COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT 18.03.21

Introduction

As a business with in excess of 50 employees are obliged to publish a summary of our Risk Assessment on our website. The latest version of our Risk Assessment, of which this is a summary, is as dated above.

Risk Assessment

We are a 3-office firm with only 2 out of 3 of these offices being open (in normal circumstances) to the public.

As a business providing legal services we are permitted to operate, in fact, we are obliged to operate to ensure compliance with our regulatory obligations, our obligations to our clients and to the courts / administration of justice.

We have to balance these obligations against the current guidance that states:

“… you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home. Offices workers who can work from home should do so “

In summary it is our assessment that we cannot meet these obligations if all of our staff work from home all of the time and consequently a decision  was made that we would operate with reduced number across the firm , taking into account the guidance, the  paramount need for Covid security, the needs and obligations of the business and any vulnerabilities of staff member.

The numbers in each office are closely monitored, Ian Oliver has responsibility for this and for procedures within the offices.

The Risks

The risks can be summarised very simply, they are that staff, clients and other visitors may introduce coronavirus into the work space or having contracted the virus spread the same into the wider community. The inevitable and unavoidable risks posed by operating this business can and must be, mitigated by sensible precautions.

Visitors to the office:

• Currently the offices are not open to the public and members of the public / clients enter the offices only in exceptional circumstances. The front doors remain locked.
• Wherever possible visitors are restricted to 52 North Street.
• All visitors are required to be masked at all times. Exceptions are NOT permitted.
• Visitors are required to sign in and confirm that they are symptom free. They are required to sanitise and to provide their own pens etc.
• No more than 2 visitors are permitted in the reception area at any one time.
• Meetings take place only in the larger meeting rooms. Staff attending meetings must wear masks throughout the meeting.
• Staff members running the meeting are responsible for sanitization of the tables etc immediately thereafter.

Day to day operations

• Staff suffering any recognised symptoms should not attend the office until they have a negative test result.
• Staff may only attend the office where authorised by Ian Oliver or another partner who will consider the overall numbers and the spread of people across the buildings. Consideration is given to numbers in communal areas.
• All staff will wear masks when outside their own work area, whether that be a single occupancy office or screened communal workspace.
• Staff entering another work space will wear masks.
• Staff are restricted to their own designated printer area, kitchen and toilet facilities to minimize the risk of cross contamination. Staff are required to minimise time spent in communal areas and are not permitted to prepare hot food in kitchens.
• Staff are responsible for ensuring that communal equipment is used it is sanitized after use.
• Save for designated exceptions (or the authority of Ian Oliver) staff are not permitted to visit other offices.

Conclusion

The risk assessment is under constant review and any changes will be communicated to staff as required.

Any concerns must be reported to Ian Oliver on 01243 812421 or ian.oliver@georgeide.co.uk

18.03.21