Continuity Planning?

Considering again to Monday 16^th March 2020 I bear in mind getting up early. I used to be resulting from go to one in all 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 to be prepared for a convention name that morning. Sure, this was the beginning of the ‘Lock Down’. With the advantage of perception, how prepared have been we for what was about to occur subsequent?

Our administration staff had already undertaken varied strategic planning workouts. On the sixteenth^th March, a ”strategic government staff” was established and a planning and response process was produced – that is nonetheless a stay doc.

Workplace based mostly employees have been then requested to work at home. Inside just a few days we acquired stories {that a} member of employees based mostly at residence had hit their head on a shelf. Possibly 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 could be visiting our properties. All non-essential visits had been stopped. LOLER inspections offered us with just a few extra challenges. LOLER engineers would usually have entry to all areas all through our properties. We deemed this needs 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 residence. 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 there. This might keep social distancing measures and decrease the chance of cross contamination points throughout the residence.

By way of Residence working, the Well being and Security staff has 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 type and is much extra streamlined.

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

Cleansing – Provide points meant we wanted to work rapidly to supply completely different sanitizers and undertake new COSHH threat assessments which are actually in place.

By way of cleansing rooms with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. A Customary working process was additionally produced.

Sustaining fireplace security is a crucial situation for all care suppliers presently. We’ve quite a lot of properties with on-going enchancment plans in place which were recognized in a Fireplace Danger Evaluation. To assist decrease the onsite visits to the properties by the contractors, the staff carried out a evaluation of all stay/ongoing fireplace threat evaluation actions. Every motion was assigned a RAG (purple, amber or inexperienced) ranking. This helps 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 5^th April. The problem for us: If a member of employees developed Covid-19, how would we all know it was a results of office publicity? We’ve since developed a screening questionnaire, to assist determine when a report is the truth is vital

Fireplace & Rescue Companies have been beginning to contact us each via the H&S Crew and domestically on to our properties. Totally different ranges of concern have been raised by completely different Fireplace & Rescue Companies concerning their deliberate response to 999 calls. They have been conscious of the dangers related to Covid 19. The fireplace service wished to make sure the security of their crew. They might need to know the variety of optimistic Covid-19 circumstances and in addition suspected circumstances earlier than they have been capable of reply. We’ve 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 could possibly be undertaken remotely with help taking place nearly.

The previous few weeks have been actually difficult. Instances are certainly unprecedented. We’ve been offered with quite a lot of questions that we did not instantly have a solution to. At occasions we have now been requested to make the not possible attainable. 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 latest challenges and in addition new questions. We’ll proceed to supply the help and recommendation as and when it’s wanted as we have now all the time accomplished earlier than and we’ll try to turn out to be much more ”resolution centered” alongside the best way

Seemingly there are solutions to most questions, however solely if you’re 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 necessary.

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

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