Greenmantle Landscaping and Garden Maintenance |

We at Greenmantle Ltd are doing our utmost to keep services going for Clients with as minimal disruption as possible and will be adhering to the guidelines set by our Trade bodies and Government. All our staff have been informed of our procedures in place during COVID19 and have been issued the below RAMS.

Risk Assessment & Method Statement (RAMS)

Specific Hazard & Potential Harm / Effect

Persons at Risk

Risk Without Controls

Method & Controls

Severity1-5

Likelihood 1-5

RatingS x L

Transfer and Contamination with Coronavirus(COVID-19).Flu-like symptoms and possible death.

All staff and third parties that might be affected by our presence on site

See Below

METHOD & CONTROLS

GENERAL POINTS

The risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus is a real risk with serious consequences.

We have put a number of new controls and work methods in place to keep us all safer.

Please read this document carefully and foreman please keep a copy in your vehicle and read over it with your team on a regular basis.

These control measures apply to EVERY aspect of your time at work, including travel to and from work.

A range of information, instructions & training have been put in place to ensure all staff are “Infection Aware”. You MUST ensure that you have read and understood the written instruction and raise queries if you are unsure of anything. You MUST pay attention to all instructions and training given and raise questions if you do not understand anything.

If you have an underlying health condition or are living with anyone with one you must report the details to us now.

If you have symptoms related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) YOU MUST STAY AT HOME and not come to work. Do not go to your GP or A&E but call 111 for advice. If you are seriously ill call 999.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

If your symptoms are mild, you’ll usually be advised to not leave your home for at least 7 days.

Anyone you live with should not leave your home for 14 days.

This is called self-isolation.

More guidance on symptoms, self-isolation, what to do next and support can be found here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms-and-what-to-do/

This will include isolating yourself and others in your household in line with government guidelines which can be found here.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

Only report for work if you and your household are fit and well and show NO symptoms. If in doubt, please call us first before returning to work.

CONSULTATION & COMMUNICATING CONCERNS.

Employers have a duty to consult their team on health and safety. We can only do this by listening and talking to our team about our work and how we will manage the risks from Covid19.

The people who do the work are often the best people to understand the risk in the workplace and we value your views on how to work safely. We want to hear concerns and ideas on how we can work more safely.

There is a staff representative who you can contact if you have any concerns

If you have any concerns that you don’t feel you can discuss with a manager or if you have any ideas on safer working then please speak to Ben.

If you have any suggestions on revisions to this document please email them to RH.

DISTANCING

The best way for all of us to avoid infection is by keeping away from each other as much as possible.
Government advice is to remain a minimum of 2 meters from any other person wherever possible.
Avoid face-to-face situations, angle yourselves away from each other if you are speaking.
Beware of other people around you who may not be following the rules, especially children who may be in public areas, who will be unpredictable.
When working in public areas, try to deal with busy areas, such as tow paths during quiet times of day.
Barriers or tape should be erected in busy locations where people risk entering your workspace.
Watch other staff and make sure they follow the rules, do not be afraid to speak out if you see colleagues working too close to each other, This includes your managers and clients.
New staff may not be used to working to these new rules and special care should be taken with them.
Beware of other workers on site who may not be taking this rule seriously.
Report problems and do not work with people who do not follow this rule.
If a site feels unsafe, crowded or too busy then you have permission to leave. Locate to a safe area and call your manager.

HYGIENE

Good hygiene is critical in the control of COVID-19.
Regular hand washing is important. Wash you hands upon arrival at work and throughout the day.
Wash hands with water then apply soap
Wash for 20 seconds or more
Wash between fingers and thumbs and wrists
Rinse thoroughly with water
Dry with clean paper towel
Use towel to turn off tap
Dispose of towel carefully

Due to the mobile nature of our work, we have provided hand washing kits for each vehicle and hand sanitiser. Keep your hand sanitiser available.
Foreman & drivers MUST ensure sufficient supplies are maintained in each vehicle or on site by checking these supplies as part of the daily checks and reporting any shortages. Further supplies are available from the office or from supervisors.
The products provided should be used to clean your hands and equipment handles regularly.
Try to minimise the swapping of equipment between staff however if this is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, the handles should be sprayed and wiped down before and after use by each person.
When you get home, change your clothes and shower or wash thoroughly.

FACE COVERINGS

There are some circumstances where 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 and have not developed symptoms.
A face covering can be very simple and may be worn in enclosed spaces where social distancing isn’t possible. It just needs to cover your mouth and your nose. It is not the same as a face mask. It is important to know that the evidence of the benefit of face coverings is weak and the effect is likely to be small, therefore face coverings are not a replacement for the other ways of managing risk, including minimising time spent in contact, using fixed teams and partnering for close up work and increasing hand and surface washing.
Wearing a face covering is optional and not required by law, including in the workplace. If you chose to wear one it is important to use face coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them off

USE FACE COVERINGS SAFELY

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 washing 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 as per manufacturer’s instructions, If it is not washable dispose of it carefully in your usual waste
You can make face coverings at home and can find guidance on www.gov.uk (search face coverings)

COUGHING AND SNEEZING

We often work in dusty environments and some of us suffer from hay fever.
Wear your dust masks as normal but handle them as per the above instructions in 3.
If you do need to cough or sneeze then do so away from others and cover your mouth fully by using your arm.

TRAVEL & DRIVING

Do not use public transport to get to and from work, it should also be avoided as much as possible in your personal time. If you have to use it try to do so at quiet times of the day.
Teams should be organised so drivers can and pick up and take passengers as close to home as possible.
Two people may travel in a van at any one time. This number may not be exceeded.
Windows should be kept open as wide as possible and the cabs air recycling turned off.
Face away from each other and do not turn to talk.
Face coverings can be worn but need to be managed correctly.
You must keep an empty seat between driver and passenger.
The passenger should not touch any vehicle controls including the radio and vent controls.
Vehicle cabs must be cleaned down at the beginning of each day using the cleaning kit provided this should be done frequently during the day.
Exterior door handles should also be sprayed & cleaned down regularly. (twice a day at least)
If operatives change vans then the cab must receive a thorough spray clean and wipe down.
Try wherever possible to keep each driver and operator to the same van.
Teams should be fixed as much as possible, You will have one partner who you will work with every day to limit exposure to others.
Fuelling of vehicles should involve disposable gloves when handling the pumps and paying before being discarded. use hand sanitiser after removing gloves. Limit fuelling as much as possible.
Keep to the speed limits or slower, there are many more pedestrians about and many are children. Pedestrians are more unpredictable at the moment as they often step out into the road to avoid each other. SO SLOW DOWN. OBSERVE THE 20MPH LIMITS AT ALL TIMES.

SITE ACCESS

Sites that remain open may have implemented special measures to control the spread of disease, you MUST make yourself aware of these and report any conflict with our own controls to both the client representative and your manager. Seek clarification on any conflicts before proceeding with your work.
Do not enter buildings without invitation or instruction to do so, ensure safe distances are maintained at all times. Avoid touching surfaces but if you have done so then use your hand sanitiser. Do not touch you face.
Do not share lifts and try to use stairs where possible.
You have absolute permission to refuse to work on sites that are not following our rules. Please call you supervisor and report a problem immediately.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Spray and clean tools before use, especially handles.
Make sure there is a separate set of basic tools for each operative in the vehicle and mark each set of tools for easy identification – use colour coding or similar. (See stores for electrical tape)
Where tools must be shared then thoroughly clean down all parts of the equipment that must be touched with the cleaning products that you have for cleaning the vehicle.

PLANNING

Due to these restrictions, in particular the 2 metre rule, some tasks will not be possible to achieve safely. Examples include team lifting of heavy objects and tasks that require holding whilst fixing.
You MUST plan your work carefully to ensure that safe distances are observed wherever possible.
Emergency services are stretched at this time and may not be able to respond as quickly or as effectively as normal. You MUST take every reasonable measure to ensure that all risks are kept lower than normal, this may mean that higher risk tasks may need to be put off until later.
Tasks should not be undertaken if distancing or any other controls cannot be fully observed.
When planning, consider staggering your start, finish and break times to ensure bottlenecks are avoided, minimising the potential for pressurising the safe distancing guidelines.
Go straight to site whenever possible and try to limit your trips to the nursery.
Leave the nursery as soon as you possibly can. Avoid contact with others while there.

REFRESHMENTS

Work canteens will remain closed for the foreseeable future, breakfast can no longer be taken here.
Bring your own refreshments with you each day for work.
Do not accept offers from others to provide refreshments. Plan ahead and ensure you carry enough food and liquid for the day so as to minimise journeys and movements in and out of site. DO NOT use site canteens and rest areas.
Avoid buying food each day from stores local to your place of work. Avoid fast food shops.
You should maintain higher than normal fluid levels to avoid dehydration, which increases the risk of infection. Keep bottled water with you at all times.
DO NOT USE WATER FOUNTAINS or other communal drinking stations on sites, do not share any food or drink or any containers.
Do not take breaks in the vehicle together. Try to take rest breaks outside and away from others.

PPE

PPE should be worn as normal. Steel boots, Gloves, Ear defenders and glasses should all be used as per the normal rules. Foreman should check their teams are wearing PPE throughout the day.
PPE items should not be shared. Your own items should be kept in your own bag.
Dust and spray masks should be managed as per item 3 above.
PPE should be kept clean and washed down and sprayed daily.
Safety Glasses must be worn at all times to protect eyes from injury and prevent visits to hospital, they can also help prevent the spread of viruses.
Wash or spray work gloves daily.
Please check yourself and your colleagues are wearing PPE. SPEAK OUT IF YOU SEE A PROBLEM.

GENERAL WORKS

Think more carefully about how you approach work, what you do and how you do it
Minimise all risk as much as possible and much more than ever before.
Delay risky tasks until later wherever possible, discuss risks with you supervisor first.
Only carry out high level work with specific approval from a manager or director.
Chemical spraying must be limited and chemicals and operations monitored carefully. Spray masks must be worn when spraying or handling chemicals.

OFFICES & STAFF MEETINGS.

The offices are closed to everyone except office staff. (Barriers and signs are to remain in place)
Delivery drivers must not enter or cross the barriers. Delivery drop point to be maintained outside.
The kitchen will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Operations staff should use the rear window to collect anything required. Please email the day before to help the office plan what to prepare for you.
Keys, equipment, PPE and cleaning products handed in and out should be sprayed and wiped down.
Paperwork passing is to be minimised.
Admin staff working in the office must only do so if they need to be at work.
Workstations in shared offices must be at least 2.0 metres apart.
Do not enter other peoples offices without invitation or announcement.
There is to be no sharing of desks, computers, phones or any office equipment.
Meetings should be minimised and only those critical to the purpose of the meeting should attend.
Meetings should be held outside when possible, and in ALL cases the 2 metre rule observed.
Minimise document transfer between attendees by referring to digital documents on individual devices where possible.
Screenshare software is readily available using Zoom.
Share all documents electronically wherever possible.
All items of post being delivered should be left for 24 hours before opening.
Office door handles and toilets to be sprayed down and cleaned daily.

CUSTOMER MEETINGS.

Limit meetings to essential ones only.
These should be outside and not in meeting rooms.
Be ready for people instinctively trying to shake hands.
Do not swap paperwork, offer to email documents later. If you do need to refer to documents, then email them in advance and ask them to print their own copies. Request the same from them in advance.

WORKSHOP & STORES

Barriers have been erected around the entrance to the workshop and no one is to cross them or enter without permission.
Do not park outside the workshop and impede access or create bottlenecks
If your vehicle requires attention seek instruction before driving to the workshop.
If you require equipment please request in advance by email so it can be prepared for you.
Do not congregate around the workshop barriers and maintain 2.0m distance from others.
Any items being handed to you should be cleaned down before use (especially handles)
If you require items from the stores please request this from the workshop.

SUPERVISORS & MANAGERS

Please make sure you carry spare PPE and cleaning products to give to the teams on site.
Discuss issues and concerns with the teams and pass information on.
Note any issues of staff comments on the duty supervisors daily report.
Please keep an electronic copy of this document on your phone to send to those who need it.
Check staff are using PPE and working safely when visiting sites.
Share this document with clients and any contractors that we are working with.

OTHER RISKS

The details within this Risk Assessment are not intended to conflict with other risk assessments but where they do then follow the rules set out here. Seek clarification on any conflicting information or instruction immediately.

REPORTING

Following these new rules is paramount to keeping us all safe. If you notice anyone failing to follow the rules then please discuss this with either Ben Eyles (07792 965 203) or your supervisor or manager.

These new rules and methods are going to be tough to follow but it looks like they will be with us for many months.

We are all going to need constant reminding while we adjust and there is a danger that we will become complacent, PLEASE DON’T be shy of reminding people and speaking out.

Watch out for your colleagues, look after each other and help us to refine the way we work safely.