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 20, 2 Dec 20, 18 Dec 20, 16 Jan 21, | 15 Feb 21 |
| 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. Powerpoint seating tool to match attendance to seating capacity. Government rules applied on groups and social mingling. | 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. Fellowship reminded of Covid measures in church notices. | Secretary |