Health and safety guidance for private music teachers
Guidance for private music teachers preparing for a return to face-to-face teaching
Writing a COVID-19 risk assessment
Members have asked us to supply a template risk assessment for face-to-face teaching while the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Everyone’s circumstances will be individual, and it is important that members undertake their own risk assessment rather than use a template.
We have prepared a sample risk assessment as a general guide to the things members may find it helpful to consider when preparing their own risk assessment. This is based on the guidance of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The sample risk assessment can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Before starting a risk assessment, we would also strongly recommend that members watch our webinar Risk assessment for musicians.This webinar is presented by risk expert James Owen Lewis (Risk Adviser at Deloitte LLP). It summarises how to develop a COVID-19 risk assessment and explains the Health & Safety Executive’s approach to controlling risk, and in particular its five-step model of constructing a risk assessment. In this webinar, the difference between a hazard and risk is also explained.
The typical risk assessment approach set out by the HSE
What does that mean for a COVID-19 risk assessment?
The five-step model to risk assessment
These examples are explained in the webinar.
The sample risk assessment follows these steps up to step four.
Who is responsible for a risk assessment?
Employment status | Risk Assessment Responsibility |
| Employed – The member is an employee or a casual worker | The employer/engager (a school or music service for example) is responsible for carrying out the risk assessment. |
| Self-employed – The member works as private teacher at their home or their clients’ home | The member is responsible for carrying out the risk assessment. |
| Self-employed – The member works on a self-employed basis (for example under a consultancy agreement) for a third party (for example a school or a music service) | The member is responsible for carrying out a risk assessment in collaboration with his direct client (the school or the music hub) and also the owner of the premises he provides his services at (for example if member is engaged by a music service to provide music lessons in different schools). |
If your situation doesn’t fit in this criteria and you are an ISM member, please email [email protected] and explain your employment situation and we will advise you on the matter.
Creating your own risk assessment and sharing it
Risk assessments are intended to protect you and those you have professional dealings with. As noted in the webinar, you should communicate what you have done, what more you intended to do and how you will keep your assessment under review.
You do not need another party to check your assessment – but you do need to approach it thoughtfully and identify the hazards particular to your environment and how you can control them.
