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COVID-19 Site Specific Safe Operating Procedure

(Site Photo)

Project Name:

Contract Number:

Project/Site Manager:

Site Address:

Operations/Contract Manager:

Postcode:

Revision Schedule

Revision No

Date

Comments

Author

Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Travelling to Site

3.0 Site Access/Egress

4.0 Hand Washing & Toilet Facilities

5.0 Canteen, Eating & Smoking Arrangements

6.0 Changing Facilities and Drying Rooms

7.0 Cleaning

8.0 Procedure if Someone Falls ill

9.0 Self-Isolation

10.0 Avoid Close Working

11.0 Risk Assessments

12.0 Site Meetings / Daily Briefings / Point of Work Risk Assessments / Toolbox Talks

13.0 Delivery Management

14.0 Additional Site Arrangements

15.0 Accident & Emergency Arrangements

16.0 Site Layout Plan (Showing Segregation)

1.0 Introduction

This Site Specific Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) is an addendum to the SHEQ Project Plan and has been produced to detail THE COMPANY’S management arrangements to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce, minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus and ensure a minimum standard across all projects during the coronavirus outbreak.

This SOP has been developed from the Government’s current recommendations contained in Working safely during COVID-19 in construction (11th May 2020).

The health and safety requirements of all construction activities must not be compromised. If an activity cannot be undertaken safely due to a lack of suitably qualified personnel being available or without appropriate control measures, it must not take place.

This document is to be shared with our employees, supply chain partners and visitors prior to them attending site, as it has been developed to protect them, their colleagues and their families.

Project Managers and Supervisors should remind the workforce at every opportunity of these Site Operating Procedures.

Project Managers will consider who is needed on site, for example, support staff should work from home if at all possible. Planning for the minimum number of people needed to be on site to operate safely and effectively is required, for example those on site will be limited to, workers deemed necessary to carry out physical works, supervise work, or conduct work in order to operate safely.

2.0 Travelling to Site

When travelling to your workplace you will need to observe the social distancing guidance whilst you are travelling, as far as is practical. Social distancing means staying 2 metres (6ft) apart from other people.

Wherever possible all persons attending site should travel alone using their own transport, if there is no option but to share a vehicle with people who are not part of the same household:-

· Journeys should be shared with the same individuals and with the minimum number of people at any one time

· Ensure good ventilation (i.e. keeping the windows open);

· The vehicle should be cleaned regularly using gloves and standard cleaning products, with particular emphasis on handles and other areas where passengers may touch surfaces, and;

· For those workers who are required to travel and stay away from home in accommodation, creating fixed groups of workers so that where contact is unavoidable, this happens between the same people.

For those travelling by car/van/motorbike parking is available at [insert text]

If travelling by bicycle secure storage is available at [insert text]

If public transport is the only means to travel to site, consideration should be given to:-

· Wearing a face covering, and maintaining social distancing;

· Changing and staggering working hours to reduce congestion on the network.

· In central London, avoid (if possible) using the tube during peak times (05:45 ‐ 7:30 and 16:00 ‐ 17:30).

3.0 Site Access/Egress

Additional hand cleaning facilities / sanitiser at the entrance and exit, all persons arriving and leaving site must exercise good hygiene and use this facility.

The following additional measures have been introduced on site:-

· Non-essential visitors will not be permitted onsite;

· Start times have been staggered to reduce congestion and contact at all times;

· Social distances markers have been placed outside the site to ensure 2m distances between those entering the site;

· A segregated one-way site entrance and exit system has been implemented to ensure social distancing;

· Site access points will be monitored to ensure social distancing is being adhered to;

· Biometric fingerprint readers have been suspended, all operatives must be signed in and out by security.

· Site inductions have been reduced to a maximum of [insert text]. All inductions must be pre-booked with the Project Management Team by 4pm on the previous day.

· Signage & floor markings have been erected throughout the site and should be adhered to at all times.

· One-way pedestrian routes have been implemented on site and must be adhered to at all times.

Illustrative photograph only, please replace with your site specific photos.

· Stairs have been assigned as one direction of travel and should be used in preference to lifts or hoists;

· Where lifts or hoists must be used, the capacity has been reduced to a maximum of [insert text] people (including the operator) to avoid congestion and contact;

· Non-essential movements around site and within the building(s) are prohibited.

· Each day the site will be segregated into working zones to keep groups of workers separated as much as possible, this will be communicated during the daily briefing.

4.0 Hand Washing & Toilet Facilities

Hand washing facilities are provided within the site welfare facilities. All personnel must wash their hands before entering or leaving site.

· Soap and fresh water is readily available and kept topped up at all times;

· Hand sanitiser is provided where required;

· Sufficient bins for hand towels have been provided, with regular removal and disposal of rubbish.

· Additional hand washing/sanitising stations have been placed at:-


· [insert text]

· [insert text]

· [insert text]

·

[insert text]


The following control measures have been implemented in the toilet and hand washing areas;

· Restrictions on the number of people using toilet facilities at any one time, to ensure social distancing maintained;

· All personnel must wash hands before and after using the facilities;

· Social distances markers have been placed outside the toilets to ensure 2m distances between those queuing;

· Some basins and urinals have been taken out of use to enforce 2m rule

· A one-way system along the corridors will be employed to allow for control of numbers entering toilets and to stop staff crossing in narrow passages.

· Enhanced cleaning regimes for toilet facilities, particularly door handles, locks, sinks and the toilet flush;

· Chemical toilets (Portaloos) are not permitted on site.

· A Welfare Attendant has been appointed to deal with any queries and ensure these measures are adhered to.

· Hand driers on site have been replaced with paper towels.


5.0 Canteen, Eating & Smoking Arrangements

The following control measures have been implemented in the canteen & smoking areas;

· The workforce is encouraged to stay on site once they have entered the site and not use local shops;


· The consumption of food is limited to the canteen only, this will reduce food waste bins and contamination;

· Break times are staggered to reduce congestion and contact at all times;

· Hand washing/sanitising is available at the entrance to the canteen and should be used by workers when entering and leaving the area;

· The workforce is encouraged to bring pre-prepared meals and refillable drinking bottles from home;

· Workers must sit two metres apart from each other whilst eating and avoid all contact;

· Only disposable crockery, eating utensils, cups etc. are to be used;

· Drinking water will be provided with enhanced cleaning measures of the tap mechanism introduced;

· All rubbish is to be put straight in the bin and not left for someone else to clear up;

· All areas used for eating must be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each break and shift, including chairs & tables etc.;


· Surfaces that are touched regularly e.g. kettles, refrigerators, microwaves will be frequently clean.

· The Smoking & Vaping Areas have been marked to ensure social distancing, please ensure no more than [insert text] are in these areas at one time.

· All smoking waste must be placed in the bins provided, littering is not permitted;

· A canteen rota has been introduced to ensure a maximum of [insert text] people in this facility at one time.

6.0 Changing Facilities & Drying Rooms

The following measures have been implemented in the Drying Rooms & changing areas;

· Staggered start and finish times introduced to reduce congestion and contact at all times;

· Hand cleaning facilities or hand sanitiser is to be used prior to entering the Drying Rooms & changing areas and should be used by workers when and leaving the area;

· Enhanced cleaning of all facilities introduced throughout the day and at the end of each day;

· Based on the size of this area the maximum number of people permitted at any one time is [insert text], to maintain a distance of two metres;

· Additional rubbish bins have provided, with regular removal and disposal of rubbish.

7.0 Cleaning

The enhanced cleaning procedures will be maintained across the site, particularly in communal areas and at touch points will be cleaned daily including;

· Taps and washing facilities

· Toilet flush and seats

· Door handles and push plates

· Hand rails on staircases and corridors

· Lift and hoist controls

· Machinery and equipment controls (excluding plant)

· Food preparation and eating surfaces

· Key boards, photocopiers and other office equipment

· Rubbish collection and storage points should be increased and emptied regularly throughout and at the end of each day;

· Subcontractors are required to put arrangements in place to regularly clean the inside of vehicle cabs and between use by different operators.

· All hand tools, controls, machinery and equipment must be sanitised after use.

· Shared equipment, e.g. tools, pallet tucks & podiums etc. should be cleaned after use.

· Frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, such as buckets, site equipment and control panels is required.

8.0 Procedure if Someone Falls Ill

If a worker develops a high temperature or a persistent cough while at work, they will be required to:

· Notify their Supervisor;

· Return home immediately;

· Avoid touching anything;

· Cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin, or if they do not have tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow;

· If they need clinical advice, they should go online to NHS 111 or call 111 if they don’t have internet access. In an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.

· They must then follow the guidance on self-isolation and not return to work until their period of self-isolation has been completed.

· If a member of staff has helped someone who was taken unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they do not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves. They should wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds after any contact with someone who is unwell with symptoms consistent with coronavirus infection.

9.0 Self-Isolation

Anyone who meets one of the following criteria must not attend site:-

· Has a high temperature, a new persistent cough or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia) - follow the guidance on self-isolation;

· Is a vulnerable person (by virtue of their age, underlying health condition, clinical condition or are pregnant);

· Is living with someone in self-isolation;

· Is within 14 days of the day when the first member of their household showed symptoms of Coronavirus;

· Has been advised by a notification that, in accordance with that guidance they need to follow rigorously shielding measures?

10.0 Avoid Close Working

Where possible everyone is to follow social distancing and stay 2 metres (6ft) apart from other people. Where it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines in full in relation to a particular activity, consideration should be given to whether that activity needs to continue and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission.

If working within 2 metres from another person, a Permit To Work is required.

General Principles

· Work should be planned to minimise contact between workers and avoid face-to-face contact.

· Non-essential physical work that requires close contact between workers should not be carried out;

· Rearrange tasks to enable them to be done by one person, or by maintaining social distancing measures (2 metres).

· Consider alternative or additional mechanical aids to reduce worker interface;

· Minimise the frequency and time workers are within 2 metres of each other;

· Minimise the number of workers involved in these tasks;

· Operatives should also wash their hands frequently using soap and water for 20 seconds.

· As much as possible, keep groups of workers working together in teams that are as small as possible (cohorting).

Further mitigating actions include:

· Increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning.

· Keeping the activity time involved as short as possible.

· Using screens or barriers to separate people from each other.

· Using back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.

· Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ (so each person works with only a few others).

Finally, if people must work face-to-face for a sustained period with more than a small group of fixed partners, then you will need to assess whether the activity can safely go ahead. No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment.

11.0 Risk Assessments

All subcontractors are required to include in their risk assessments and method statements these procedures, their own company policies and procedures and the government and NHS guidance on Covid-19 controls.

Point of Work Risk Assessment are to be produced daily, they should include social distancing measures and the segregation between contractors occupying the same area of sites, briefings are to be carried as per Section 12.0.

During the completion of all activities onsite, social distancing measures were possible should be adhered to at all times. This includes physical construction activities and works, site meetings and the use of welfare facilities etc.

There will be situations where it is not possible or safe for workers to distance themselves from each other by

2 metres, this must be fully demonstrated through risk assessment.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye

protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment, such as face masks. Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.

When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.

Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very high, your risk assessment should reflect

the fact that the role of PPE in providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly.

Risk assessments must be shared with the workforce, they should be consulted throughout the risk assessment process and informed of the control measures required.

Face Coverings

There are some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally beneficial as a precautionary measure. The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are infected but have not developed symptoms.

Wearing a face covering is optional and is not required by law, nor is it required to be worn on site. If anyone on site chooses to wear one, it is important to use face coverings properly and wash their hands before putting them on and taking them off.

Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely if they choose to wear one. This means

telling workers:

· Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it.

· When wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with

germs from your hands.

· Change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it.

· Continue to wash your hands regularly.

· Change and wash your face covering daily.

· If the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of

it carefully in your usual waste.

· Practise social distancing wherever possible.

12.0 Workstations / Site Meetings / Daily Briefings / Toolbox Talks

· Workstations have been modified to ensure social distancing.

· All desks must be cleared of all documentation and stationary etc. each night to ensure appropriate cleaning of the workstation.

· Only absolutely necessary meeting participants should attend;

· Meetings/briefings are to be held in open areas or outside where possible were floor markings have been used to ensure social distancing;


· Attendees must remain two metres apart from each other;

· Rooms will be well ventilated / windows opened to allow fresh air circulation and capacity reduced to ensure social distancing;

· The onsite meeting rooms have reduced capacities, meeting room one is now limited to [insert text] people at any one time, meeting room two is limited to [insert text] people at any one time. ALL meetings are to be agreed and permitted by the Project Manager prior to the day of the proposed meeting.

· Avoid transmission during meetings, for example do not share pens and or other objects.

13.0 Delivery Management

The following measures have been implemented for delivery management:-

· Were onsite storage permits, the frequency of deliveries should be reduced by ordering larger quantities less often.

· All deliveries must be pre-booked with Project Management team;

· Drivers should remain in their vehicles. If they are required to assist in unloading, they must wash or clean their hands before unloading goods and materials;

· Proof of delivery notes or electronic pads should not be signed.

· Social distancing is to be exercised at all times during the delivery.

14.0 Additional Site Arrangements

All subcontractors have a duty of care them towards their employees. Each subcontractor should provide information, instruction, training, supervision and products to their employees such as hand sanitiser and personal protection equipment to ensure they carry out their work safely. The following are additional site specific arrangements:-

· Inductions are now strictly by appointment and notification only. No inductees will be accepted unless an email is received from their employer requesting the induction, this is also to be accepted by the Project Manager prior to the proposed day of induction.

· Any essential visits are also to be pre- booked and agreed with the Project Manager.

· Hand held radios used for traffic management and cranes operators are not to be shared and must be disinfected before and after each shift.

· All subcontractors are required to limit the number of operatives rotated on site. As far as possible, where people are split into teams or shift groups, fixing these teams or shift groups so that where contact is unavoidable, this happens between the same people.

· Identifying areas where people have to directly pass things to each other, such as shared tools, materials or job instructions, and finding ways to remove direct contact, for example, by using drop-off points or transfer zones.

· Subcontractors are encouraged to use digital and remote transfers of information where possible, rather than paper format.

· [insert text if required]






15.0 Accidents & Emergency Arrangements

In an emergency, for example, an accident, fire or break-in, people do not have to stay 2m apart if it would be unsafe.

People involved in the provision of assistance to others should pay particular attention to sanitation measures immediately afterwards including washing hands.

First Aid

First Aiders should always be aware of the risks to yourself and others. When approaching a casualty there is always a risk of cross contamination especially when you may have to get close to the casualty to assess what is wrong or to check their breathing.

It is always important to be aware of the risks of how this cross contamination has occurred. According to the NHS we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person but similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.

Keep yourself safe. In line with government advice, make sure you wash your hands or use an alcohol gel, before and

after treating a casualty, also ensure that you don’t cough or sneeze over a casualty when you are treating them.

Don’t lose sight of other cross contamination that could occur that isn’t related to COVID-19.

· Wear gloves or cover hands when dealing with open wounds

· Cover cuts and grazes on your hands with waterproof dressing

· Dispose of all waste safely

· Do not touch a wound with your bare hand

· Do not touch any part of a dressing that will come in contact with a wound.

Give early treatment. The vast majority of incidents do not involve getting close to a casualty where you would come into contact with cough droplets. Sensible precautions will ensure you are able to treat a casualty effectively.

Remember your own needs. These are challenging and uncertain times for all. The COVID-19 outbreak has meant a lot of upheaval and worry for people. In order to help others, you will also need to look after your own needs. Make sure you take time to talk about your fears and concerns with someone you trust and to take out time to look after yourself.

16.0 Site Layout Plan (Showing Segregation)

[Insert site plans highlighting new segregated routes ensuring social distancing]

[Insert site plans highlighting new segregated routes ensuring social distancing]

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