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Continuity Planning?

Considering again to Monday 16th March 2020 I keep in mind getting up early. I used to be attributable to go to one among our properties in Tewkesbury. I used to be nearly to depart the home when an electronic mail landed from a senior Director telling us all to ‘Maintain’ all visits and be prepared for a convention name that morning. Sure, this was the beginning of the ‘Lock Down’. With the good thing about hindsight, how prepared have been we for what was about to occur subsequent?

Our administration group has already undertaken numerous strategic planning workouts. On the 16th March, a ”strategic govt group” was established and a planning and response process produced – that is nonetheless a reside doc.

Workplace based mostly workers have been then requested to make money working from home. Inside a couple of days we obtained reviews {that a} member of workers based mostly at dwelling had hit their head on a shelf. Perhaps time for a DSE evaluation maybe? ‘We may see it was time to leap into motion’

So how did we reply?

One of many first H&S challenges we encountered was the variety of contractors who is perhaps visiting our properties. All non-essential visits had been stopped. LOLER inspections offered us with a couple of extra challenges. LOLER engineers would usually have entry to all areas all through our properties. We deemed this needs to be classed as an important go to and determined one of the simplest ways ahead can be to reduce the ”actions” undertaken by the engineer inside every dwelling. We determined to allocate an space/lounge for the engineer to work in and all gear can be dropped at them, checked and put again in situ. This could preserve social distancing measures and decrease the chance of cross contamination points throughout the dwelling.

When it comes to House working, the Well being and Security group have developed a 2 web page self-assessment which now combines DSE, lone working and hearth security. It is simpler to make use of in its present type and way more streamlined.

Laundry – now we have reviewed our procedures and produced a Commonplace Working Process (SOP) to assist deal with issues regarding contaminated gadgets

Cleansing – Provide points meant we would have liked to work shortly to supply totally different sanitizers and undertake new COSHH danger assessments which are actually in place.

When it comes to cleansing rooms with confirmed or suspected Covid -19 A Commonplace working process was additionally produced.

Sustaining hearth security is a crucial difficulty for all care suppliers presently. We had quite a few properties with on-going enchancment plans in place which were recognized in a Hearth Threat Evaluation. To assist decrease the onsite visits to the properties by contractors, the group carried out a assessment of all reside/ongoing hearth danger evaluation actions. Every motion was assigned a RAG (pink, amber or inexperienced) score. This helped us to establish any works classed as important (security essential). Contractors will now solely be permitted to attend websites to finish the remedial works the place the works are deemed Security essential.

RIDDOR reporting of Covid-19 is now reportable as a illness. That is efficient from the 5th April. The problem for us: If a member of workers did develop Covid-19, how would we all know it was because of office publicity? We have now since developed a screening questionnaire, to assist establish when a report is in truth essential

Hearth & Rescue Providers have been beginning to contact us each by way of the H&S Group and domestically on to our properties. Totally different ranges of issues have been raised by totally different Hearth & Rescue Providers concerning their deliberate response to 999 calls. They have been conscious of the dangers related to Covid 19. The hearth service needed to make sure the protection of their crew. They’d wish to know the variety of optimistic Covid-19 instances and in addition suspected instances earlier than they have been capable of reply. We have now agreed working protocols in such an occasion that preserve security for all.

Lastly, we’re opening quite a few new construct properties which we’d examine and help with the registration/opening. We agreed that such inspections might be undertaken remotely with help taking place nearly.

The previous few weeks have been actually difficult. Instances are certainly unprecedented. We have now been offered with quite a few questions that we did not instantly have a solution to. At instances now we have been requested to make the unattainable, doable. What mattered then was that we have been decided to discover a resolution, which made sense and ensured some type of enterprise continuity.

Now wanting ahead, I am certain there will probably be a complete host of recent challenges and in addition new questions. We’ll proceed to supply the help and recommendation as and when it’s wanted as now we have at all times accomplished earlier than and we are going to try to develop into much more ”resolution centered” alongside the best way

Seemingly there are solutions to most questions, however solely in case you are dedicated to discovering them.

Why can we do that job I hear you ask? As a result of security – save lives and has by no means been extra vital.

Andy Hollingshead (H&S Supervisor), Lisa Harris (H&S Supervisor) and Paul Mason (H&S Director).