Notes about this Risk Assessment

This risk assessment is to be completed to ensure that the risk has been identified and the required prevention measures have been
implemented. The rigorous application of these measures is to limit the risks of contracting and/or spreading COVID-19 and to take
action quickly when identifying non-conformities. The primary purpose of applying such measures is to protect the health of workers.

Business Name: Date:

Address:
Assessor Name(S) What is Your Role Within the Business?

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers 1

 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

CRITICAL Area and/or Item Yes No EXPLANATION WHY YES or NO

Front door, handle & door bell
Office Doors, handles
Washrooms
Microwave
Coffee machine
Printers
Vehicles
Forklifts
Pallet walkies
Face masks
Chairs and stools
Phones
Saws
Hand tools
Spray guns
Brooms and mops
Back door
Front Desk counter
Lunch Room Fridge handle

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers 2

 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Consideration Action/Response By Who Suggestion

Have reception or someone stop each worker, contractor or visitor
Do you have any customers or contractors that
before they come into the workplace and ask them questions from the
may be expected to enter your business?
screening sheet: record phone numbers, email or both.
If yes, you should have them read the screening questionnaire. They
If yes to the above, do you ask them if they may
need to sign in, indicating that they are not a risk to your staff. This
be infected or been around those who may be
should include a phone number in case you need to contact them.
infected?
Workers may need to don PPE
Communications to workers explaining what Do a safety talk in small groups (1 to 3) about what it is and what your
social distancing is and its importance have policy states.
been communicated. Is it posted?
Ask during the screening of persons coming into the building. Any
Have workers been out of the country?
worker who has been out of the country may need to self-isolate.

Does everyone have to come to work? Can you Assess which jobs can be done off-site and if you can transition to this.
have workers work from home?

Can you add a shift to split the staff to keep as Ensure that if you are adding an additional shift that all the rules and
little people in the building as possible? procedures that would apply on days also applies to other shifts.
This may see machines moved to separate workers. Also, consider if
Can you organize the work that would separate
the workflow can be changed so that groups of workers are not working
workers?
so close together.

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers 3

 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Consideration Action/Response By Who Suggestion

Do you have rules in place to have workers
sanitize their work areas as often as needed? If
yes, do you have enough supplies to allow If you have workers that will handle the same tools and equipment,
workers to sanitize the work area? sanitizing the tools and equipment should be considered between worker
usage. For example, if multiple workers are using a forklift, pallet walkie
This would include sanitizing tools before work etc.
begins (beginning of the day and after each
break, and end of the day)
This is a problem if workers are required to talk to each other as part of
the work process. Is there a way of changing the way we communicate?
Let’s get creative!!
If workers are required to work closely together, Consider:
what kind of controls can you put in place?
 Physical barriers between workers (plex glass, panels etc.)
 Workers wear face shields, face masks and latex gloves
 No talking to each other
Do not use fans to blow air away from workers!
Can workers eat their meals, coffee breaks and
maintain the 2 M distance? (remove seats, have If workers are sharing things like microwaves, sinks, tables and chairs,
designated sitting areas?) disinfecting these must happen often. Who will be responsible for doing
Can scheduling breaks minimize worker contact this?
with each other?
Where social distancing of 2 metres between
persons cannot be maintained, work process, See above, “if workers are required to work closely.”
meetings, offices, etc. are workers wearing
PPE?
Some workplaces may have staff that do not see the seriousness of
Do workers follow the social distancing rules- these controls and choose not to follow the rules. Workers should be
Handshaking and close greetings are not encouraged to report workers not following the rules. Supervisors should
practiced take a strict adherence to the rules.
Tell workers that if they do not follow the rules, they are putting mgmt. In
an awkward position where they will be required to take action.
All personnel are practicing handwashing at the This may be a new rule that may need to be put in place. It will be
start of the shift, after washroom breaks, prior to different for most workplaces. It will be a challenge to ensure this is
and after breaks, and at the end of shift done.
Are water stations available, are disposable cups It is not recommended that workers are allowed to bring in their own
available? Washing dishes at work is not coffee cups or water bottles as droplets could land on the area that they
recommended. put their mouths on.
Soap dispensers with bacterial soap available in Don’t forget to sanitize the area of the soap dispenser that the bare
washrooms and clean-up facilities and hands touch.

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers 4

 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Consideration Action/Response By Who Suggestion

maintained
Anti-viral Hand sanitizer (at least 60-99% alcohol
This may be a challenge to acquire hand sanitizer. Hand washing is the
and no alcohol substitute) distributed throughout
second option.
the workplace and high use areas?
Disposable paper napkins and sanitizing
Self-explanatory
wipes are available for use in eating areas
Trash cans are placed near toilet exit doors Self-explanatory
Disinfectant wiping products are available
and distributed widely around common Self-explanatory
areas
How often does your business clean its washrooms in a day?
How often do washrooms get cleaned in a restaurant?
Increased cleaning of the toilet block (seats,
Washrooms should be cleaned often. Most businesses do not
levers, tanks, sink, counters)
have someone assigned to do this. You may need to address
how this will be done at your workplace.
Staff members performing cleaning and The policy must clearly state that when handling trash or cleaning
garbage collection are wearing disposable areas that gloves are worn. This would include wearing gloves
gloves for all tasks in the cleaning process when you are sanitizing tools and equipment.
Hand sanitizers are available in washroom Self-Explanatory
and clean-up areas
Supervisors may be sympathizing with workers and may not want
Are supervisors watching workers ensure
to be the heavy hand and enforce the rules, especially if they
they are following safe work procedures?
seem silly. They must be told it is their job to enforce.
Hand washing method posters displayed Posters can be downloaded off the net.
(Public Health Agency of Canada) in
washrooms and clean-up facilities
Posters reinforcing COVID19 Signs and Self-Explanatory
Symptoms and actions to be taken are
posted
Rate the following 1=low 5=high If it is felt that workers and mgmt. will not take this seriously if so,
1 2 3 4 5 you will need to figure how you will deal with this. You may also
How seriously do you think your workers
find that some may not think you are doing enough for their
are taking this?
protection.
How seriously do you think MGMT is taking 1 2 3 4 5
this?

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers 5

 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Consideration Action/Response By Who Suggestion

If job protection is a concern to workers, you may wish to pay
Will the business be laying workers off? attention to the mental health of workers. A distracted worker
may not be paying attention to the task at hand.

Rate the following 1=low 5=high 1 2 3 4 5 As stated above, if workers are worried, stressed or scared, they
may be experiencing some strong emotional feelings. These
Do you think workers are worried, scared may cause workers to become distracted by the job at hand.
and emotional? Distracted workers are at a higher risk of accidents & incidents.
During these difficult times, none of us have experienced these
kinds of things. Employers, managers and supervisors are
struggling to keep up to the events going on.
Workers are scared and confused, as well. Not communicating
Is the business keeping workers up to date with them may cause more stress and worry to workers.
as to how it is dealing with the COVID 19?
There is nothing wrong with communicating to the staff that you
are not sure how you are going to handle the situation at hand
and that once we have developed a plan, they will be brought up
to speed. Have discussions with front line supervisors what
information can be communicated to workers and what is to be
considered as confidential.
Workers not knowing what is going on may not trust what the
company is trying to do. Talking to workers during this
Have you interviewed staff to find out what
assessment allows them to feel what they think matters.
their feelings are about what is going on?
You may find that giving them a bit of a heads up as to some of
What do they think the company should be
the controls that may be implemented, may make implementing
doing?
those controls easier/ smoother.
How would they feel if you were to put some
If you ask the question, “what do you think if we were to do……”
of the controls in place?
And they answer in a positive manner; it may be a smoother
transition for the company.

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 Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Safety Action Plan

Based on the risk assessments conducted, the following procedures and safe work instructions have
been implemented.

 Define how you will educate workers

o Postings
o Safety talks
o Visual screening of personnel (e.g. following rules, washing hands, keeping physical
distance, etc.)
 Define how our company will sanitize the workplace;
o Washrooms,
o Employees’ wellbeing areas
o Tools and equipment
o Offices and common areas
o Other necessary critical areas
 Define how you will keep workers distant
o For areas that workers cannot maintain distance, how will you protect those?
 Define what Personal Protective Equipment will be required to be worn
o Latex gloves, face shields, face masks, etc.
 Define any specific safe work instructions that workers must follow;
o Hand washing
o Maintaining distance
o Wearing PPE
 Define how workers are to report possible exposure to the disease
 Define who is responsible for enforcement of policy and consequences if the policy is not followed
 Define any training requirements

Prepared by: Industrial Safety Trainers

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