Martin has provided a Risk Assessment and Rehearsal Protocol, in preparation for a resumption of live rehearsals. You can find the documents by following these links:

Risk Assessment

Rehearsal Protocol

You will also be able to read a version of the documents if you scroll down.

Tenterden Singers Risk Assessment

Group name: Tenterden Singers
COVID-19 risk assessment for: Weekly rehearsals
Rehearsal day and time: Tuesday 7:30 pm – 9:15 pm
Rehearsal venue: St Mildred’s Church, Church Road, Tenterden
Last updated: 1-Sep-21
Risk area : possible mitigations and actions
1. Infection rate in your area high
Local restrictions apply with little notice
Committee member to check government guidance on local lockdowns one day before rehearsal (see notes section) If there are local restrictions or a local surge in cases, cancel rehearsals for that week.   Committee to inform all members of cancelled rehearsal(s) via email 24 hours in advance Communicate with: members, Music Director, venue
2. Risk to/from individuals to/from group
High/moderate risk/vulnerable individuals attending rehearsals
Members are asked to declare and to exclude themselves if they see themselves as vulnerable/at risk Clarify it is attendee’s decision, that the choir’s measures cannot reduce risk to zero, and that attendance is on condition of abiding by the measures in place at the time. Re-evaluate at regular intervals and / or as guidance changes, at least once every half term
Infectious individual attends rehearsals
Prior to each rehearsal each choir member to ask themselves the following questions and if the answer to question 1 is YES  and is NO to the rest of the questions, they may attend the rehersal. If they are unable to answer the questions in this way then they should not attend and follow national advice from the NHS/Government. Attendees may be asked the questions on arrival.
Exclude potentially infectious individuals from attending and entering rehearsal venue 6 questions to ask: 1) have you been double vaccinated? 2) Have you had a positive result from a Covid-19 test in the last 10 days? 3) Do you have any Covid-19 symptoms or had any in the last 7 days: raised temperature, new persistent cough, loss of or change to your sense of taste or smell? 4) Have you been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, or with someone who has had Covid-19 symptoms but not had a negative Covid-19 test result, in the last 10 days? 5) Have you been contacted by the national ‘Track and Trace’ service and told you should self-isolate (within the last 10 days)? 6) Have you returned from abroad and been told to quarantine (within the last 10 days)?
Inability to track & trace when someone falls ill outside meeting
Keep register of everyone who attends rehearsals every week, for 10 days (for NHS Track & Trace) Ensure if anyone falls ill, or tests positive for Covid-19 between one rehearsal and the next, that they know to contact Tenterden Singers and who to contact If that happens, contact NHS Track & Trace
Inability to deal with person becoming unwell in rehearsals
A member who has become unwell should be sent home.  If extremely unwell, the emergency services should be called.   If awaiting transport, member to be seated, wearing face covering close to an open door until transport arrives Ask person with COVID -19 symptoms to take a test ASAP and communicate the result to the Secretary  Inform venue
Complacency means mitigating measures not complied with
All members to be sent a copy of the summary document ‘Tenterden Singers Rehearsals: What to Expect’ which explains the key safety measures which all members are requested to comply with. This risk assessment is to be made available to all members and placed on the choir website.  The key safety measures will be explained  in rehearsals as required.  It will be explained in writing and verbally that attendance at rehearsals is conditional on compliance with the measures in place.   Remind members verbally – at entrance, before rehearsal, and at the end, as required
Non-compliance with measures means risk to other attendees
Make it clear to members that if they do not comply with the measures put in place by the Committee, they will be undermining the collective responsibility of all choir members to keep each other safe.
3. Behaviour of attendees/individual safety measures
Individuals spread or breathe in virus-laden particles
Choir members to be encouraged to exhibit the following behaviours:  1) Respect that other members may have a different threshold to risk than themselves and respond accordingly. 2) Maintaining social distancing AT ALL TIMES from entry to exit of the building. This means before, during and after musical activity, and outside the toilet 3) Sneeze/cough into tissue/crook of arm (if not wearing a face-covering) 4) No hugging, hand-shaking, lingering to chat in rehearsal venue before/after; chat, if you wish, outside, at 1m distance 5) Minimising chat before and after rehearsals and then ideally only when seated 6) Face coverings during singing will not be compulsory, but members may wear face coverings if they wish
Choir members are expected to exhibit the following behaviours:
1) To bring their own music and equipment (e.g. pencil etc). New music will be suppplied as necessary taking into account the Government’s guidance at the time 2) To bring own equipment (sheet music, pencil, etc.) and not to share 3) To use the hand sanitiser provided at entry to the venue
Choir members are encouraged to exhibit the following behaviours:
1) To keep all their own equipment and personal belongings close by their chosen seat. 2) Avoid touching shared surfaces as much as possible 3) To not to ‘look over someone’s shoulder’ if music has been forgotten, unless that person agrees beforehand
4. Rehearsal space
Your usual venue is not Covid-19 secure
N/A
Space not large enough (floor and volume) to be safe
N/A.  Rehearsal space is large enough to accommodate at 1m – 2m distance Choir to sing spaced to ensure radius of 1m- 2m around each singer/player.  Music Director positioned at piano to ensure at least 1m- 2m from choir and at a distance nearest singers are comfortable with.    Choir members encouraged to proceed straight to their chosen chair.
Build-up of aerosols
Where possible maintain ventilation.   Choir members to proceed to their chosen chair.  Face coverings (optional) to be removed  when in place.
Build-up of virus on shared surfaces
All members to be asked to avoid touching shared surfaces as much as possible All members to sanitise/wash hands on arrival/departure.
Covid transmission in bathroom facilities
Aerosols in air
Choir members to be asked not to use on-site facilities, if at all possible.   1m distancing if queueing for facilities
Contaminated surfaces
Provide hand sanitiser
Queueing points and traffic flow
Difficulty of maintaining social distancing throughout
Upon arrival, members encouraged to proceed immediately to their chosen seat by the shortest possible route. Committee/volunteers to welcome members at the door and to encourage responsible behaviour re: not lingering, social distancing etc. Leaving after rehearsal – encourage not to linger or socialise inside Social distancing if queueing for facilities
Rubbish
Contaminated material not properly disposed of
Members to be advised to take away their own rubbish and / or contaminated materials e.g. tissues.
Cost
Measures that are possible/deemed necessary are not affordable
N/A
5. Your musical activity
Venue cannot accommodate whole group at 2m distancing
N/A
Covid-safe placing of individuals during activity
Choir placed in Church chairs, with due regard to social distancing with at least 1m radius around each singer.   Singers can choose to make area around them larger if they would feel more comfortable.  All singers facing forwards. Front row of singers at least 1m – 2m from Music Director or a greater distance if they would feel more comfortable. Face masks (optional) to be worn at all times except when in individual rehearsal place.
Virus spread through sheet music
The choir’s programme will consist of pieces which choir members already have at home.  Choir members will therefore bring their own music. Ideally Music Director will advise the choir before each rehearsal of the music they will need.  Members not to share music, and only to use their own music. No ‘looking over someone’s shoulder’ if music has been forgotten.
Aerosol transmission through prolonged exposure
Rehearsals limited to 60 – 75 minutes
Virus spread through shared equipment
Make clear from the start and build in regular reminders NOT to share equipment or music Regular reminders to bring all of their own stuff
Accompanist exposed to Covid-19 via singers and/or piano
N/A No accompanist
6. Ancillary activity
Provision of refreshments is source of transmission
Currently not applicable but will review in the light of the changing circumstances of the Pandemic and government/medical advice at the time
Arrival/departure compromises social distancing
The following to be recommendations/advice to the members of the choir a) Not to arrive early, to avoid ‘chatting’ unless socially distanced or outside the venue. b) Be considerate to other members of the choir who may have a different threshold to risk and may wish to follow a more cautious approach to mixing with members of the group. c) Members to take a seat as soon as possible after arrival.
With thanks to Hereford Chamber Choir

Tenterden Singers Rehearsal Protocol

What to expect when you come singing

September 2021

We want to encourage as many people to come and sing with us and to keep you safe so, as we get used to living with COVID, we have put together the following Protocol based on our current assessment of risk. You can see our COVID Risk Assessment on the website. 

We appreciate that everyone will have a different threshold of risk but, in this first instance, we have decided to be cautious until we know how infection rates etc alter as we go into the autumn. In any event, we all have a collective responsibility to make sure we keep each other safe and ensure that we respect each other’s feelings and approach to singing in a COVID world.

This Protocol can only be guidance, as we cannot require you to follow particular types of behaviour, but we do encourage you to follow it and hope that you enjoy singing with us.

Rehearsals will be at St Mildred’s Church, Church Road, Tenterden. You should arrive after 7.45pm.and we will aim to start singing at 8pm. We will finish by 9 – 9.15pm.

Before Rehearsal

Ask yourself the following 6 questions. If you can answer Yes to Q1 and NO to Q 2-6 then please come singing. If you cannot answer the questions in this way, then please don’t come to the rehearsal and stay safe until you can.

Questions

1. Have you been double vaccinated 
2. Have you had a positive result from a Covid-19 test in the last 10 days?  
3. Do you have any Covid-19 symptoms or had any in the last 7 days: raised temperature, new persistent cough, loss of or change to your sense of taste or smell?
4. Have you been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, or with someone who has had Covid-19 symptoms but not had a negative Covid-19 test result, in the last 10 days?
5. Have you been contacted by the national ‘Track and Trace’ service and told you should self-isolate (within the last 10 days)?
6. Have you returned from abroad and been told to quarantine (within the last 10 days)?

The chairs will have been put out. Please do not move them, as they will have been arranged to maintain appropriate social distancing.

Please ensure that you have the music you will need for the rehearsal and that you bring your own pencil etc as you will not be able to share with someone else.

On Arrival 

Please sanitise your hands. 

We will keep a register of who attends each week in case one of us subsequently discovers they were infected or have been in close contact with someone who has been infected when they came singing. If this happens, we will inform St Mildred’s and NHS Test and Trace.

During Rehearsals

In the first few rehearsals we ask, that you

1. ALWAYS maintain a 1 metre social distancing from entry to exit of the building. This means before, during and after musical activity.
2. Sneeze/cough into tissue/crook of arm (if not wearing a face-covering)
3. Bring your own equipment (sheet music, pencil, etc.) and not to share

We also encourage you 

1. Not to hug, shake hands or linger to chat in the rehearsal venue before or after; the rehearsal 
2. To go straight to your chosen seat
3. Wear a face covering when you arrive and leave. Face coverings during singing will not be compulsory, but you may wear one if you wish.
4. Avoid touching surfaces as much as possible 
5. Use an allocated seat and keep all your own equipment and personal belongings by and in that space.  If personal belongings are too large, then these are to be deposited next to the chairs storage area.
6. Do not share music.  No ‘looking over someone’s shoulder’ if music has been forgotten.

We will keep these arrangements under review as the infection rates and government advice change. 

Tenterden Singers 01 September 2021