Annex 1

Task / Activity Covered by the assessment	Risk Assessment for: Council Chamber Hove Town Hall – reducing risk and spread of COVID-19 to staff and others.				Likelihood (L)		X	Impact (I)
					Almost Impossible		1	Insignificant (minor injury, no time off)
Workplace	Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ				Unlikely		2	Minor (non-permanent injury, up to 7 days off)
Date of Assessment	08.04.2021	Date Assessment to be reviewed		Reviewed on 14/09/21	Possible		3	Moderate (injury causing more than 7 days off)
Person Completing	Liz Culbert/Tamsin Chapman	Manager		Abraham Ghebre-Ghiorghis	Likely		4	Major (death or serious injury)
Staff involved in assessment	Abraham Ghebre-Ghiorghis; Mark Wall Elizabeth Culbert Head of Legal Services; Kathleen Cuming; Tamsin Chapman; Jason Mardel				Almost Certain		5	Catastrophic (multiple deaths)
Low =1-3			Moderate = 4-7			Significant = 8-14			High = 15-25

What are the significant, foreseeable, hazards? (the dangers that can cause harm)		Who is at Risk?	Current control measures (What is already in place/done)	Risk Rating			What additional controls will be put in place to reduce the risk further?	Revised Risk Rating
				L	I	R		L	I	R
1.
	Contact with other people – Waiting/reception area/Council Chamber Attendees will be meeting with people that they do not meet on a daily basis and the duration of meetings can be long.	Staff, elected Members, press and public (all attendees)	Those attending meetings enter via the main entrance and are directed by security to either the public gallery or to the Council Chamber where seats are provided, with screens between desks. Hand sanitiser available at doors and inside the Chamber. Public attendance is limited to 6 in the upstairs gallery. All voting members of a Committee or Sub Committee are required to attend Council meetings in person due to legal requirement. This increases the numbers in the Chamber and means that those in attendance may include individuals who are clinically vulnerable. Council Members and staff present inside the Chamber are seated at 1m distance, with screens in place. All attendees are required to wear a face covering throughout the meeting following a decision of full Council on 15^th July 2021. Members of the public, officers and non voting co-optees are encouraged to attend the meetings online. All attendees, including staff and elected Members, are encouraged to take a Lateral Flow Test in advance of the meeting. Shared carafes and glasses are not used in the Chamber; all attendees are requested to bring their own bottled water with them. Only one meeting is held each day in the Council Chamber and the Chamber s cleaned between each use. There are no windows that can be opened in the Chamber and temperature is maintained by air conditioning units. The ventilation system is set to the highest appropriate level and is a system that circulates fresh air from the outside. Separate male, female and accessible toilet facilities are available outside the Chamber; up to 1 person to use the female toilets and up to 1 person to use the male toilets at any one time on a one-in, one-out basis.  Signage displayed outside the toilets. Signs are displayed to indicate that the toilet lid should be in the closed position prior to flushing to minimise aerosol contamination. Hand washing/ sanitising after using the toilet (hand gel provided and signs displayed at all hand washing stations). Hands should be dried with non-touch electrical driers. Only one member of the press will be permitted into the Chamber and seated to maintain social distancing measures.	2	3	6	Doors will be left open. Elected Members and Officers will be required to continue to wear a face covering whilst seated unless they have a medical exemption. A stock of face coverings will be available for attendees to use during the meeting and attendees will be reminded that face coverings should be changed if they are touched or become damp. Guidance will be re-issued to all attendees reminding them of the safety protocols in place, including a reminder that if a person is due to attend the Council Chamber is feeling unwell or showing symptoms of COVID-19 or if a member of their household is showing symptoms of COVID-19 they must not attend and must follow the guidance on self-isolation. Attendees must maintain a 1m distance from others within the Chamber. All attendees, including staff and elected Members, will continue to be encouraged to take a Lateral Flow test in advance of the meeting. The number of attendees will be maintained at the minimum required following the legislative changes, in order to minimise footfall. Members will be seated and layout arranged to maintain 1m social distancing. An alternative, larger, venue will be sought for Full Council meetings.	2	3		6
	Attendance of people who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) Guidance on protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable		Government shielding advice has been removed, however, CEV people have been asked to think particularly carefully about additional precautions they might wish to take and workplaces are advised to give extra consideration to people at higher risk and those facing mental and physical health difficulties Therefore, reasonable adjustments may be needed.	3	4	12	CEV attendees are under no obligation to reveal their medical conditions, but may wish to do so in order to ensure that any further reasonable adjustments can be put in place and that the other attendees are aware of their needs.	2	4		8
	Contact with other people – Committee Members prior to the meeting	Members	Pre-meets take place virtually	1	1	1	Pre-meets to continue to take place virtually prior to arriving at Hove Town Hall.	1	1		1
	Contact with surfaces		Cleaning of Hove Town Hall facilities is managed and carried out by Nviro. Cleaning team instructed to pay special attention to the cleaning of door handles, light switches, desks and surfaces, taps and soap dispensers. Chamber to be cleaned by the cleaner after every use. Pedal bins with lids to be used to dispose of used tissues/general rubbish. Regular hand washing/sanitising to be carried out (hand gel provided and signs displayed at all hand washing stations. Sanitising wipes placed on each table).	2	3	6	Enhanced cleaning programme to continue as described	2	3		6
	Becoming ill whilst attending the Council Chamber	All attendees	If an attendee becomes ill after developing symptoms of COVID-19 the ill person must return home immediately and arrange a test. They must then follow the guidance on self-isolation until they receive their result. If the user is too unwell to leave Hove Town Hall unaccompanied, move them to a designated ‘safe zone’ (G79) to wait for transport. The ‘safe zone’ and any room that the unwell person has been in, must be deep cleaned afterwards. For cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 refer to the specific guidance.	2	3	6		2	3		6
	Fire evacuation	All attendees	Upon the start of a fire, the alarm is activated by a sensor. The alarm system is tested quarterly.  The fire evacuation muster point is currently behind the Norton Road Car Park.	2	3	6	Upon hearing the alarm, all attendees must leave the building immediately and do not have to stay 2m apart if it would be unsafe to do so. Meeting organisers should ensure that attendees are advised to stay away from the building until the all-clear to return is given by Security.	2	3		6
	Wellbeing	All attendees	Those required to attend meetings in person may feel more anxious than normal.	3	3	9	Clear communication prior to attending meetings and protocols in place. Signage displayed to positively promote the safety measures in place to reassure all attendees and to reduce anxiety. Communicate arrangements in place early enough to allow attendees enough time to raise any concerns prior to the meeting date. Communicate arrangements to the public. Those officers who it is anticipated will attend in person (for example legal officers, democratic services officers, IT support and lead Director) offered briefings and the opportunity to raise any concerns. Alternative arrangements to be put in place where officers are not comfortable with attendance in person. Within Groups, Leaders to discuss with Councillors their concerns and consider additional mitigation that can be put in place if appropriate.	2	2		4
List of key Government guidance · https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres · https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparation · https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19 · https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/hr-covid-19-advice