Risk assessment for Grace Baptist Church Portsmouth Return to Church during COVID
| Assessor | Date completed | Review date: | |
| Church Secretary | 14 Jun 20, 26 Jun 20, 29 Jun 20, 4 Aug 20, 18 Sep | 18 Oct 20 |
| RISK | MITIGATION | ACTION | |
| Social Distancing | |||
| Congestion at church entrance | Only access via front door. Egress via side passage. Attendees warned in advance to socially distance in approach to church. Church steward on duty to direct movement | Secretary Duty Steward | |
| Congestion within building | One way system in operation. Use of floor markers (One way; socially distance). Seats placed at least at correct social distance. Church steward on duty to direct movement. Government rules applied, eg 6-person rule. | Secretary Duty Steward | |
| End of service exit | After service Pastor moves to back of room. Under direction of steward congregation leave main hall at social distance. Households or social bubbles can move together. | Duty Steward | |
| Physical Cross-Contamination | |||
| Toilets | Each toilet equipped with: disinfectant, disposable wipes, anti-bacterial nitrile gloves, lined pedal bins, paper towel dispensers, alcohol anti-bacterial wipes. Instructions to clean before use. Toilets cleaned between services. | Secretary MS | |
| Touching Bibles and hymn books | Bibles and hymn books not issued. Individuals to bring own. All hymns and readings projected. Only the Pastor handles the projector | Duty Steward Pastor | |
| Hands not clean | Hand sanitiser stations set up at entrance, tea room and kitchen. | Secretary Duty Steward | |
| Kitchen utensils passed from one to another | No refreshments. Kitchen shut down. | MS | |
| Service to service virus residue | After each service wipe down flat and hard services with appropriate disinfectant or alcohol wipes. | AG | |
| Cleaners in contact with virus residue | Use of anti-bacterial gloves. Establish rota of willing and trained cleaners | Secretary MS | |
| Touching communion gear | Provisions as follows: plastic once-only use disposable cups; biodegradable disposable once-only use plate; packet-sealed communion wafers; freshly opened bottle of communion wine, ditched at end of service; freshly opened disposable wine pourer for bottle neck; anti-bacterial gloves and face mask worn by presiding steward. | Pastor Presiding Steward | |
| Waste disposal | All waste disposed of after each service under supervision of building manager. | MS | |
| Offering box and counting money | Offering box opened to allow easy drop in of money. Money counted by Treasurer wearing anti-bacterial gloves. Witness wearing mask and to stand at least 1m away. | Treasurer | |
| Airborne contamination | |||
| Airborne infection | Seating at correct social distance, not facing each other. Windows open, church ventilated. No singing. Face masks worn unless exempt under government-approved excepted categories. | Secretary Duty Steward MS Pastor | |
| Symptomatic persons | Instructed to stay away in back-to-church brief. | Secretary | |
| Unknowing asymptomatic persons | Instructed to report to church Secretary immediately they become aware of symptoms. All attendees details taken to assist with track and trace | Secretary | |
| Data Protection | |||
| Personal privacy and GPDR | Church fellowship already covered by their consent forms. Those not on fellowship list and who have not signed up to church data protection policy will be issued with a one-off data consent form that will be retained for 21 days. | Secretary | |
| Communication failures | |||
| Congregation don’t know what to do | Fellowship kept regularly in touch throughout Covid with church’s “MAMBA” briefings (Ministry and Mission Briefing & Action), emails and Zoom chats. Fellowship consulted on return-to-church aspirations and requirements. Fellowship issued with return-to-church briefing. | Secretary |