Copies of our most recent Risk Assessment and Sides person's duties are posted here regularly. Our aim at all times is to keep everyone safe and we thank you in advance for your cooperation and compliance with legal requirements, diocesan guidance and common sense.
HANDS-FACE-SPACE
Risk Assessment Template - responding to Stage 4 of the lifting of Covid regulations
Church: Saint Michael and All Angels | Assessor’s name:
Alex French | Date completed:
31st July 2021 | Review date:
1st September 2021 |
Area of Focus | Controls required | Additional information | Action by whom? | Completed – date and name |
Access to church buildings at times when no service is taking place
Risk: contracting or spreading the virus by touching contaminated services | All access to the church outside of services is ‘booked’ directly with the Priest in Charge or Churchwarden. They will ensure that access by multiple people is not needed at the same time. |
| AF & PS |
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Suitable hand sanitiser is available in the narthex along with posters encouraging regular hand sanitisation. |
| PS |
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Using the church building for services
Risk: we expose ourselves unnecessarily to the virus | Social distancing & ventilation Pews to remain designated for use and non use so as to ensure social distancing during services. The expectation to use a one-way system into and out of the entrance door to be in place. Car park entrance doors to remain open to offer ventilation. |
| AF Sides person - ensure doors are left open |
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Face coverings A message of strong encouragement to wear a face covering when moving around the church building to be given via posters and verbal notices. | This will include coming forward to receive communion. | PS - posters AF - verbal notices |
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Singing Hymn singing will resume with two hymns being sung. This will gradually increase, until by September we are singing five hymns. Congregants will be socially distanced during singing and will be given the choice whether they wear a face covering. | Hymn books will only be used on a Sunday so no need to sanitise.
Notices regarding changes to the number of hymns sung will be given to congregants at least one week before the change comes into effect. | AF |
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The peace This will continue to be shared in a socially distanced way. |
| AF |
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Offertory Elements to be on credence table by the altar, financial offerings to remain in basket at the back of church |
| AF Sides person - deal with financial offerings |
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Communion The ciborium to remain covered until the point of distribution. The priest will wear a face covering when distributing and will have sanitised their hands prior to handling the body of our Lord. | The words of distribution will be said individually rather than collectively before distribution. The common cup to be offered in due course. | AF PS - to brief covering priest |
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Visitors The sides person on duty will keep their eye on any visitors, explaining our approach. |
| Sides person |
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Holy water stoops Will be refilled in due course probably during September. |
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Recording of names Names will not be recorded, encouragement will be given to use the Track and Trace QR code poster | Track & Trace QR code available | PS |
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Toilet Is now open for all to use |
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Refreshments after services
Risk: a situation is created in which social distancing is not maintained. | Reminder given to keep distanced from each other during refreshments | Applies to both the hall and also to the annex room. | PS or sides person in absence of church warden |
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A rota is created with sufficient helpers to keep the preparation, offering and tidying up of refreshments suitably socially distanced |
| PS or sides person in absence of church warden |
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Any food offered is done so in a way that minimises it being touched by others. Tuesday breakfasts will be seated at tables with the food and refreshments brought to people whilst they are sat down. | Biscuits spread out on multiple plates with sufficient room between them so that they are not touched by others. Refreshments are served by a nominated person so that multi touch points on tea and coffee pots is minimised. | PS or sides person in absence of church warden |
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Church hall doors to be left open to provide sufficient ventilation on a Sunday. On Tuesday both annex room doors to be open, windows open and front doors to the church open as well. |
| PS or sides person in absence of church warden |
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Cleaning the church after use.
Risk: Getting or spreading coronavirus by not cleaning surfaces, equipment and shared facilities. | Any reusable resources to be left for 48 hours before being used again | For example hymn books, orders of services | Sidesperson |
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If less than 48 hours between services, pews will be wiped down |
| AF |
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Equipment used for refreshments to be washed before being stored away. |
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Cleaning the church after known exposure to someone with Coronavirus symptoms | If possible we will close the church building for 48 hours with no access permitted. |
| AF |
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If 48-hour closure is not possible then we will follow Public Health England guidance on cleaning in non-healthcare settings. |
| AF |
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Funerals, Baptisms and other non regular services (Occasional Offices) | Each service will have its own risk assessment written by the person taking the service. | Particular attention will be given as to how the occasional office fits into the pattern of regular church services. | AF |
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Use of the church hall by external users | The PCC will continue to collect and store the risk assessments for all reoccurring group bookings of the hall. | The impact of bookings on other bookings and/or the pattern of services in the church will be considered by JS and AF. | AF & J Smith |
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Other
This risk assessment will be updated as we reduce our requirements in accordance with the stepped approach that the PCC decided to take at the extraordinary meeting on Tuesday 27th July 2021.
8th January 2021
Sides person’s duties1
The role of a sides person is a key part of the actions that the PCC are taking to keep the church building Covid secure. The sides person and minister act together before, during and after a service to ensure that the necessary risk mitigation measures are
implemented.
Focusing specifically on Covid risk mitigation, the sides person will ensure that:
* The names of all those people who come into church are recorded in the register. The sides person will record names so as to minimise physical contact with the register and pen.
* Whilst offering a verbal welcome the sides person will remind congregants about the need to sanitise their hands before entry into the Nave of the church.
* The sides person will ensure that anyone without a face covering and without an exemption will be given a mask to wear.
* The sides person along with the minister will ensure that congregants don’t gather in groups before the service and remain 2 metres from each other.
* At the end of the service the sides person will remind any who gather together that they are not to and will inform the minister if this happens.
* If before a service a queue develops outside the church door, the sides person will give instructions to keep a 2 metre gap between people.
* The sides person will ensure that the entrance door (Yew Tree Lane side) remains fully open throughout the service.
* The sides person will ensure that both doors leading from the Narthex into the Nave remain open during the service.
* The sides person will wipe down (using the antibacterial wipes in the Narthex) the door handles into the Nave at the end of a service. Wipes to be left in the waste bin in the Sacristy.
* In the absence of the Church Warden and minister the sides person will lock church at the end of a service.
1 To be read in conjunction with St. Michael and All Angels Covid Risk Assessment, available on the notice board and via the website.