Creating covid-safe spaces

Ask for help when you need it

Assessing and dealing with risk is straightforward for some activities but complex for others. If you are unsure about any of this you should ask for help. This could be from community workers or other support staff, but for technical assistance we suggest:

• Environmental Health Teams If you are going to do this you should try to produce at least a draft of your risk assessment to help focus the discussion. This link takes you to the Food Standards Scotland website where you can enter your own local authority area and get an up to date list of contacts for your local team.

• The other source of local advice is the Health Protection Teams for your area. 

If you need help from either of these you should try and make contact as quickly as possible, to give them time to respond to your questions or enquiries.

As you plan to open your doors to communities it’s still vital to remember that you are morally, practically and legally obliged to take all precautions and also that:

• The virus is still a major public health risk - people are still becoming seriously ill and some are still dying

• Face coverings, hygiene and testing are key for infection control

• Sensible physical distancing needs to be maintained  or we could be back where we started.

• Effective ventilation is central to keeping your people safe.

How to restart services in your building safely

As you plan to open your doors to communities it’s still vital to remember that you are morally, practically and probably legally obliged to take all precautions and also that:

• The virus still kills people – if we drop our guard it will kill more!

• Basic precautions like face coverings and hygiene really matter.

• Physical distancing is still needed or we’ll be back where we started.

• Effective ventilation is central to keeping your people safe.

So be positive – but not complacent

In Scotland now (Sept 21)  the situation is far better than at any other time during the pandemic. Fewer people are getting seriously ill or dying and we are vaccinating more of our population across a wide range of age groups every week. Because of this we are allowed to do more things socially, in education and in our communities and these are very positive developments. 

But as formal legal restrictions on meeting up and physical distancing have relaxed numbers of infections have risen again.  We need to remember that the crisis isn't over yet.  Although vaccination in Scotland is a tremendous advantage remember that: 

• Some people have not had the full vaccination yet and it isn’t completely 100% effective. 

• Even those vaccinated may still carry and transmit the virus to others. 

• New variants could cause vaccines to be less effective - now or in the future.  

• Anyone using your services could carry or pass it on - even without any symptoms

For these reasons we urge communities and community organisations to implement the  voluntary measures set out below, even if you are not legally obliged to do so. These  could be vital to stop further spread in your community.

Outside activity – always a good option

It’s much safer to do things outside than inside. Think about doing more in outside spaces wherever you can. This might include group or walking meetings or seeing service users for one to one support. You should still risk assess what you are doing carefully but it is easier to overcome many of the risks from the virus by being outdoors. If you need to adapt your building, or buy an outdoor awning or heating, you might get help from COVID recovery funds for this purpose.

Getting back indoors safely 

There is lots of guidance on keeping spaces safe. The Health and Safety Executive has a good overview of precautions you need to take when people use your buildings. Here is what the Scottish Government latest good practice guidance says about physical distancing   

“ Physical distancing has been one of the most effective methods to protect ourselves and others from getting COVID-19. Whilst physical distancing regulations have been lifted, everyone should continue to keep a reasonable distance, especially in crowded places.”

This can be very difficult to understand since there is no legal requirement to distance yet the guidance suggests specific ways to help people do so.  This is because the responsibility for making effective, ethical judgements about this has passed to service providers themselves.  Big services like the NHS have decided to stick to 2 m distance . This reinforces that individual services are able to make decisions that suit their needs based on what they have learnt already. You can also use the Scottish Government’s Stop The Spike toolkit to help those using your services do all they can to keep us all safe.

Here are actions that we suggest are as relevant now as they have been at other points during the pandemic.

• Starting back safely depends on buildings, equipment and vehicles being clean at all times.  Our page on Cleaning and Disinfection will provide details of how to do this effectively and cheaply.

• Make sure everyone is following basic mitigations in your building. If they can't do that in your building then you shouldn't be operating your service from there.

• Any face to face sessions should only take place when appropriate distancing is possible – otherwise stay online or outside.

• Minimise non-essential meetings, gatherings and training sessions.

• Meetings should be short, in large rooms and 1.5  metres apart wherever possible.

• Avoid shaking hands and other forms of physical contact.

• Allow time to air out spaces between sessions for 15 mins with windows and doors open.

• Do not let people congregate in staff rooms, kitchens, corridors or other areas where people socialise. Keep people apart in these areas.

• It's not just single spaces that matter, how people get to and from them and use areas like entranceways, corridors and toilets is also really important.

• People should respect personal space e.g. do not hang over someone’s desk.

What you must do

The latest Scottish Government Guidance on calculating physical distancing in all non- domestic premises shifts the emphasis from what you are required to do to what you are advised to do. We think this is strongly suggesting that you should maintain effective space planning and physical  distancing if you can. This is why we recommend that you:

1. Complete your risk assessment and implement measures consistent with the risk you identify

2. Calculate  physical distance capacities for your premises. Some big public agencies like the NHS are sticking with 2 metres  as their physical distancing measure. For the immediate future we would recommend a minimum of 1.5 metres as a basis for doing this using the calculator in this section. ( See why SCDC is recommending this distance).

2.    Take reasonable steps to manage your capacity to avoid breaching your own  physical distancing rules.

3.    Display the maximum capacity at the entrance to the building and in the rooms you use,  to help manage compliance with guidance.

This advice encourages you to find an approach that you can demonstrate works for your context and reliably maintains physical distancing. It also it highlights tools you may use to achieve physical distancing.

Our approach - small steps to safer practice

To help people make sense of all this, the SCS team have been working with relevant experts on a physical distance calculation method based on peer reviewed research from The Institute of Place Management in Manchester published in spring 2020. 

They have assisted us by making their science more accessible  by producing a simple calculator for a wide variety of environments and we hope that you will find it easy to use, especially as it has some handy shortcuts embedded in it.  

Watch this space

The key thing is to decide how many people can use your spaces safely.  We know that all this is based on evolving science and we are committed to bring advice providers together to share ideas and seek a more unified approach.  We urge you to maximise safety by opting for the method that provides the greatest distance between your users that is possible and practical for you ( see above).

So how do we do it in practice?

This is a fair question and this all sounds like it might be fairly straightforward to do. On one level it is, however, many people have told us that they would appreciate practical advice on how to accurately assess, measure and monitor capacity in their buildings.This section is designed to do just that.

We think the following step-by-step process will help you to get to grips with how to make physical distancing possible on a practical level. You are now encouraged to set limits on this yourself. The science which the previous physical 2m distance was based on is summarized in this article and we have included it to help people understand why distance still matters, but there are different opinions with the Scottish Government now not recommending an actual figure. 

At SCDC we used the calculator referred to in stage three of this step by step guide to look at our own space you can view this in this section. We concluded that  to operate safely we would set  the distance  1.5 metres for the moment.  This is mainly because achieving a meaningful distance between people at 1m is very difficult. To view how we decided what to do click here

Step One - How much space do you have and how could you use it?

To achieve physical distancing you need to decide on a distance that you think is practical in maintaining a safe distance between people.   This means you have to know the available space within your building to work out how many people can use it and safely stay apart. 

Start by identifying the spaces that you want to use, what you will do in them and when. Do this with physical distancing in mind and start to think about what you can do to make the building safer. The diagram below suggests a few ideas to get you started, based on a fairly typical community facility.

  As a start you might want to think about….

• Keeping groups separate by using separate doors 

• Having screens and one way systems in corridors

• Stagger times when the building is used to avoid groups mixing in common areas

• Have really clear information for people using your space

Step Two - How much space do you actually have?

If you are committed to voluntary physical distancing, as we advise, you definitely need to know the size of your rooms to calculate the number of people who can use each space and stay safely physically distanced. If you share a building you should do this along with those legally responsible for the building as a whole, even if you need to get people together online or in person via a socially distanced meeting.   

You might be able to get the exact measurements for the building from:

• architects drawings - especially if it's a new build

• from your landlord. If you lease the space or have short term lets, they should have a set of plans with measurements that they can give you

If you can't get reliable measurements from the sources above you will have to measure up yourself, and you might still decide to double check what you have been told, unless you have it from formal plans and documents. 

Essential tools for the job

Invest in an extra-long measuring tape, measuring wheel or laser distance meter. These are fairly cheap and easily available online, in DIY stores or hardware stockists. Having them in your building is a good investment - as long as you know how to use them properly. 

Measuring up

The amount of floor space in a building or other space is known as the area.  Square footage is a measurement of the area expressed in feet. Square metres is a measurement of the area expressed in metres. 

Government physical distancing advice is always expressed in metres so if you usually measure in feet and inches you might need to convert it to metres. Here is a metric conversion calculator which will help you convert feet and inches to metres if you need to. 

Whatever you do make sure you keep the units of measurement the same throughout your calculations, and that these are entered correctly in any space calculators you use.   

This example shows a rectangular spaced room. The way to calculate its area is by measuring the length and width then multiplying those two numbers together to get the area. Here is a calculator that can help with this. Use the first calculator on the page which deals with rectangles, the most likely room shape you will need to measure. This will give you the floor space or area.

If you have on oddly shaped room, such as an L-shape, split it into square or rectangular sections and treat them as two separate areas. 

Step Three – So how many people can safely use the space?

What to consider

Once you know how much floor space is available in each of your rooms (the area), you can start to work out how many people can use them, depending on what you plan to do in them. 

A crucial difference now that we are beyond level zero is that you will need to decide the physical distance limit you want to apply now that there is no nationally prescribed distance.

Remember that your final number cannot exceed the maximum capacity in your fire management plan.

Remember, if desks or other furniture are involved you need to arrange these to maximise the distance between them, making sure that the people are the agreed distance apart metres apart. See below for an example of the right and wrong way to do this.

You should also take into account:

• What activity the space is being used for as space requirements will change dependent on the activity.

• The number of staff or volunteers on duty as well as the number of individuals using your space.

• Where there is furniture in the room (e.g. seats, desks, cupboards) remember to estimate the floor space taken up and deduct this from your overall calculation of the area.

• If a room has been re-organised make sure that fire-exits are not blocked, people can still move about easily and that those with disabilities are not restricted.

• Use safety tape to mark the safe position of things like desks, exercise machines.

• In bigger multi-purpose rooms mark safe, physically distanced spaces on the floor to make distancing easier for different types of activity.

• Consider installing screens between people in offices, gyms etc. 

• Where seating is provided for children, this should be included for space measurements.

• Those from the same  household do not need to physically distance from each other. Planning the seating of households together eg two tables in a cafe, may help maximise capacity within premises.

• Any furniture and/or equipment you can live without for a while should be removed to make more space available for physical  distancing.

These measures are about making your risk assessment a reality. Given the time and expense that can be involved, getting advice about what might be the best solution for you is a good idea. You may also be able to get help with the costs.

Putting this into practice 

Calculating all this is very important however we realise it's complicated and the science behind it is still evolving. It has information on the key actions we advise you should take – and the science that explains why it’s needed, to help you understand this more fully. Some of the science bits are accessible by clicking on the links but you wont need these to plan your approach. We have had help from the Institute of Place Management with this section; more information about them is provided below.

1.    Key actions to take

To reliably calculate what your physical distance level  means in reality you will need to take a number of steps. These steps will help you to accurately assess the maximum number who can use the space safely. 

Important: you still need to make sure that, whether sitting still or moving around people always stay apart from each other at whatever distance you have decided is safe  whilst they actually use the space.

How the calculation works in practice 

• Measure the space accurately to determine the area available after deducting space people can’t use e.g. space taken up by furniture etc

• Identify whether people will be staying still or moving about as they will need more space individually to maintain the physical distance when moving

• You need to adjust your calculation if there is movement between people e.g. an exercise class, youth club or a food bank. Where there is movement amongst people it's described as dynamic space and people then need lots more of it in order to maintain safe physical distancing. 

If you want to cut to the chase

We have worked  with the Institute of Place Management (IPM) on an integrated “dynamic” and “static” space calculator

This COVID calculator will give you the numbers of people who can use your service spaces. Whether in ”static” spaces where people mainly sit still, or in “dynamic” ones where they move to some extent, just add the usable area of the space and the physical distance measurement you want to maintain.  The  calculations are done for you automatically.

Or to put it another way

Measure the space accurately to determine the area available after deducting space people can’t use e.g. space taken up by furniture etc.

Identify whether people will be staying still or moving about as the activity takes place.

Be aware that, when people are staying still (static) e.g. sitting in a meeting, maintaining 1.5 metres distance actually needs about 3m2 of floor space around each person.  

The IPM estimate that the required space (static and dynamic) per person would be as outlined in the below:

Important note - Watch this space

We know that some groups will use very large “dynamic” spaces where people are moving around. This will including outdoor events such as local festivals, gala or show grounds with stalls, and attractions. Although we know there are fewer risks outdoors because of the presence of fresh air, physical distancing  is still very important. 

If you want to know more the IPM detailed thinking their working paper is available here for more explanation of this developing thinking.

How could your plan work in the real world?

It can be hard to visualise the space you use will as a socially distanced COVID-safe space in reality. This free online COVID space planning website allows you put your calculations into a visualisation tool and, with a bit of practice, it can help you to:

• Mark up the size and shape of your rooms on a virtual template.

• Organise your space and arrange furniture according to your needs.

• Add virtual representations of people who can use your services (your user figures).

• Adjust the potential layout making use of virtual measuring tapes.

• Produce a floor plan.

It might not suit everyone it could help you reimagine your space in practice – even in 3D if you choose. This tutorial video gives you an idea of how to use it.  

Step Four - What about corridors, toilets and common spaces? 

This guidance from the Health and Safety Executive is specifically designed to help you think about shared spaces. It recommends some general control measures for common areas and we have added a few more:

• Limit the number of people at any one time from using areas that may become congested, like corridors.

• If they are less than 2 metres wide you should think about making them one way to keep people apart.

• These “pinch points” like corridors, doors and toilets may need to be used by different groups at different times where possible.

• Use floor markings to help people to maintain social distancing.

• Make sure that your users and workforce are clear on the rules when using common areas.

• Minimise contact between people by using barriers or screens, or consider having separate entrance or exit points for different groups if you can. (see note below).

• Display signage reminding people to socially distance, wash their hands and not touch their faces.

• Work with landlords and other tenants in multi-occupancy sites to ensure consistency across areas such as receptions and staircases.

The HSE also provides helpful advice about break rooms and toilets. We suggest that you calculate the numbers of people who can use toilets at any one time using the methods above and consider taping off stalls or urinals that are too close to one another. You should ensure that you have adequate hand-sanitising facilities and that toilets, kitchens or other common spaces are regularly and carefully cleaned. 

Note on separate entry and exits points: It might also be possible to use fire exits as alternative ways in and out of parts of a building in order to minimise the use of common spaces like corridors. If you are thinking of doing this you should get advice from Scottish Fire and Rescue prevention officer for your area before you proceed.

Clear, attention grabbing signage on what people should and should not do while they are in your premises is very important. You might be able to apply for funding to purchase hard wearing, laminated or sticker versions of signs from commercial suppliers but some are providing  free,  printable versions  online.   

For 2m

For 1.5m

Some organisations such as the Church of Scotland have produced their own set of printable signs, as have some local authorities. These might give you ideas for signs that you could make yourself.

Good information for users of your services

It is essential that people receive the correct information in relation to the wider aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19).

NHS Inform has developed a communications toolkit whichis being regularly updated with the latest clinically approved guidance in partnership with Health Protection Scotland. It provides a range of materials in different languages. Materials are regularly reviewed and updated. They include downloadable posters and links to video materials that could be displayed prominently, or played on audio visual equipment within your services to ensure that key messages are getting to staff, service users and the public.

You can also use the Scottish Government’s Stop The Spike toolkit to help those using your services do all they can to keep us all safe.

We know that COVID can survive in the air, so when people who have the virus are breathing whilst in enclosed spaces this increases the risk of transmission. This short film from the World Health Organisation explains why this point is so important. 

This animation also helps us understand what is known now about how the virus moves in air and whw ventilation matters so much.  Opening doors and windows when people are in your space is the easiest way to do something about this quickly. However many modern buildings are designed to keep conditioned air indoors to improve energy efficiency and reduce bills, and this could also lead to allergens, pollutants or viruses circulating more readily. Older buildings are usually not fitted out in this way and air exchange can occur more naturally.  

As other approaches to limiting risk are relaxed, ventilation has remained a really important means of reducing the risk of transmission of the virus. So it's still important  to think about extra measures to ensure good, safe air quality. 

To do something practical about any of this you will need to consider these questions:

• What kind of ventilation system do you have & how effective is it in dealing with COVID?

• Who installed or maintains it?

• Who owns the building & might they be liable to improve ventilation?

• Could it be improved by taking practical, affordable measures?

• Might there be a role for portable air cleaning systems? 

• Could you get access to funding for any of this?

More detail on these issues from the Scottish Government is available here. The link sets out the guidance, standards and provides some good practice examples. The Health and Safety Executive also provides detailed guidance on how to improve ventilation.

The CIBSE (Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers) website has a series of documents on different aspects of emerging from lockdown that you might find helpful, including on ventilation and safely re-occupying buildings. You can read about them, and download PDF copies at this link: CIBSE: Emerging from lockdown.

Improving the exchange of air in your building

Talk to staff and volunteers about being ‘ventilation aware’ and why it's so important. 

It can be pretty easy to get more fresh air into a building. Keeping windows and doors open whenever you can is a good start.  Air out rooms as regularly as possible, and certainly in between the sessions. 

Remember: NEVER wedge fire doors open. Other types of door can usually be left slightly open to increase ventilation but check with the building fire officer.

Understanding air quality and why it matters

The safest indoor spaces have lots of outside air replacing the air inside on a regular basis. In community or other public buildings, outside air is usually pumped in through heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems. In our homes it usually enters through open windows and doors. 

If your building feels hot and stuffy then it might not have good enough ventilation.  

Fresh air

The more fresh, outside air in a building, the better. Bringing this in dilutes potentially contaminated air. It's possible to measure how much outside air is getting into a building using a measure called the air exchange rate. This is the number of times that air gets replaced in each room every hour. You don't need to be able to measure this yourself but we think it’s helpful to understand why it’s important - especially if you are talking to those who maintain your ventilation system, or who might be recommending a new one.

The exact air exchange rate for a building depends on the number of people and size of the room and the activity level; most experts consider roughly six air changes per hour to be acceptable for an approx. 3 metre x 3 metre room with three to four people in it. If you’d like to read more about this you can find a full list of recommended air change rates in CIBSE Guide B which is available to purchase either as a whole or in sections via the link.

In any room, the more people inside the faster the air should be replaced to keep it as fresh as possible. This is why keeping windows and doors open is important wherever possible.

Using CO2 detectors to measure air quality 

So how do you know there is enough of an exchange of air in the room you are using? Ideally you would have this measured professionally, but if you are not able to do that then CO2 detectors could give you a reasonable indication of air quality. 

Since there is increasing evidence that coronavirus is spread mainly through the air, higher CO2 levels could indicate that there is a higher chance of transmission if any infected people are inside. CO2 monitors are affordable and you should be able to get help with purchasing enough of these for use in different parts of your service via the funding links on the SCVO coronavirus hub. They are, however in high demand at the moment and there might be limited choice and supply.

Outdoor CO2 levels are normally just above 415 parts per million (ppm). However is very difficult to provide recommended levels for indoor activities as it depends on the activity and occupants, for example a choir will generate different levels to a children’s book-bug class. It might be helpful to know that government scientific advisors the SAGE paper on ventilation referenced above suggest gives a maximum upper level of 1500ppm as a general guide but in spaces where there is likely to be enhanced aerosol generation, such as shouting, singing, loud voices and exercise that level should be around 800ppm. 

Health Protection or Environmental Health teams may be able to give you advice if you are thinking about buying monitors. They are also readily available online or at tool and DIY stores.  They must be rated as accurate to within 50 ppm and you should make sure that your staff and volunteers know how to use them. If you are buying them yourself make sure that they comply with British Standards BS EN 50291 part one or part two, to make sure you get the right type. These devices require to be recalibrated from time to time to maintain accuracy.

What you should know about  different types of ventilation systems

In homes, or community buildings like community flats, outside air gets in through open windows and doors, through airbricks or gaps in walls and floors. In public buildings, it  is usually pumped in through heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) mechanical systems. 

Mechanical ventilation

In buildings that don't have windows that open you can often change the mechanical ventilation settings to increase how much air it is drawing in and pumping out of the building. 

Consult the manual or the person who installed or maintains the system to make sure it is operating to increase the rate of air exchange as much as possible.  Systems should be set to maximise fresh air and minimise recirculation of air. 

If there is no regular maintenance then arrange for the system to be maintained and tested as a priority.

You can also extend the operating times of ventilation systems before and after people use your spaces; some may have adjustable timers which do this automatically.

Recirculating air

It is best to avoid the recirculation of air from one space to another. This means that some recirculation units for heating and air conditioning which do not draw in a supply of fresh air are potentially a problem. These should only remain in operation  if risk assessed and there is a suitable supply of outdoor air, for example ducted mechanical fresh air, windows and doors left open.  These types of systems can make the surrounding air feel fresher, which can mask poor ventilation, so it’s important to be aware of how to make them safer.

Non-ducted heating and air conditioning units that recirculate air such as fan-coil or split units are the least desired type of unit to have in a building where community learning or activity is taking place, and wherever possible you should try to find an alternative space. If you are not able to do so then you need to ensure that the units are assessed and being maintained and cleaned according to manufacturer recommendations for the system. Check whether it is possible to replace the existing filter with the highest safety rated compatible filter for the system, in collaboration with an HVAC professional. The units and filters should be periodically cleaned and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. Use additional mitigation measures such as opening windows and doors, and carefully plan and manage the number of people and type of activity in the space.

Air Cleaners

You can also use portable air cleaning and filtration units – however these don't provide extra fresh air ventilation so you will also need to improve airflow in other ways before you think about using a device like this.

If you do decide to use an air cleaning unit, the most suitable types to use are those with:

• high-efficiency filters

• ultraviolet-based devices

 The machines must also be the correct size and power for the area they are to be used in, to ensure they work as they are intended to. Ideally they should have filters installed which are proven to reduce the impact of coronavirus particles i.e. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) or MERV14/F8. These need to be safely maintained and changed periodically and you should definitely get advice from specialists about how to do this safely, or better still have it done by those who maintain your system.

Note- Using Carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors to indicate the quality of air in your space becomes ineffective when these units are in use. This is because filtration units remove contaminants (such as coronavirus) from the air but do not remove CO2.

Funding

Here is information on where to access funds to help you with adapting or maintaining your ventilation systems.

Where to go for extra advice, information and support

The science regarding air quality and how to improve it is complicated. We recommend that you get professional advice from qualified experts in ventilation. A starting point for this might be your local Environmental Health or Health Protection team but you might also seek advice from those qualified to design and fit ventilation systems via the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). This link will take you to an online directory of CIBSE members – use the search function to find a member in your area/region (you may have to refresh the page each time you want to start a new search).

Start with whoever manufactured, fitted or maintains the one already in your building, although a second opinion may also be a good idea, especially if you are thinking of spending money to improve it.  The information in this section should help you to have these conversations from a better informed position. 

If there is no regular maintenance then arranging for the system to be tested, serviced and maintained is essential.

Scottish Government Advice Card

A new Scottish Government Advice Card highlighting key ventilation practice within the workplace is now live. The advice card and key guidance can be found here: Ventilation Advice for Everyone at Work.

With workplaces and services resuming, employers are being asked to ensure this information is well highlighted throughout their work environment. Informing employees of this information is key to ensuring the workplace is a safe place to be. 

Conclusion

Finally, we would stress that this information is provided in order to prompt you to think about the building or space in which you deliver your services and activities and to ensure that air quality and ventilation forms part of your risk assessment process. Always seek professional advice if you are unsure about the correct and safest action to take.  

We extend our thanks to colleagues in NHS Health Facilities Scotland for fact-checking this information.

Next page: Key principles for delivering services

Further information about SCS

Contents

Introducing Supporting Communities Safely

• What’s in the resource?

• Where are we now?

• Key messages at a glance

Part A: Starting back safely

Restarting our services safely

• What restrictions and guidance mean now

• What does this mean for community organisations?

• Doing the right thing

• How to make good decisions about risk

• Producing your formal risk assessment

Creating covid-safe spaces (this page)

• Introduction

• How to restart services in your building safely

• Covid-safe spaces: A step-by-step guide

• Covid-safe spaces: Ventilation

Part B: Key principles for delivering community-based services

• Key principles for delivering community-based services

• Effective hand hygiene

• Cleaning and disinfection

• Preparing, handling and delivering food

• Further information