This guidance is for all research, enterprise and engagement activities.
Summary
1) Consider if face-to-face activities really need to happen
2) If yes, consider if vulnerable parties should be excluded or offered alternatives
3) Complete a new risk assessment
4) Get appropriate approval
5) As always, get ethical approval for research projects that involve people
Risk Assessment
Stage 1 - It is still preferable to conduct activities remotely to minimise in-person social interaction, where possible, in line with local tier levels and national restrictions in place at the time. You should consider therefore whether you really need to conduct your activity face-to-face. Can these face-to-face activities be adapted to take place online? Can participant involvement be rescheduled until after a period of tighter restrictions? If you have been doing this online already, what is the rationale for changing this?
Stage 2 – If, after stage 1, you do decide that face-to-face activity should go ahead, you must consider who will be involved in your planned activities, bearing in mind that some people are more at risk than others. Are any of these people in groups that are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and can these individuals be excluded or offered alternatives? Remember that many individuals live with or provide care or assistance to more vulnerable people and so may wish to minimise their in person social interactions.
Stage 3 – After considering the above stages and deciding that your activity should take place, and who will be involved, you now need to complete a risk assessment. If you have not recently completed the health and safety risk assessment training we recommend you do so in advance. You should also read the COVID-19 guidance produced by our Health and Safety Office. Please contact your Departmental Health and Safety Officer for support in the first instance.
You may have already completed a health and safety risk assessment for this activity. If this is the case, you must review it and include COVID-19 as a significant hazard. If you have a risk assessment that already includes COVID-19 you should review it whenever local or national restrictions change. You will need to determine the controls that you are going to put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus in relation to your activity. You may not have needed to undertake a risk assessment for your activity in the past, but it is important to do one now as COVID-19 represents a significant risk. You must show that you have considered how you plan to control the spread of the virus in relation to your activity. It is important to remember that COVID-19 can cause serious illness or death and so mitigating the risks must be considered carefully.
When conducting your risk assessment, and planning your activities, remember to check the most recent government rules, which are region and country-specific (for example, there are differences between England and Scotland). You’ll also need to keep a look out for any changes. You should consider ways to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 by (for example) limiting numbers, maintaining social distancing, choosing the appropriate venue, and ensuring regular sanitation – please read our online guidance.
Stage 4 – The Health and Safety Office recommends that all risk assessments are approved by Heads of Department before work restarts as they are responsible for the health and safety of staff, as well as the external parties we work with. Please check with your department on how to gain appropriate approval before commencing your activities.
Research Ethics
Where planned activities have been modified (which includes moving activities to online from face-to-face, or vice versa) an amendment must be submitted to your faculty research ethics committee for approval. Any modified activities (those not as described in the original application) should not take place until the amendment is approved. Continuing a project where the activities deviate from the approved protocol could constitute research misconduct.
There is no need to inform the ethics committee when switching between approved protocols within the project. Therefore, if you resume face-to-face activities or if additional lockdown measures are reintroduced so you resume online research there is no need to inform the committee, as long as you are following an approved protocol.