Health and safety
Please note this advice is for CCBC employees only.
It is essential that staff follow official guidelines applicable to Wales on managing the health risks associated with the Covid-19 virus - this now varies from England, Scotland and Ireland. The most up to date position may be found from the Welsh Government website.
This guidance is intended for CCBC staff providing support for essential services to maintain a consistent approach across all service areas, whether temporarily working from home, in offices or in the community.
Protecting workers and individuals using services
The reopening of premises and continuing of services is subject to a risk assessment and safe system of work by service area managers to ensure the safety of staff and others. This assessment not only needs to consider the risks associated with the covid-19 virus, but also indirect risks associated with shutdown of premises such as legionella bacteria in stagnant water within pipework and maintenance of gas and electrical appliances and lifts etc. It is imperative that the risk assessment be kept under regular review to account for changes in legislation and official guidance.
Template risk assessments, safe working procedure and a check list are below. These cover issues for consideration associated with the reopening of buildings closed, and resuming or continuation of services. These templates can be modified to suit individual premises and service area needs, and may be used to supplement rather than replace existing risk assessments already in place.
Building and room ventilation
Good natural air ventilation, preferably through fresh air or mechanical systems, can significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. Where possible, those responsible for premises should increase the supply of fresh natural air, e.g. by opening external windows and doors (and internal doors unless fire doors). Extractor fans in toilet and kitchen areas can also be used to remove contaminated air, aid air circulation and prevent air stagnation.
The risk of air conditioning spreading COVID-19 in the workplace is extremely low as long as there is an adequate supply of fresh air and ventilation. Most types of air conditioning system can continue to be used as normal. But if a building you manage has a centralised ventilation system that recirculates air to different rooms it is recommended that the recirculation setting be turned off and use a fresh air supply as much as possible.
It is not necessary to adjust air conditioning systems that mix some of the extracted air with fresh air and return it to the room as this increases the fresh air ventilation rate. Also, it is not necessary to adjust systems in individual rooms or portable units as these operate on 100% recirculation, but maintain a good supply of fresh air ventilation into the room.
To prevent occupants of a room getting cold a side window away from the work area should be left open that doesn’t expose individuals to cold draughts where possible. Where this is not possible, an external window or door should be opened for 10-15 minutes every 1-2 hours to allow supply of fresh air to circulate the room and remove stagnant air.
Premises managers reliant on mechanical ventilation (e.g. without external windows or doors that can be opened) should seek specialist advice, e.g. from a Building Services Engineer of Property Services.
Temperature checking of staff and visitors / pupils
‘No-contact’ infrared thermometers are not generally reliable for identifying someone with a raised body temperature. Temperature checking is complex in terms of legalities, and unless this has been signed off by a Head of Service and been approved by the Trade Unions it is advised against. This does not apply to CCBC care workers where staff are temperature checked on admission into homes. Anyone who feels unwell and/or has potential covid-19 symptoms is required to stay at home, self-isolate and arrange to be tested.
Self-isolation
If you have any coronavirus symptoms, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days and should you experience any of these symptoms in the workplace you should go home and isolate in accordance with the latest Welsh Governments self-isolation guidelines.
Click the hyperlink to view the latest guidance from Welsh Government regarding Changes to self-isolation for fully-vaccinated adults.
Vaccination
Staff are encouraged to get vaccinated if it safe for them to do so - further information can be found at Vaccine: coronavirus.
Statutory maintenance and building/equipment maintenance.
Buildings and plant subject to statutory maintenance such as gas boilers and heating systems, lifts, electrical systems (including fire detection and alarm) and pressure systems etc should all continue to be maintained, even though premises are currently closed. This should be arranged to ensure compliance and prevent any avoidable delays when premises are permitted to reopen.
Any items beyond their due date for statutory examination should not be used and isolated until examined by a competent engineer and deemed safe for use.
Those responsible for individual CCBC premises are responsible for ensuring that where testing, maintenance and repair work is arranged, and that a designated member of staff is available to open the site and internal doors to enable such required work is conducted such work.
Contractors should be provided with a contact name and contact number for a premises to enable.
Legionella bacteria control
Water stagnation within pipework and taps can occur due to lack of use where buildings or facilities have been closed or had reduced occupancy for several months.
Building Managers should have maintained their legionella control arrangements in line with advice issued, including weekly flushing of little used outlets and monthly temperature checks (where water heating systems have been turned off to save energy, water temperature checks should check the water is below 20oC for both hot and cold water systems, hot water systems kept on should remain above 50oC throughout).
If such safeguards and checks have not been maintained during the period of shutdown then due to the risk of legionella bacteria within water system; the water system may require sterilisation before safe for use. Building managers must seek advice from the Health and Safety Division (Tel. 01443 86 4072, or e-mail:- healthandsafety@caerphilly.gov.uk) as soon as possible and should ensure that that the water system is not used until advice has been sought.
Cleaning products effective against COVID-19
All cleaning products used to clean work surfaces, door handles and shared items between uses by different groups of people should be viricidal and biocidal. The safety standard for virucidal products is BS EN 14476.
Anti-bacterial wipes and sprays are not effective at penetrating the cell structure of virus cells so are less effective against covid-19 and other viruses.
All shared use equipment should be cleaned prior to use by different people, and time allowed for such cleaning. This includes, but not exclusive, to areas contacted by hand for shared:-
- Telephones and IT equipment, including keyboards, mice and multi-function printers;
- Various parts of a vehicle, particularly the steering wheel, gear lever, controls for heating and radio etc., levers for indicator lights, wipers, screen wash etc, and door handles inside and outside of the vehicle;
- Machinery controls;
- Specialist equipment.
The Health and Safety Division cannot supply or approve such products. However, to assist service managers with sourcing suitable products that are identified as being virucidal and biocidal a list below has been provided based on the cleaning products used by CCBC’s Building Cleaning and Social Services or sourced by Procurement.
Personal protective equipment
Guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) for those not working within care homes, supported living or providing personal care can be found below.
National guidance regarding appropriate PPE for those providing personal care in a range of medical and non-medical settings may be found on the UK Government website.
Public Health Wales do not generally recommend the use of facemasks as an effective means of preventing the spread of Covid-19 infection, except in clinical or care settings where healthcare workers provide direct personal care. Staff working in personal care settings that are required to work within 2 metres of a resident/service user should wear a fluid repellent surgical mask. Eye protection may also be required depending on the risk. Masks should be worn for care sessions as opposed to shifts. This applies regardless of whether assisting someone with symptoms of Covid-19 infection or not.
Further guidance may be found in this Face Masks and Face Coverings guidance FAQ document.
It is essential that where masks are used that they are adjusted correctly to create a tight seal.
An NHS training video regarding the wearing of PPE in social care settings may be found below:
Hand sanitiser fire and serious eye irritation risk
There is a risk of fire and arson as an unfortunate consequence of storing alcohol-based hand sanitiser that has been provided to reduce the spread of Covid-19. A separate health and safety bulletin regarding this risk and required actions to minimise the associated risk.
In addition, alcohol-based hand sanitiser causes serious eye irritation if in direct contact with the eye. This could occur from a splash, but most likely from rubbing the eye area with a hand shortly after applying sanitiser liquid / gel.
Vulnerable persons should be supervised with applying hand sanitiser to ensure only a suitable quantity is applied, and it is rubbed into all areas of the hand until dry.
If sanitiser gets into the eye, the affected eye(s) should be rinsed with sterile or fresh water for several minutes. Contact lenses should be removed where possible if worn on the affected eye(s.) and medical attention should be sought if eye irritation persists after several minutes of flushing.
Temporary use of display screen equipment(DSE) at home
Although the risks associated with the temporary use of display screen equipment (e.g. computers/laptops) at home are low, use of a prolonged period can cause short term pain and discomfort, particularly to the back, shoulders and wrists. .
Staff using IT equipment in order to work from home should: .
- Take regular breaks (at least every hour) to adjust position and reduce the risk of back and joint pain. Where possible, regularly adjust between sitting and standing (e.g. sit to type, stand to talk). If available, use an adjustable ‘office’ style chair on castors.
- Conduct a self-assessment of their workstation and use of DSE and inform their line manager of the outcome.
- Speak to their line manager to discuss and arrange transferring equipment from their office to home, as identified from their DSE workstation and use self-assessment. For example, staff may be permitted to take an office chair, mouse, screen, keyboard etc. home.
The following videos will help employees to review their current DSE set up and identify the changes that can be made to reduce the risks associated with the use of display screen equipment: .
Home working
Home working creates some health and safety risks, although many of these are likely to be low both in terms of severity, likelihood and duration. The guidance sheet Temporary Working From Home: Guidance For Managers And Home Working Employees is intended to support both home working employees, and their line managers, in identifying and managing such risks to maintain them as posing minimal risk.
Further guidance regarding home working is also available from here, although primarily relates to those contracted to work from home long-term rather than temporarily as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coping with anxiety and concerns associated with the pandemic
Staff can access 'Care First's' resources for advice on coping with covid-19 related issues from their website www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk. Username: ccb001 Password: ncil1234
The links below include a range of mindfulness exercises. Many of them only require a few minutes.