Message from the Management Committee

By | August 13, 2020

ACTIVITIES BASED IN HIRED PREMISES     –    MINIMISING THE RISK

Prior to hiring rooms, the Premises providers will have certified that the premises are classed as ‘Covid-19 Secure’. The Premises providers will have provided a risk assessment confirming the steps taken to minimise the risk of transfer of Covid-19. However, while some of the actions are on the provider of the premises there are many actions required on the hirer and now figure in the terms and conditions of hiring.

CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS

If you have any Covid-19 symptoms or have been advised to isolate, do not participate in U3A activities. If you are from a location known to be subject to special measures, do not participate in U3A activities. Your health and safety and that of other members are paramount.

Assuming the above does not exclude you from attending, please take note that the onus is on you to assess the risks associated with participating in the offered activities. The premises owners and your management team will have taken all reasonable steps to minimize threats to the wellbeing of members and communicate the good practice described here. However, the acceptance of risk is inevitably a personal matter.

By the way, the Third Age Trust advises that members avoid car sharing to and from activities.

CLEANSING

The premises will be cleaned by the premises provider at the start of each day but NOT between sessions. As a condition of the booking, any party hiring the premises must commit to themselves cleaning all surfaces with an appropriate household product. Typically, this means wiping chair frames (not fabric), tables, door handles window handles and toilets. The group leader will be responsible for supplying the cleaning products; with the cost covered from attendance fees.

If equipment is used, clean that equipment with an appropriate sanitizing product between sessions.

Keep the room well ventilated.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Attendees are encouraged to clean hands with a sanitizer or soap/water prior to and throughout the session.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Attendees must adhere to the Govt guidelines on social distancing. Ideally, a standard of 2 metres should be adopted. The room provider may assist in this matter by floor markings. Wherever practical, sit side-by-side rather than face-to-face. If 2 metres is not viable (e.g. card and board games), a distancing of 1+ metres must be adhered to and face masks must be worn throughout the session.

If the activity involves synchronized movement that may cause an individual to inadvertently move into the space of another individual, a social distance necessary to avoid inadvertently breaching the 2 metres must be adopted.

The premises management will have advised the maximum capacity of each available room. The Group Leader must ensure that the imposed maximum attendance is not breached. This could entail putting potential attendees on a rota or splitting a session.

Avoid congestion within corridors. The room provider may designate separate entrance and exit routes. These must be adhered to.

If the activity has recognized national guidelines (e.g. table tennis), comply with those guidelines.

CATERING

Excepting access to a sink, kitchen facilities will NOT be available. You must not touch the hall’s cutlery or crockery. Bring your own refreshments. Do not share refreshments or associated utensils.

GOVERNMENT ‘TEST AND TRACE’ SERVICE

Leaders must maintain an accurate register of attendees at each session and ensure that a contact telephone number is recorded on the register against each attendees’ name.

Leaders must retain the register and be prepared to pass the details of any specific session to the Secretary and to an agent of the Govt ‘Test and Trace’ service.

Derrick Fewings,
on behalf of the Management Committee

Last Updated on August 13, 2020