COVID 19 RISK ASSESSMENT

THE MEASURES WE ARE MAKING TO MANAGE RISK IN THE BUSINESS, IN ORDER OF PRIORITY ARE: -

  • Ensuring both workers and clients who feel unwell stay at home and do not attend the premises
  • Increasing the frequency of handwashing and surface cleaning
  • Make every reasonable effort to enable working from home as a first option. Where working from home is not possible, workplaces should make every reasonable effort to comply by the government (social distancing by 2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable)
  • Clearly, when providing close contact services, it often may not be possible to maintain social distancing guidelines. As a result, personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of a visor will be required to mitigate the risk. Further mitigating actions include:
  • Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning
  • Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible
  • Using screens or barriers to separate clients from one another. If the practitioner is wearing a visor, screens will not provide additional protection between the practitioner and the individual. Everyone working in the close proximity for an extended period of time must wear a visor.
  • Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible
  • Using a consistent pairing system, defined as fixing which workers work together, if workers have to be in close proximity (defined as being within arm’s-length of someone else for a sustained period of time)
  • Finally, if people must work face-to-face for a sustained period of time with more than a small group or fixed partners, then you will need to assess whether the activity can safely go ahead. Services which require workers to be withing the “highest risk zone” of clients (defined as the area in front of the face where splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth, that may not be visible, can be present and pose a hazard), for the entire duration or the majority of the time the service is being provided, should not be resumed unless they can be adapted in line with this guidance to make them safe ( for example, by moving out of the highest risk zone and wearing a visor).

WHAT MEASURES WILL I NEED TO TAKE IN SALON TO KEEP CLIENTS SAFE?

  • The opening up of the economy following the Covid-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. We will assist this service by keeping a temporary record of your clients and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your business, and assist NHS Test and Trace with request for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.
  • All our premises will ensure that steps are taken to avoid people needing to unduly raise their voices to each other. This includes, but is not limited to, refraining from playing music or broadcasts that may encourage shouting.
  • Encouraging clients to use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as they enter the premises or before treatment
  • Calculating the maximum number of clients that can reasonably follow social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable) and limiting the number of appointments at any one time. Take into account total floorspace as well as likely pinch points and busy areas
  • Informing clients and contractors of guidance about visiting the premises prior to and at the point of arrival, including information on websites, in the salon, on booking forms and in entrance ways.
  • Adjusting how many people move through the premises to reduce congestion and contact between clients, for example, queue management or one-way flow. This may only be possible in larger establishments
  • Using outside spaces for queueing where available and safe, for example, some car parks, and managing these to ensure they do not cause risk to individuals, for example by using barriers and having staff direct clients
  • Minimising contact between different workers while performing a service on a client.

HOW TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR WORKING IN THE BUSINESS:

We will “ensure workers maintain social distancing guidelines wherever possible, including while arriving at and departing from work and while in work,”.  Mitigating actions include:

  • Further increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.
  • Using screens or barriers to separate clients from one another. If the practitioner is wearing a visor, screens will not provide additional protection between the practitioner and the individual.
  • Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) where possible.
  • Using a consistent pairing system if workers have to be in close proximity.
  • Maintaining social distancing between the treatment or service areas, such as the client chairs
  • Provide handwashing facilities (or hand sanitiser where not possible) at entry and exist points.
  • Provide floor markings and signage to remind both workers and clients to maintain social distancing wherever possible, especially in client interaction zones.
  • Work stations should be assigned to an individual as much as possible. If they need to be shared, they should be shared by the smallest number of people possible.
  • Avoid overrunning or overdeveloping appointments and minimise contacts around transactions, for example, considering using contactless payments where possible.
  • Minimising how frequently equipment is shared between workers, frequently cleaning between use and assigning to an individual where possible.
  • Use disposable items where possible, for example, nail files, and ensuring non-disposable items are cleaned between clients.
  • Stagger break times to reduce pressure on the staff break rooms to ensure social distancing.
  • Install screens to protect workers in receptions or similar areas.
  • Encouraging workers to bring their own food and drinks, and not allowing food and drink to be consumed in the salon by clients other than water in disposable cups or bottles.
  • Only the clients should be present in the same room for appointments taking place.

 

MEASURES TO TAKE TO KEEP THE WORKPLACE CLEAN:

  • Spacing appointments to allow for frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, using your usual cleaning products.
  • Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, including door handles r staff handheld devices, and making sure there are adequate disposal arrangements for cleaning products.
  • Do not provide reading materials such as magazines in client waiting areas.
  • Sanitising any reusable equipment, including client chairs, treatment beds, and equipment, such as scissors used offer each appointment, and at the start and end of shifts
  • Using disposable gowns for each client. Where this is not possible, use separate gowns (and towels in the normal way) for each client, washing between use and disposing appropriately as required.
  • Re-usable visors are available. A re-usable visor must be cleaned and sanitised regularly using cleaning products.
  • There is a requirement for the client to wear additional protection such as a mask or face covering, even when the practitioner is wearing a visor.
  • Services which require workers to be within the “highest risk zone” of clients (defied as the area in front of the face where splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth, that may not be visible, can be present and pose a hazard from the client to the practitioner and vice versa), for the entire duration or the majority of the time the service is being provided (such as eyelash extensions) should not be resumed unless they can be adapted in line with this guidance to make them safe (for example, by moving out of the highest risk zone and wearing a visor).