Continuity Planning?
Pondering once more to Monday 16th March 2020 I keep in mind getting up early. I was ensuing from go to thought of certainly one of our properties in Tewkesbury. I was almost to go away the house when an electronic message landed from a senior Director telling us all to ‘Keep’ all visits and be ready for a conference identify that morning. Certain, this was the start of the ‘Lock Down’. With the benefit of hindsight, how ready had been we for what was about to happen subsequent?
Our administration workforce has already undertaken diverse strategic planning exercise routines. On the 16th March, a ”strategic authorities workforce” was established and a planning and response course of produced – that’s nonetheless a keep doc.
Office based staff had been then requested to earn a living from home. Inside only a few days we acquired opinions {{that a}} member of staff based at dwelling had hit their head on a shelf. Presumably time for a DSE analysis perhaps? ‘We would see it was time to leap into movement’
So how did we reply?
One in all many first H&S challenges we encountered was the number of contractors who could also be visiting our properties. All non-essential visits had been stopped. LOLER inspections supplied us with only a few additional challenges. LOLER engineers would normally have entry to all areas all by means of our properties. We deemed this must be classed as a significant go to and decided the simplest means forward may be to attenuate the ”actions” undertaken by the engineer inside each dwelling. We decided to allocate an house/lounge for the engineer to work in and all instruments may be dropped at them, checked and put once more in situ. This might preserve social distancing measures and reduce the hazard of cross contamination factors contained in the dwelling.
In the case of Residence working, the Properly being and Safety workforce have developed a 2 internet web page self-assessment which now combines DSE, lone working and fireside safety. It’s easier to utilize in its current type and way more streamlined.
Laundry – we’ve now reviewed our procedures and produced a Customary Working Course of (SOP) to help cope with points concerning contaminated devices
Cleaning – Present factors meant we might have preferred to work shortly to produce completely completely different sanitizers and undertake new COSHH hazard assessments which are literally in place.
In the case of cleaning rooms with confirmed or suspected Covid -19 A Customary working course of was moreover produced.
Sustaining fireside safety is a vital issue for all care suppliers presently. We had numerous properties with on-going enchancment plans in place which have been acknowledged in a Hearth Hazard Analysis. To help lower the onsite visits to the properties by contractors, the workforce carried out a evaluation of all keep/ongoing fireside hazard analysis actions. Each movement was assigned a RAG (crimson, amber or inexperienced) rating. This helped us to ascertain any works classed as vital (safety important). Contractors will now solely be permitted to attend web sites to complete the remedial works the place the works are deemed Safety important.
RIDDOR reporting of Covid-19 is now reportable as a sickness. That’s environment friendly from the 5th April. The issue for us: If a member of staff did develop Covid-19, how would everyone knows it was on account of workplace publicity? We have now now since developed a screening questionnaire, to help set up when a report is in precise truth important
Hearth & Rescue Corporations had been starting to contact us every by way of the H&S Crew and domestically on to our properties. Fully completely different ranges of points had been raised by completely completely different Hearth & Rescue Corporations regarding their deliberate response to 999 calls. They’d been aware of the hazards associated to Covid 19. The fireside service wished to ensure the safety of their crew. They could must know the number of constructive Covid-19 situations and likewise suspected situations sooner than that they had been ready to answer. We have now now agreed working protocols in such an event that preserve safety for all.
Lastly, we’re opening numerous new assemble properties which we might study and assist with the registration/opening. We agreed that such inspections might probably be undertaken remotely with assist happening almost.
The previous couple of weeks have been really tough. Events are actually unprecedented. We have now now been supplied with numerous questions that we didn’t immediately have an answer to. At situations we’ve now been requested to make the unattainable, potential. What mattered then was that we had been determined to find a decision, which made sense and ensured some sort of enterprise continuity.
Now wanting forward, I’m sure there is perhaps a complete host of latest challenges and likewise new questions. We’ll proceed to produce the assistance and suggestion as and when it is wished as we’ve now on a regular basis executed sooner than and we’ll attempt to flip into way more ”decision centered” alongside one of the best ways
Seemingly there are answers to most questions, nevertheless solely when you’re devoted to discovering them.
Why can we do this job I hear you ask? Because of safety – save lives and has in no way been additional important.
Andy Hollingshead (H&S Supervisor), Lisa Harris (H&S Supervisor) and Paul Mason (H&S Director).