Continuity Planning?
Pondering again to Monday 16th March 2020 I bear in mind getting up early. I used to be as a result of go to considered one of our properties in Tewkesbury. I used to be nearly to depart the home when an e-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 had been we for what was about to occur subsequent?
Our administration staff has already undertaken numerous strategic planning workouts. On the 16th March, a ”strategic govt staff” was established and a planning and response process produced – that is nonetheless a dwell doc.
Workplace primarily based employees had been then requested to earn a living from home. Inside just a few days we obtained experiences {that a} member of employees primarily based at residence 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 introduced us with just a few extra challenges. LOLER engineers would usually have entry to all areas all through our properties. We deemed this must be classed as an important go to and determined the easiest way ahead could be to reduce the ”actions” undertaken by the engineer inside every residence. We determined to allocate an space/lounge for the engineer to work in and all gear could be dropped at them, checked and put again in situ. This may keep social distancing measures and decrease the danger of cross contamination points throughout the residence.
When it comes to Residence working, the Well being and Security staff 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 kind and way more streamlined.
Laundry – we now have reviewed our procedures and produced a Customary Working Process (SOP) to assist tackle considerations referring to contaminated objects
Cleansing – Provide points meant we would have liked to work rapidly to supply completely different sanitizers and undertake new COSHH danger assessments which at the moment are in place.
When it comes to cleansing rooms with confirmed or suspected Covid -19 A Customary working process was additionally produced.
Sustaining hearth security is a vital challenge for all care suppliers right now. We had quite a lot of properties with on-going enchancment plans in place which have been recognized in a Fireplace Danger Evaluation. To assist decrease the onsite visits to the properties by contractors, the staff carried out a overview of all dwell/ongoing hearth danger evaluation actions. Every motion was assigned a RAG (crimson, amber or inexperienced) score. This helped us to determine any works classed as important (security important). Contractors will now solely be permitted to attend websites to finish the remedial works the place the works are deemed Security important.
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 employees 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 determine when a report is actually essential
Fireplace & Rescue Providers had been beginning to contact us each by way of the H&S Workforce and domestically on to our properties. Totally different ranges of considerations had been raised by completely different Fireplace & Rescue Providers relating to their deliberate response to 999 calls. They had been conscious of the dangers related to Covid 19. The fireplace service wished to make sure the security of their crew. They’d need to know the variety of optimistic Covid-19 circumstances and likewise suspected circumstances earlier than they had been in a position to reply. We have now agreed working protocols in such an occasion that keep security for all.
Lastly, we’re opening quite a lot of new construct properties which we might 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 introduced with quite a lot of questions that we did not instantly have a solution to. At instances we now have been requested to make the unattainable, doable. What mattered then was that we had been decided to discover a answer, which made sense and ensured some type of enterprise continuity.
Now wanting ahead, I am certain there can be a complete host of recent challenges and likewise new questions. We are going to proceed to supply the help and recommendation as and when it’s wanted as we now have at all times achieved earlier than and we’ll try to develop into much more ”answer centered” alongside the way in which
Seemingly there are solutions to most questions, however solely in case you are dedicated to discovering them.
Why will 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).