COVID-19 safety plan Business name: Trinity United Church Date completed: Dec. 11, 2020 Division/group: Date distributed: Dec. 14, 2020 Revision date: Aug. 19, 2021 Developed by: Reopening Committee Others consulted: United Church of Canada & The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
1. How will you ensure all workers know how and are able to keep themselves safe from exposure to COVID-19? Actions: · Trinity United Church will be reopening in the fall of 2021. Staff are working in the building and some committees are meeting. The church will be open for Sunday Church services beginning September 19, 2021. · Staff are trained on Covid-19 procedures which are reviewed frequently and modified when necessary. · Only the front doors of the church are available for entry. A doorbell has been installed. Signs regarding Covid-19 are posted on entry doors. · Security cameras monitor the front doors and Narthex. The Office Administrator regularly views the secured areas through a video display in the church office. · A sanitizing station is posted at the entry area. · Sign-in sheets are used for individual’s contact information (name, phone number, area visited in the church, date). · Coat hangers have been put away and visitors are to take their coats with them. · Church services are recorded on Thursdays of each week and posted to YouTube. Participants in the church services are the Minister, Music Director, Cantor, Scripture Reader, Ministry of Music Presenters, Audio-Visual Technicians. · Beginning September 19, 2021, church services will be livestreamed. Next Steps for re-opening: · Special Church services may occur in the future and regular covid procedures will be followed. Please note – individual chairs are used in our Sanctuary for seating. · Chairs have been arranged to ensure social distancing. · The balcony will be used only by the Sound Technician and Power Point people. All hymn books have been put away. · Chairs will be at least 6 feet apart and have been measured for proper social distancing. couples and people in the same household will be able to sit together. · Signs will be created for entrance and exit doors. · Upon arriving, guests will line up on the sidewalk outside the front doors. Tape marks have been put on the sidewalk to indicate proper social distancing. · Each guest will meet a screener. The screener will conduct a screening questionnaire of each guest, have people hand sanitize, sign the contact sheet and ensure that masks are worn. · Guests will be greeted by an usher who will escort people to their seats. · Tape will be placed on the Narthex carpeting to ensure social distancing while guests are waiting to be ushered into the Sanctuary. · Guests are to remain in their seats in the Sanctuary and masks must be worn. · Once everyone is in the Sanctuary, the outside doors will be monitored. · Safety procedures will be outlined to the guests through signage and on the Power Point screen. · If someone needs to use the washroom facilities, an usher will guide them to the washroom and request that the washrooms are sanitized properly. Directions for sanitizations are posted in the washrooms. · At the conclusion of the service, guests are to leave the Sanctuary and Narthex, following social distancing, and go directly outside. Masks must be worn. Reference - General COVID-19 Preventive Tips for Places of Worship from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Encourage everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
Maintain physical distancing by staying two metres (six feet) apart at all times.
Anyone who is feeling sick must stay home and not attend a service.
Encourage everyone to wash their hands. Ensure hand-cleaning stations and alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers are available at entrances to your place of worship.
Ensure everyone wears a mask or face covering at all times, including when seated during the worship service.
Do NOT shake hands or hug.
Remind people to cough/sneeze into their sleeves.
Discourage group singing. Use audio or video recordings instead.
Review the sharing of items during special religious sacraments/rites, at least while COVID-19 continues to circulate. You may want to consult further with your parish/diocese/denomination/national body.
Maintain a clean and safe space through regular cleaning and disinfecting. High-touch surfaces should be cleaned twice a day or following each service (whichever is more frequent).
Have a traffic flow plan in place, such as one-way enter/one-way exit.
Encourage members/parishioners who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 (including those over age 70 and people with compromised immune systems) to take part in virtual services or hold a dedicated service solely for this group.
Consider keeping a record of all attendees for contact tracing in case of a COVID-19 outbreak.
· This last point may allow priests, ministers or other worship leaders to remove their mask during the mass (or service) when preaching to the congregation from a lectern or pulpit, so long as the area is separated by at least four metres from other people.
· The priest, minister or worship leader must wear a mask when greeting people as they come in or leave the place of worship, and during communion.
· Bulletins will not be handed out. Announcements and the Order of Service will be available on the screen in the Sanctuary.
· Name tags will not be worn.
· Coats are to be taken into the sanctuary with individuals and placed on their chairs.
2. How will you screen for COVID-19? Actions: · Signs are posted indicating that any person exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms are not to enter the church. · Anyone entering the church must sign the contact information sheet (name, phone number, area visited in the church, date). · Information regarding procedures is communicated through email announcements, mini newsletters, Carillion newsletters, email messages and telephone calls. · The contact lists will be kept in the office. 3. How will you control the risk of transmission in your workplace? Actions: · Social distancing will be practised at all times. · Hands must be sanitized upon entry and periodically during the visit. · Masks must be worn when entering and while in the Church. The Worship Team during the Service, keep their masks on and can remove them when speaking, singing or playing musical instruments. · At the conclusion of meetings, equipment will be sanitized. · Washrooms are sanitized after each use by the users of the facilities. Signs have been posted for procedures to sanitize and wipes are provided in all washrooms. Staff sanitize the washrooms at the end of the day. · If there is 72 hours between the use of rooms, then no sanitizing is needed. · Door handles and locking mechanisms are sanitized at the end of each day. · The Administrative staff ensures doors to the outside are locked when appropriate. A sign is posted with a phone number to call the church office. The outside doorbell can be rung for admittance. The sign also states, that the individuals wanting access, have to social distance, wear masks and sanitize upon entry. No entry is granted without compliance. · The church kitchen is following safety protocols. · The Custodial staff is notified of any groups that will be entering the building. The offices are locked and there is no entry without the staff present. · The Sound System is sanitized before and after use. This includes all microphones and musical instruments that are used. The Sound System volunteer, Music Director and Minister are responsible for ensuring these actions are completed at the conclusion of the service or before the next service.
4. What will you do if there is a potential case, or suspected exposure to, COVID-19 at your workplace? Actions: Public Heath Contact Information: Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Dr. Lynn Noseworthy 1-866-888-4577 · If a staff member does not feel well and shows any symptoms of Covid-19, he or she will leave the building wearing masks and gloves. They will immediately go home and self isolate for 14 days. They will call their own doctor for testing and let one of the Ministry and Personnel (M&P) team members know they are not well and have left work. The M&P members will let the Public Health official know that the staff member is going into self-isolation. · The M&P Committee follows up with the self-isolating staff member to check how they are doing during the time they are off work. · The Office Administrator keeps track of contact information gathered for those who enter the church. This information includes the dates individuals were in the church and their personal contact information. · M&P Contact Information - Connie Picken: 705-738-2863 Dave Mackay: 705-731-0099 Jan Carson: 705-738-1835 John Carson: 705-738-1835 · Reopening Committee Chairpersons: Dave Mackay and Connie Picken. 5. How will you manage any new risks caused by changes to the way you operate your business? Actions: · M&P Members check in with staff regularily. Staff members have the phone numbers for M&P members if help is needed with the new way of doing business. · Signs are posted at entry and exit doors indicating that all must wear masks while in the Church and sanitize hands before entry and exiting. · Information is communicated to members of the congregation though announcements, email messages, newsletters, website and Facebook. 6. How will you make sure your plan is working? Actions: · The Reopening Commiteee is responsible for reviewing the Safety Plan for the total Church reopening. For the first month of the Church total reopening, the Committeee reviews the plan whenever necessary. At these review times, the Committee evaluates how the plan is working and makes changes that need to be done, if any. Any issues are reported immediately to the Reopening Committee which then takes appropriate action. · The changes are communicated via the Church website, emails, announcements and newsletters. · The Reopening Committee seeks feedback from the church members and staff. · A notice was created by the Reopening Committee and sent to all church members to let them know the date of the reopening and contact information for any questions they many have. COVID-19 safety plan – snapshot This snapshot can be posted in a place where it can be seen easily so your workers, clients and other people entering the workplace will know what actions are being taken.
Business name: Trinity United Church Date completed: Mon. Dec. 14, 2020 Division/group: Reopening Committee Revision date: August 19, 2021
Measures we’re taking
How we’re ensuring workers know how to keep themselves safe from exposure to COVID-19
· Trinity United Church is partially open for staff and committee members.
· Staff will have a copy of the Safety Plan.
· The Safety Plan will be posted.
· The Reopening Committee will share the Safety Plan with the Church Council.
· Staff are continually trained on new safety measures.
How we’re screening for COVID-19
· Contact information is required by anyone entering the building.
How we’re controlling the risk of transmission in our workplace
Physical distancing and separation
· Signs are posted to remind anyone entering the building must maintain physical distancing. Verbal reminders are made if required.
Cleaning
· Individuals entering the Church must hand sanitize.
· Washrooms are sanitized after each use.
· Chairs and equipment are sanitized after meetings.
· Regular custodial cleaning takes place.
Other
· Communication about safety measures have been given to the staff and congregation members at large.
· The Safety Plan is available from the Church Office and is posted in the Narthex.
What we will do if there is a potential case, or suspected exposure to, COVID-19 at our workplace
· 1. Close the Church immediately.
- 2. Notify the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit at 1-866-888-
4577, ext. 5006. and the Reopening Committee.
· 3. Deep clean the total facility.
How we’re managing any new risks caused by the changes made to the way we operate our business
· Staff and members of the congregation will act accordingly to our Safety Plan.
How we’re making sure our plan is working
· The Safety Plan is constantly monitored and updated where necessary.
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