Med All Encourage covering mouth and coughing and sneezing into elbow or a clean tissue, which we always have available Encourage covering mouth and coughing and sneezing into elbow or a clean tissue.

KBW provide tissues.

Adults to wear face masks as appropriate

 All.

KBW and parents to remind children.
11 Sharing tools High All.

Cross Contamination of virus on tools and equipment, spread to next user.

 Tools and equipment all checked out and back in by staff.

No participant or parent allowed to help themselves.

No passing on to other participant without permission of staff.

 Unless being shared by one family group; all tools and equipment to be placed in a designated “dirty” box after being used by a participant and not used again until sanitised. KBW label a “dirty box” Zero
12 Same tools shared by participants and then also used next session High All.

Handling contaminated tools and equipment

 Tools shared by participants Sanitise all equipment between uses Staff to thoroughly sanitise all equipment in dirty box if needed again during a session.

All equipment to be sanitised at end of session or quarantined for 72 hours.

 Zero
13 Contact with public Med Participants, parents, staff and the public.

If they get too close could contaminate each other.

 Display temporary signage with “Knot Backwoods forest school this way”. Temporary sign erected as soon as staff working on site alerting public to “EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY” and requesting distancing.

Put additional signs at paths to forest school area.

 KBW Low
14 Cross contamination from cups and drinks Med All.

Participant and parents when served drinks by KBW. Participants could also possibly accidently drink from someone else’s cup.

 We use different coloured cups. KBW make the drinks and pour the juice. Request participants bring own cup/and or drink.

Keep spares just in case. Either disposable or if non-disposable, freshly washed and bagged and sealed ready for use. Whilst handling wear disposable gloves; double bag afterwards and when returned home put in dishwasher, whilst wearing gloves and then wash hands.

Keep small bottles of water, just in case needed.

 KBW Zero
15 Food and drink High Other staff and the participants.

Contamination through ingesting virus on food and drink

 Serving hot and cold drinks and biscuits. Currently not to serve food or drink.

If preparing drinks or handing out biscuits- leader to wear a mask and fresh food prep gloves

Participants not to share their food

 KBW ensure supply of fresh masks and gloves Zero
16 Potential lack of sheltered area in inclement weather for participants to keep a distance whilst playing or working. High All.

Bumping in to each other or just being too close and breathing in virus

 We have four big tarpaulins ready for shelter, to keep participants at a safe distance during bad weather. Encourage participants to stay apart from each other. KBW and parents Low
17 Contact with other equipment High All.

Contamination through contact if equipment is not sanitised or quarantined

 Previously used all manner of equipment, which might not be easily sanitised or washed. Avoid using equipment and materials which are not easily sanitised or washed.

E.g. hammock will not be available, separate ropes used for separate sessions.

 KBW Zero
18 Contact with things like pens and crayons Very High All.

Contamination through contact if equipment is not sanitised or quarantined

 Participants use crayons and pens from shared box. Each family to have their own set of pencils crayons magnifying glass etc., OR such equipment be left in a “quarantine box” for 72 hours before being handled or used again. KBW Zero
19 Close contact during games like Tag and Ice-berg Very High Participants Previously played a variety of games which include close contact. Change to games and activities which do not need close contact; hide and seek and capture the flag.

Request that children keep at least 1.5M apart and do not play games which involve contact e.g. rough and tumble, hugging etc.

 KBW, staff and parents  Low
20 Using KBW shared work safety gloves Very High All Work safety gloves to be used. Shared by all. Each family to retain and bring their own pair of safety gloves provided by KBW KBW Zero
21 KBW bags, wheelbarrow and signage Med KBW and staff and anybody who might help to carry bags etc Wash and sanitise hands after handling.

Clean wheel barrow.

Request that others do not touch KBW things.

The less equipment=less to carry, maintain and watch over.

 KBW and staff N/A

Low
22 Seating too close together and touching seats Low All Seats are already about 2m apart Request participants use only one seat and not change seats.

They may bring their own seat if they wish

 Zero to Low
23 Working too close together Med Other participants and parents.

Too many people, too close together bumping into each other becomes hazardous.

 For safety reasons participants already work in a “blood bubble” which is the distance of two arms and a tool. Although we tend to encourage a little more space. Encourage to have at least 2m distance between children working.

Not allow working in pairs (e.g., assisting each other by holding something) unless from same family.

 Low
24 Trips and falls and silly rough play. High The participant and KBW and leaders.

Accidents will result in KBW and staff possibly having to get closer to participants to administer first aid.

The injured party may even have to go to hospital. Thus putting NHS staff at risk and using NHS resources.

 Ask participants to take extra care. KBW

Participants to take care.

 Low
25 Administering First Aid High First Aider and casualty First Aider administers first aid, in the normal way.

  1. First Aider should request that casualty apply dressing etc, if they are able to, under first aiders supervision.
  2. First Aider should find appropriate dressing and pass to casualty from a distance of both arm’s length.
  3. If casualty appears to be unconscious, first aider must not check by getting close to the casualty’s face.
  4. First Aider must wear gloves, mask and if necessary, apron at all times.
26 Teaching skills, e.g. tool use High Participants and leader May involve close contact, e.g. if correcting way a tool is being held Avoid close contact at all times Everybody keep their distance from each other Low
27 Participants not observing any of the hygiene measures Med     All Explain to all parents and participants how although being outdoors is extremely beneficial to One’s health and especially the immune system it is vitally important that One does not behave in a manner which may spread disease and therefore, we have put safety measures in place to be able to continue sessions.

These measures and our expectations of participants will be explained at the beginning of each session along with our normal H&S briefing, a copy of this will be given to all participants/parents and we will ask them to sign an agreement that they have understood and will follow our guidelines and will abide by them. If not, they may be requested to leave a session.At the beginning of first session, have participants discuss and plan ways to eliminate spread of virus at FS and make up their own guidelines to encourage safety

 KBW to prepare form and talk through measures at every session.

Participants to agree to practise our guidelines

 Low
28 Possibly people too close to each other Med All participants, leaders and public 15 participants and parents 10 participants and parents KBW Low
29 Possibly not enough space for other visitors when walking on paths. Med All participants, leaders and public Stand out of way

  1. Walk in single file.
  2. If participants see someone walking towards them, they must greet them and then step off the path and face away from them.
  3. Children are not to run past other reserve visitors.
  4. They should be considerate and respectful to other visitors at all times.

 KBW to ask children to think about the way they behave.

Parents to help and encourage children to behave appropriately.

 Low
30 Contact with public Med All participants, leaders and public Fairly remote, but participants previously wandered along paths, in small groups. Keep the group together and restrict activities to remoter areas of the reserve, away from the main path. KBW, alter planned activities.

Request participants to remain in the location of activities and set boundary edges.

 Low