EHRS Risk Assessment
EHRS is committed to ensuring the safety of its workforce, volunteers, congregation, contractors and anyone else visiting the site or participating in activities either on or off the site.
As part of the Health and Safety procedures of EHRS a number of Risk Assessments are produced to enable us to review what safety procedures need to be put in place.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many of these risk assessments have to be reviewed on a regular basis and at least as often as government regulations, laws and guidances may change.
EHRS has compiled a number of risk assessments applicable to various operational areas of the synagogue. These have been produced by trustees, senior staff, outside consultancies or others with the appropriate specialities or responsibilities.
This risk assessments include either specifically or together but not exclusively
- Working on site
- Religious services
- Nagila pre-school
- Bookies Babes
- Orot children’s education and adult education
- Premises hire
- Lone working
- Jewish Care Day Centre
- Various other activities
The government guidance is non-statutory and there is no law to have or publish any risk assessment. The guidance does recommend that a risk assessment pertaining to the workplace is made available to the employees. However, it does not need nor require us for this to be distributed beyond the employees. This has been produced and made available to all employees.
In terms of content, the guidance makes it clear that businesses need only publish the results of their risk assessment, rather than the risk assessment document itself nor the detail within it. Employers will therefore not need to publish all documentation created during the risk assessment process but rather they can focus on the practical steps they will be taking to minimise the risks.
The full risk assessments are distributed to those to whom it applies, if appropriate to do so. Although EHRS may provide overall guidance documents where visitors, contractors, congregations or other parties are involved, the full risk assessments, which may contain many pages of specific operational details, are not distributed outside the relevant groups.
The risk assessments are reviewed and approved by the directors who have legal liability and responsibility for the company and charity.
The Current Status (May 2021)
At this time the EHRS site is effectively closed to visitors unless you have arranged an appointment with a member of staff.
Religious Services continue online via our Livestream Channels. However we can currently permit a small in-person attendance of 45 people for Shabbat Morning, and 15 people for Sunday Shacharit which must both be booked via the website calendar. Some other services and activities can permit small in-person attendance, please check the calendar for more details.
Staff and volunteers are permitted to attend the site for the purpose of producing a broadcasted religious service (aka Livestream).
For all activities, a strict hygiene and cleaning routine is in place such as daily sanitising of all work space or when occupants change, frequent sanitising of handrails, door furniture; use of disposable towels; improved ventilation.
Staff are expected to work from home where possible. When visiting the site for essential work, care is taken in line with government guidance; this includes but not exclusively taking temperature on arrival; separate entrances and exits; use of face coverings; availability and encouraged use of hand sanitiser; protective gloves when handling shared religious services items; flexi-glass screens.
The pre-school (nurseries) of Nagila and Bookies-Babes are operating during the pandemic restrictions in line with the guidance and Offsted requirements. Risk Assessments have beeen compiled and staff been updated. Families and guardians of attending children have been advised appropriately with necessary guidelines.
Activities which are permitted to take place have produced risk assessments which have been compiled to be additional to and consistent with any broader assessments.
If you participate in other EHRS activities, please contact that group for their current operating guidelines.
If you have any queries, please forward to the Community Director, by email at admin@ehrs.uk