By sampay Continuity Planning?
Considering again to Monday 16th March 2020 I bear in mind getting up early. I used to be resulting from go to considered one of our houses 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 advantage of hindsight, how prepared had been we for what was about to occur subsequent?
Our administration crew has already undertaken numerous strategic planning workout routines. On the 16th March, a ”strategic govt crew” was established and a planning and response process produced – that is nonetheless a stay doc.
Workplace primarily based employees had been then requested to make money working from home. Inside a number of days we acquired studies {that a} member of employees primarily based at house had hit their head on a shelf. Perhaps time for a DSE evaluation maybe? ‘We might 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 houses. All non-essential visits had been stopped. LOLER inspections introduced us with a number of extra challenges. LOLER engineers would usually have entry to all areas all through our houses. We deemed this ought to be classed as a vital go to and determined one of the simplest ways ahead can be to reduce the ”actions” undertaken by the engineer inside every house. We determined to allocate an space/lounge for the engineer to work in and all tools can be dropped at them, checked and put again in situ. This might keep social distancing measures and reduce the chance of cross contamination points throughout the house.
When it comes to House working, the Well being and Security crew have developed a 2 web page self-assessment which now combines DSE, lone working and fireplace 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 handle considerations regarding contaminated gadgets
Cleansing – Provide points meant we wanted to work shortly to supply completely different sanitizers and undertake new COSHH threat assessments which are actually in place.
When it comes to cleansing rooms with confirmed or suspected Covid -19 A Customary working process was additionally produced.
Sustaining fireplace security is a crucial difficulty for all care suppliers presently. We had a lot of houses with on-going enchancment plans in place which were recognized in a Hearth Danger Evaluation. To assist reduce the onsite visits to the houses by contractors, the crew carried out a evaluate of all stay/ongoing fireplace threat evaluation actions. Every motion was assigned a RAG (crimson, amber or inexperienced) score. This helped us to establish any works classed as important (security crucial). Contractors will now solely be permitted to attend websites to finish the remedial works the place the works are deemed Security crucial.
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 now have since developed a screening questionnaire, to assist establish when a report is in reality needed
Hearth & Rescue Companies had been beginning to contact us each by means of the H&S Staff and regionally on to our houses. Completely different ranges of considerations had been raised by completely different Hearth & Rescue Companies concerning their deliberate response to 999 calls. They had been conscious of the dangers related to Covid 19. The hearth service needed to make sure the protection of their crew. They might need to know the variety of constructive Covid-19 instances and in addition suspected instances earlier than they had been capable of reply. We now have agreed working protocols in such an occasion that keep security for all.
Lastly, we’re opening a lot of new construct houses which we’d examine and assist with the registration/opening. We agreed that such inspections might be undertaken remotely with assist occurring just about.
The previous few weeks have been actually difficult. Occasions are certainly unprecedented. We now have been introduced with a lot of questions that we did not instantly have a solution to. At occasions we now have been requested to make the not possible, potential. What mattered then was that we had been decided to discover a answer, which made sense and ensured some type of enterprise continuity.
Now trying ahead, I am certain there will likely be a complete host of latest challenges and in addition new questions. We’ll proceed to supply the assist and recommendation as and when it’s wanted as we now have at all times achieved earlier than and we are going to try to turn into much more ”answer targeted” alongside the best way
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 essential.
Andy Hollingshead (H&S Supervisor), Lisa Harris (H&S Supervisor) and Paul Mason (H&S Director).