This risk assessment is subject to regular review & may be updated to incorporate changes in guidelines or regulations set by the Government or deemed best practice for the safety & protection of all attending dance classes. This will be communicated to all concerned.                                                            

Environment

• Ensure adequate space for the number of participants within the space. The floor will be checked for any defects that may impact on the safety of dancers & if necessary, the area clearly cordoned off (using chairs or tables within the hall).

• Sufficient lighting to enable people to move about safely within the hall & within the car park area. Persons using the car park should be particularly attentive to avoid pedestrians especially at start/end times of classes, park considerately of other users & take care crossing the car park to the entrance, especially in adverse weather conditions.

• The dance space should be at an adequate room temperature for safe dance practice (not too cool) but with enough ventilation to prevent overheating.

• Report any defects as soon as possible to the hall manager/caretaker.

Slips and Trips

• Any obstruction from floor surfaces within the dance area or walkways used by participants to enter/exit or use the facilities will be removed. Remind all dancers to keep any belongings clear of the dance space & walkways & where possible not on the floor. Any chairs used are left at the edges of the dance space.

• Use of trailing leads will be avoided but if necessary, this is not to encroach on the dance area & clearly marked off or taped down.

• To avoid spillages, all dancers are asked to bring a closed or flip cap drinks bottle. Any spillages are cleared away immediately.

Fall or injury when dancing

• Ensure the floor surface is clean & dry & free from debris; sweep or spot dry floor as appropriate. Ensure dancers have appropriate space between each other for the activity and understand instructions for travelling exercises to prevent contact injuries or twists.

• Remind dancers to wear appropriate dancewear & especially footwear for the activity & check shoes regularly for defects & suitable grip. Guide & remind participants about good practice of posture, balance, centre of gravity/body weight positioning & control when dancing to prevent falls or injury. Pace instruction and activity appropriate to ability, age and health of participants such as providing variations in an activity to reduce impact or speed.

Lifting & handling

• Any person moving or lifting dance-boards for storage or placement are reminded to use appropriate lifting methods & share the load between 2 people as necessary. Care should be taken to handling boards to avoid splinters or cuts, slips & bumps; gloves are recommended for grip & prevention. 

• Masks should be worn if in close proximity to others assisting in the moving or lifting of dance boards during covid restrictions. Storage of boards is on the stage, neatly stacked & secured to prevent trips & falls.

Electrical

• Liquids kept in bottles with secure top lids & kept away from electrical equipment used.

• Equipment is visually checked regularly & kept in good condition; cables tested twice annually with electrical test meter. Use of plug-in RCD.

• Electrical sockets or lighting switches that appear or are labelled faulty are not to be used; marked off & reported if appropriate.

Health & First Aid

• Breaks within the activity will be structured to prevent over-heating, dehydration, exhaustion or strain from repetitive action. Access to replenish water is to be made available via the hall facilities.

• Dancers will be given a warm-up activity to prevent muscle strain as well as a cool down stretch as time allows; dancers will be instructed to stretch or engage in further stretches in their own time after class if this is not possible during class. 

• Participants are reminded they take part at their own discretion & take responsibility for their own actions & health.

• Basic first aid will be administered for minor cuts, bruises or sprains; this may involve some form of physical contact by the person administering the first aid who may wear gloves and masks during these occasions as appropriate.  If a person is taken ill, follow basic first aid according to the nature & severity of the illness & contact a family member or emergency services as appropriate. Where appropriate emergency services will be called before the person’s family & their contact details may be shared with the emergency services as necessary.

Fire Safety

• Ensure all fire exits are free from obstruction. Direct all dancers to observe the hall’s fire evacuation procedures, exit doors and assembly point.

Prepared by Principal of Dance Fusion September 2020

Reviewed & updated May 2021

Prior to Class

• No-one should attend or travel to class if they suspect they have or are displaying symptoms of COVID19. Please follow the NHS guidelines for identifying symptoms, which includes a persistent new cough, high temperature, loss or change to taste or sense of smell & if you need to self isolate.  Participants are asked to advise the principal if they or a member of their household shows signs/symptoms of COVID19 during the 7 days since attending a class; the Government guideline is that you must self isolate if you live with someone with symptoms or has tested positive.  Self isolation is upto 14 days but may be more depending upon your household.

• Dancers may return after the required period of isolation in accordance with Government guidelines, or if a test is performed & is negative; this must be shared with in confidence with the school/teacher.

• No person should attend after if they have returned from a country that appears on the quarantine list detailed by the Government, until the required quarantine period has ended & they have not developed symptoms.  Once they have self-isolated for the required time & are then clear of any symptoms, they may return to class.  Please always contact the dance school to discuss & agree a return date.

• Help us to protect each other. Always follow medical advice. www.nhs.uk

Travelling to Class

• Where possible, travelling to class should be by car but guidance is not to car share with others outside of your household.  If any persons need to use public transport, follow the government guidelines for travel & wear the mandatory face mask (unless exempt). Use hand sanitiser after you board and leave public transport. Remind all persons wash their hands or use hand sanitiser on arrival at class.

Arriving at Class

• Class times are separated by 5-10 minute gaps to reduce waiting time for classes & crossover of different groups. 

• Anyone travelling by car to class should wait in their car until 5 minutes before class starts to avoid congregating outside.  Those arriving by public transport should wait outside until 5 minutes before their class starts but maintaining the recommended 2m distance from anyone outside their household bubble.  In case of poor weather, persons arriving by public transport will be permitted to enter if the teacher is present but must wear a face covering when 2m distance cannot be maintained.

• A small amount of chairs may be placed at socially distanced intervals of 2m or greater for any dancer needing to change shoes for class; these must not be moved.  If used, chairs will be wiped over with disinfectant spray prior to the first class & spray & wipes will be made available for additional cleaning by different users as required.

Entrance & Exits

• The main door will be designated the entrance to the hall & the main double door, fire exit will be the exit to create a one way system to avoid consecutive classes crossing.  Entrance/Exit information will be sent to attendees & signs used where possible.

• All persons attending are to be reminded to uphold social distancing measures when arriving/leaving the hall.

Risk of transmission between touch points on arrival/leaving

• Disinfectant spray will be used to clean high traffic touch points regularly & made available for any persons use.

• Door handles for the outer & inner entrances will be cleaned prior to the first class of the session & at other times where possible.

• All persons entering should wash their hands or use a hand sanitiser:

  • • on arrival & when leaving

    • when using toilets

    • if using any cleaning materials provided.

• To avoid contact through monetary transactions, all fees have been settled via BACS in advance.

Bringing items to class

• Dancers are asked to only bring necessary items to class which includes dance shoes, a secure top water bottle, hand sanitiser, tissues & a face mask. No food should be consumed on the premises. 

• All dancers will need to wear appropriate dance shoes; for classes other than Tap, these preferably will be shoes that are not worn to travel to the class in, especially during wet weather. When changing from outdoor shoes to dance shoes, dancers &/or parents should use hand sanitiser or wash their hands after changing shoes between classes. 

• Belongings should be ideally contained in one bag & left at the side of the dance space, off the floor if possible; everyone is reminded to take all items with them on leaving. Any left items may end up binned.  

Social Distancing

• The hall is large enough to allow a safe distance between persons attending.  Dancers will be given a ‘dance space’ which will be a minimum of 2m x 2m around them, at staggered intervals for ease of viewing instructions from the teacher & so they are side by side, not facing each other.  Places in the hall could be marked out using a dance board, coloured spot or cone which will be cleaned prior to class. The orientation of the dance space will be changed to allow the best layout for social distancing between the dancers & teachers whilst maintaining the ability to teach effectively. Dancers attending consecutive classes must wash or sanitise their hands between classes & maintain additional spacing between others as much as possible & whilst waiting.

• Dancers will be reminded regularly to maintain social distance; a sign will be displayed. All are reminded that by the very nature of movement they may accidentally come closer than expected during the exuberance of a routine & should take care to be spatially aware.

• Teaching will be conducted at a minimum of 2m from the dancers; this may be facing the group or where possible, facing away from the group. If necessary a face covering will be worn.  Whereas on occasions, a teacher may make contact or be in close quarters to a dancer in order to correct movement or support explanation, this will cease for the time being in favour of demonstration & reiteration.

Dancing

• All choreography and exercises will remain in one area as much as possible. Choreography will still be engaging but kept within the dancers space as much as possible. Initially the pace of class & routines will be kept light to minimise too much heavy breathing & sweating & to ease dancers back into technique & exercise.

• We will severely reduce any extensive travelling work & avoid any contact work.  Any travelling work necessary for development through set exercises will be done on a one-at-a-time basis with a queueing system so that dancers can be distanced & travelling in the same direction not towards each other. 

• Once we are able to, we will introduce more travelling work and higher energy routines as we have done before.

• Accessories brought to class by the teacher & used for dancing will be used sparingly.  If occasional use is warranted, the items will be cleaned prior to class by the teacher & again after use.

Respiratory hygiene

• Music may be played at a lower level whilst instruction is being given so that the teacher’s voice can be at a level that limits any droplet dispersion.  Dancers will also be reminded to take care to keep vocalisation to a reasonable level for the same reason.  

• Unexpected coughs, sniffles or sneezes should be ‘caught’ into a tissue or the crease of own elbow if a tissue is not readily available; tissues deposited in a lidded bin & hands/arms washed or sanitised.

• Dancers may wear masks but this limits the capacity to breathe sufficiently & safely during physical activity.  If they wear masks, it should not be taken on/off, on/off for their own safety.  A mask can be single use or washable but recommend the mask worn to dance in, is not the same mask used on public transport (due to risk of transmission & any deeper breathing by the wearer).

General hygiene

• All persons entering the building are to use the hand sanitiser available or personally brought with them on arrival & leaving or must wash their hands on arrival, on leaving & after using the toilet for a minimum of 20 seconds using soap & water available. The hall has provided signs to remind all attending of this procedure & how to wash their hands.  Persons will be reminded regularly of this during or outside of class as well as ‘catch it bin it, kill it’ for sneezes etc.  All are reminded to bring a small pack of tissues for this purpose, although a small roll of tissue will be a back up to catch any sniffles or coughs.  All used tissues must be deposited appropriately in a bin.

• Teacher in addition will use hand sanitiser between classes & regularly as necessary.

• All persons entering the hall should ensure they wash their hands immediately on arriving home from class.

Cleaning

• The hall is cleaned daily by the church cleaner but is used by other groups in between.  To minimise risk, all high traffic touch points & one toilet designated for use will be cleaned before first class however due to the nature of our classes, it will not be possible to clean all points, toilets nor the dancefloor between classes.  To reduce risk, all persons should use hand sanitiser regularly or wash their hands. Disinfectant spray is available for use by any person wishing to clean a particular area.  Touch points will be wiped with disinfectant spray when possible during our time in the hall & at the end of the hall hire to protect other users. Chairs or tables used will also be wiped after use.

Toilets

• There will be one toilet designated for use & contact points will be cleaned before the first class & after the last class.

• All participants are encouraged to use toilet facilities at home before attending to avoid the need to use the toilets in the hall.  If used, persons should ensure they wash their hands for the required minimum 20 seconds using soap & water available. Any hand towels/wipes or tissues used should be placed securely in the bin provided.

Ventilation

• Windows will be opened as necessary for ventilation but to maintain a reasonable temperature for safe dance practice.  This will be done between classes if they cannot remain open to allow exchange air flow in the hall.

Suspected symptoms of COVID whilst in class

• If a person displays symptoms of Covid-19 (as described above & on the NHS website) during class they will be asked to leave immediately or a family member contacted to collect them if they are too unwell to safely travel.  In this case, the person will be located a safe distance of more than 2m away from all other dancers but where they can be supervised for well-being reasons; they will be asked to wear a face covering, if they have one, for the protection of others.  Any chair used, will be placed out of bounds after their departure & cleaned with disinfectant. If they need to go to the toilet while awaiting collection, they will be directed to a separate toilet. The toilet should not be used by anyone else & will be cleaned using standard cleaning products at the end of the hall hire. The hall manager will be notified so that extended cleaning can take place.  If the teacher needs to help someone with symptoms, PPE of gloves & face mask will be worn & they will wash their hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap & water after any contact with someone displays symptoms of COVID19.  All contact /touch points that the person with symptoms may have been in contact with will be cleaned immediately with disinfectant spray.

• If a teacher develops symptoms of COVID during class, all classes will immediately be suspended & all participants asked to leave as quickly as possible. The teacher will wear a face mask, sanitise their hands or wear gloves.  Subject to the severity of the illness of the teacher, the contact points will be cleaned, the hall secured & the hall manager/caretaker notified to arrange extended cleaning.

Suspected symptoms of COVID outside of/after class

• All persons who attend class are asked to contact the school/teacher immediately if they develop symptoms of COVID19 and/or tests positive for COVID19 within 72 hours after attending classes, so that other dancers in the same dance class can be contacted & notified in line with test and trace.  All persons with symptoms or a positive test result for COVID19 should follow the guidelines in place regarding self-isolation.  Call NHS 111 or visit their website for specific up-to-date advice. 

• Persons who have attended the same class as someone with symptoms should follow the NHS/Government guidelines regarding self-isolation & if they show no symptoms after 7 days, they may return to class. Before returning to class, dancers should contact the school to discuss & agree a return. 

• If a teacher develops symptoms of COVID outside of class, all classes will immediately be suspended & participants notified so that the guidelines mentioned above can be followed.  Once the teacher has completed self-isolation & shows no further symptoms or a test brings a negative result, class will resume & dancers will be informed. 

Test & Trace

• A register will be taken each class by the teacher for the purpose of recording attendance for NHS test & trace & also for dance school records in assessing class development & planning.  

• The school requests an email and contact number of the person attending so they can be contacted if necessary under test and trace.  These details are retained during the period the person attends class and for one year after their last attendance.

• Additionally, Dace Fusion requests details of an emergency contact & their mobile number or home phone number for emergency purposes or to arrange collection of a person very unwell and showing signs of COVID. This is retained only whilst the participant attends class. Names & phone numbers will be stored securely but brought to class in case of emergency and/or on the teacher’s mobile phone which is secured by a pin number. All persons attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario.

Prepared by Principal of Dance Fusion September 2020

Reviewed & updated May 2021