COVID-19 Guidance

Posted byleicestershirefieldworkersPosted inLearn

Published 1 September 2020, updated 19 July 2021

How to do archaeological fieldwork in a COVID-secure way

The Leicestershire Fieldworkers considers the wellbeing of our committee, members and volunteers, affiliated groups and members of the public to be our first priority and we throughout the pandemic we have put in place protocols for our activities and events to ensure that we can continue to function as an organisation whilst being as safe as possible.

The following advice was originally adapted from Guidance on searching for archaeological finds in England during COVID-19. The guidance applies to those living and working in England following the change in restrictions introduced from 19 July 2021.

The current situation with Coronavirus is changing constantly. This Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) are continually assessed and updated to ensure our work is carried out in accordance with the most up to date guidance.

General Method Statement for fieldwork

From 19 July, most legal restrictions to control COVID-19 have been lifted as part of the ‘COVID-19 Response – Spring 2021’. However, it is still possible to catch and spread COVID-19, even if you are fully vaccinated, and we are still in the pandemic in the UK. COVID-19 will be a feature of our lives for the foreseeable future, so we need to learn to live with it and manage the risk to ourselves and others.

As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, it is important that we all use personal judgement to manage our own risk. All of us can play our part by exercising common sense and considering the risks. While no situation is risk free, there are actions we can take to protect ourselves and others around us. Following this guidance will help you stay safe and protect others by controlling the spread. Every action to help reduce the spread will reduce any further resurgence of the virus in the coming months.

Below is a guide to the extra steps that must be carried out when planning and leading archaeological fieldwork to ensure it is both COVID-safe and enjoyable for all.

Lifting restrictions:

From 19 July, most legal restrictions to control COVID-19 have been lifted. This means that:

  • You do not need to stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with. There are also no limits on the number of people you can meet.
  • However, in order to minimise risk at a time of high prevalence, you should limit the close contact you have with those you do not usually live with, and increase close contact gradually. This includes minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
  • You should meet outdoors where possible and let fresh air into homes or other enclosed spaces.
  • The Government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can. However, the Government expects and recommends a gradual return over the summer.
  • The requirement to wear face coverings in law has been lifted. However, the Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport.
  • There are no longer limits on the number of people who can attend weddings, civil partnerships, funerals and other life events (including receptions and celebrations). There is no requirement for table service at life events, or restrictions on singing or dancing. You should follow guidance for weddings and funerals to reduce risk and protect yourself and others.
  • There are no longer restrictions on group sizes for attending communal worship. COVID-19 has not gone away, so it’s important to remember the actions you can take to keep yourself and others safe. Everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious.

Before you start fieldwork:

  • Ensure that current regulations allow for your kind of activity/event.
  • As usual, you must obtain permission from the landowner and occupier before venturing on to any land.
  • If you gained permission from the landowner and occupier prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, you should check again that they are happy for you to continue accessing their land. Take into consideration that they may be isolating or shielding and may wish to limit the number of people coming onto their land. You should accept any decision they make.
  • Consider how you will interact with others, such as the landowner and/or occupiers, other fieldworkers, and members of the public. Carry out a Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) and plan for how you will implement and maintain safe social distancing (see example fieldwalking method statement at end of document). Download the COVID19 RAMS template.
  • Carry out a reconnaissance of your activity/event site. Make a note of any potential hazards and plan any adjustments (e.g. are there any obstacles which might impede social distancing, such as gates, styles etc.).
  • Do not send participants to a site without a RAMS document approved by your group’s committee. Share the risk assessment with participants before the activity/event. If you have any concerns about the risk mitigation strategies your group has put in place, please raise them with the Leicestershire Fieldworkers Committee (info@leicsfieldworkers.co.uk) and they will liaise with you and your group to address your concerns.
  • Ensure that participation is limited to the permissible number of people (see Being Outside and Being Inside below).
  • Ensure that the group has provided sufficient resources (cleaning products, sanitising products and access to water, tools, vehicles and welfare etc.) to enable participants to follow the risk assessment.
  • Ensure that the group has provided participants with all necessary PPE to do their work. Advice participants to bring a mask in case it is needed.
  • Do not let activities and events which cannot operate in line with this guidance take place.
  • Do not let participants take part activities and events if they are restricted by current government guidelines (e.g. self-isolating or sharing accommodation with someone else self-isolating).

Stay home if you feel unwell

  • REMEMBER: If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, self-isolate immediately and get a PCR test, even if your symptoms are mild. You should self-isolate at home while you book the test and wait for the results. You must self-isolate if you test positive. Your isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day your test was taken if you do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days. This is still the law.
  • The most important symptoms of COVID-19 are recent onset of any of the following:
    • a new continuous cough
    • a high temperature
    • a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
  • You must also self-isolate if you are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace, for example if you have come into contact with someone who has tested positive. This remains the law, regardless of your vaccination status.
  • From 16 August, if you have been fully vaccinated you will be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate if you are a contact of a positive case. You will instead be advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible.
  • You will also be exempt from self-isolation from 16 August if you are under 18 and a contact of a positive case. As with adults, you will be advised whether a PCR test needs to be taken. If you are 18 years old you will be treated in the same way as under 18 year olds until 4 months after your 18th birthday, to allow you the opportunity to get fully vaccinated.
  • If you test positive you will still need to self-isolate regardless of your vaccination status or age. When self-isolating, follow the stay-at-home guidance. This will help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to other members of your household and community. You must stay at home at all times and not have contact with other people. There are only very limited circumstances when you do not have to do this, such as seeking medical assistance. If you do leave your home during your period of self-isolation for a permitted reason, you should maintain social distancing and keep 2 metres apart from other people.

If you have been vaccinated against COVID-19:

  • To help protect yourself and your friends, family, and community you should continue to follow all of the guidance on this page even if you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Travelling:                                               

  • There are currently no legal restrictions on travel in England.
  • Walk and cycle if you can. Where this is not possible, use public transport or drive. If using public transport is necessary, wearing a face covering is mandatory.
  • Ideally, travel in a private vehicle, alone or with other members of your own household and/or social bubble.
  • When travelling to outdoor spaces, it is important that you respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and do not travel to different parts of the UK where your intended activities may be prohibited by legislation passed by the relevant devolved administration.

Being outside:

  • You do not need to stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with. There are also no limits on the number of people you can meet outdoors.
  • However, in order to minimise risk at a time of high prevalence, you should limit the close contact you have with those you do not usually live with, and increase close contact gradually. This includes minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
  • There is no limit to the amount of time you can spend outside.
  • REMEMBER: It may not be possible to share detailed sight of a find e.g. pottery with companions while in the field, because some people may wish to maintain some social distance. Develop a strategy for important finds to be lodged with the person best placed to identify them.
  • If participants are unable to work according to the RAMS or are working alongside people/organisations who are not operating in accordance with the RAMS, stop work immediately and leave site.

Being inside:

  • REMEMBER: It is safer to meet people outdoors. You should meet outdoors where possible and let fresh air into homes or other enclosed spaces. This is because COVID-19 spreads much more easily indoors.
  • You do not need to stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with. There are also no limits on the number of people you can meet indoors.
  • However, in order to minimise risk at a time of high prevalence, you should limit the close contact you have with those you do not usually live with, and increase close contact gradually. This includes minimising the number, proximity and duration of social contacts.
  • All remaining closed businesses and venues are able to reopen. All capacity limits at sporting, entertainment, or business events have been lifted.
  • Hospitality venues such as pubs, restaurants and bars are no longer required to provide table service or follow other social distancing rules.
  • All businesses should follow the principles set out in the working safely guidance.
  • Group organisers still have a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by their group activities. The way to do this is to carry out a health and safety risk assessment, including the risk of COVID-19, and to take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks you identify. Working Safely guidance sets out a range of mitigations employers should consider including:
    • cleaning surfaces that people touch regularly
    • identifying poorly-ventilated areas in the venue and taking steps to improve air flow
    • ensuring that staff and customers who are unwell do not attend the workplace or venue
    • communicating to staff and customers the measures you have put in place.
  • We encourage groups to maintain a register of attendees and contact details at events/activities so that you they can be contacted if needed by the NHS Test and Trace programme.
  • It is important for people to maintain social distancing and good hand hygiene when visiting these spaces. People using community facilities should continue to limit their interactions with those they do not live with outside of any formal activities they are participating in to help control the virus.

Face coverings:

  • The requirement to wear face coverings indoors in law has been lifted. However, COVID-19 spreads through the air by droplets and aerosols that are exhaled from the nose and mouth of an infected person. The Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport.

Equipment:

  • People should use their own personal tools and records wherever possible.
  • If shared equipment (e.g. geophysical and survey equipment) is to be used, all surfaces should be wiped down before receiving or handing it over. Ideally, as few people as possible should be allowed to use any shared equipment.

COVID Risk Assessment and Method Statement Template

The following template is a tool to help you plan and lead Leicestershire Fieldworker (inc. affiliated group) activities/events safely in regard to COVID-19. YOU MUST do a COVID-19 risk assessment for each activity/event (e.g. for every field walk, geophysical survey, excavation, talk etc.).

DOWNLOAD RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT TEMPLATE (pdf, 1.3mb)

Use the template to assess whether your group activity/event is safe to go ahead.

We have included suggestions for the ways to control the risks – you do not need to tick every box. The important thing is to identify the potential hazards and note the actions you will take to reduce the risk for your activity/event. For instance, if you are fieldwalking you do not need to consider/implement actions for indoor meetings.

It is important to carry out a risk assessment before the activity/event takes place. You should start filling it out when planning your activity/event and update it with any extra hazards that you notice on site before you start and/or during the activity/event.

Think about the different types of hazards and risks. We’ve included some common examples but think carefully about your own activity/event in case anything needs adding (there is space at the bottom of the risk assessment to add extra items).

REMEMBER: This IS NOT an exhaustive list, so think carefully about any specific risks you may encounter at you activity/event.

Next, consider the steps you can take to minimise the risk. Remember that this may sometimes mean changing your original plan.

If you’re not sure what to do to reduce the risk, contact the Leicestershire Fieldworker committee at info@leicsfieldworkers.co.uk for advice.

Example Fieldwalking Method Statement

The following is an example method statement for how Leicestershire Fieldworkers may carry out fieldwalking activities under COVID-19 restrictions. Please see separate risk assessment for more detailed identification of hazards and measures put in place to control risk.

  • Field setup to be carried out by group organisers/designated people before participants arrive. Setting up field will be limited to 2 people.
  • Shared equipment used during field setup to be cleaned before and after use. Hand sanitizer and cleaning materials to be provided. Gloves to be worn.
  • Participants to arrive at site at specified time by own means. No sharing of vehicles with anyone not in the same household or social bubble (staggered arrival times/rota to be used if necessary).
  • Register of who attended event to be kept by group and kept for 21 days to support NHS contact tracing.
  • Participants to be briefed whilst maintaining appropriate physical social distance.
  • Participants to bring their own finds bags and marker pens and to not share equipment.
  • Transects to be walked by 1 person being careful to maintain physical social distance when walking. Transects to be a minimum of 2m apart.
  • Participants to not crowd around to see a special find and to not pass finds around people who are not in the same household/social bubble.
  • Finds to be taken home and washed by individual fieldwalkers (if group members).
  • If finds to be collected in the field (e.g. from participants from outside the group), participants to place all finds bags in a sealable easily cleanable box. Box to be left in a well-ventilated space for suitable period before opening and processing.
  • Participants to be reminded at the end of the event if they develop symptoms within 48 hours of the fieldwalk to apply for a COVID 19 test, and to support NHS contact tracing if requested.

If you have any questions please Contact Us