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How have iHASCO clients made their workplaces secure?

We recently surveyed our clients to see how they have made their workplace COVID-secure.

We received over 100 responses and narrowing this blog down to the best 10 responses we received was difficult! We really appreciate the time and effort our clients have given us to explain how they have made their workplaces COVID-secure.

From past surveys, it was clear to see that Health & Safety training was still a top priority for many organisations, but with recent Government guidelines stating that employees could return to work if it was safe to do so, we wanted to hear how our clients had approached making their workplaces COVID secure. 

Without further ado, here is what iHASCO clients are doing to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace...

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, who have fully returned to work have made their workplace COVID secure by following government guidance for increased cleaning, signage, and handwashing stations.

Ensuring staff have read the appropriate Risk Assessment and Method Statements related to working safely during this time. Social distancing measures, increased cleaning, hand sanitizer dispensers, signage in the workplace, provision of PPE, are some of the measures put in place to protect our staff and volunteers

Averil Clother

Swift Crafted Ltd, who have fully returned to work have made their workplace COVID secure by implementing a number of physical safety measures, including a one-way system.

Restricted numbers present in our office at any one time to allow social distancing. Everyone required to use hand sanitiser on entry. Everyone required to read and sign a Risk Assessment. One-way system put in place. Meetings held via video conferencing.

Karen Kerley, Office Manager

Mid and North East Essex Mind, who have partly returned to work have made their workplace COVID-secure by ensuring that a certified risk assessment of their premises had been completed, as well as individual staff risk assessments. They noted that engaging staff and communicating with them has been a key part of keeping the company COVID-secure!

Full certified premises risk assessment. Individual staff risk assessments, staff engagement and communication, air-con and improved airflow, social distancing marking, personal hygiene instructions and materials, enhanced cleaning regime, reduced occupancy, screens between work stations, signs and instructions.

Duncan McCubbine, Business Operations Manager

Winchcombe Farm, who have fully returned to work, have made their workplace COVID secure by identifying a number of COVID-19 related risks in their risk assessment and identifying what further action must be taken.

When asked "How have you made your workplace COVID-secure?", they responded by sending us their thorough risk assessment and new cleaning protocols. They also provided us with a picture of an employee cleaning a room under the new protocol...

Winchcombe Farm employee cleaning a room

Tarplett Generator Services, who have fully returned to work have made their workplace COVID secure by ensuring they are keeping up-to-date with government guidance and their training.

During these unprecedented times, we have been doing our utmost to keep it with changing guidelines, and training, ensuring everyone is aware of the new processes and procedures. We have improved our sanitizing and hygiene requirements, and made sure all our engineers have all the required PPE when out on their daily tasks to ensure safety for all staff, customers and communities we work for.

Lynn De Backer, FC

PJC Electrical Ltd, who have partly returned to work have made their workplace COVID secure by keeping track of the temperatures of those entering their premises with a non-contact thermoscan system.

Installing screens between desks, PPE, Tool Box Talks, installed a computerised thermoscan at the entrance to the office which has face recognition & takes non-contact temperature of every person entering the office, this is also taken at the end of the day to ensure staff leave with a normal temperature. Worksites are strict on social distancing with minimal operatives, PPE, and hand sanitiser.

Dave Harris, Health & Safety Manager

SOL Electrical, who have fully returned to work, have made their workplace COVID secure by distributing new COVID-19 policies to all employees and sub-contractors working for them. Additionally, they are sending a COVID-19 working practices document to all customers for agreement prior to them carrying out work at their premises.

We have created a COVID-19 policy and COVID-19 working practices which have been distributed and agreed to by employees and sub-contractors. Our COVID-19 working practices document is sent to all customers for agreement prior to us carrying out any work at their premises. Within our working premises, we provide hand-sanitiser on entry to the premises and request that all staff/visitors use it. We maintain social distancing between workstations and each workstation is wiped down using anti-bacterial wipes once staff have finished at that workstation. The kitchen and toilet are regularly cleaned and checked to maintain cleanliness. We have stipulated for employees/sub-contractors traveling in vehicles together, either masks need to be worn or the vehicle adequately ventilated.

Marie Yexley, Director

Millennium Point, who have partly returned to office working, have made their workplace COIVD secure by carrying out detailed and ongoing risk assessments for their offices, tenanted units, and event spaces.  These are all reviewed bi-weekly and updated as necessary alongside social distancing and safety measures implemented across the landmark public building.

Millennium Point Property Limited is dedicated to providing a safe and secure place for its team members, tenants, and members of the public visiting our building.

We have carried out detailed and ongoing risk assessments for our offices, our tenanted building, and our events spaces. These are reviewed bi-weekly and updated as necessary by two Executive Team leads;

We have also communicated with all team members when we were working from home to update them on all of the safety and security measures we have introduced to keep staff and visitors safe in our building. This has included furloughed staff.

All team members have completed the iHASCO eLearning package 'Returning to Work (during & after COVID 19)' and have also completed a personal assessment form detailing any health / safety concerns that they have about returning to the offices. This has allowed us to support each team member on an individual basis.

We also completed risk assessments for all team members working from home and provided DSE training for all of the team to ensure they were working safely while at home.

In terms of our building we have introduced a one-way system around our building; We have also limited the number of people in lifts at one time. We also have self-sanitising lift buttons! and hand-sanitiser available throughout our building.

We have made sure our desks in the office are socially distanced and have also provided safety screens around each desk which are sanitised daily. We have also provided individual packs for each team member which includes hand sanitiser & gloves etc. We have also increased the number of times we clean our building and office areas on a daily basis.

We have also introduced new policies that include: Hygiene / Hand-washing / Self-isolation and Social Distancing policies to ensure staff have clear guidance on acceptable behaviours in the workplace.

We have also enhanced all signage around the building to ensure it is clear and allows individuals to feel protected.

We have also been audited recently by a Quality In Tourism inspector to assess us for our “Safe, Clean & Legal” accreditation. We had to demonstrate that the events spaces and the building as a whole were safe and compliant in a range of ways including reflecting additional requirements and standards for delegates relating to COVID measures. We had verbal confirmation we had passed yesterday and that we had gone above and beyond with the measures we had in place.

Vanessa Currie, Head of People, Learning and Development

ESP, who have fully returned to work, have made their workplace COVID secure by following government guidance on social distancing an introducing a number of other safety measures.

Social distancing measures in place, i.e spaces between desks, 50% occupancy, reduced capacity in meeting rooms, kitchens, hand sanitiser stations throughout the building. Temperature monitoring at the entrance, also enhanced cleaning during the day. Risk assessment produced, shared with staff & on the website as per government guidelines.

Louise Corbett, Office Manager

Premier Contract Supplies, who have fully returned to work, have made their workplace COVID secure with many of their staff now working from home and introducing social distancing rules at work.

We’ve updated our Risk Assessments, introduced social distancing, improved hygiene, provided PPE for staff who come closer than 2m to others and many staff are working from home.

Graham Cuthbert, Group Health and Safety manager

We'd like to extend a massive thank you to all of our clients who took part in this survey! 

Returning to Work Training

If your organisation has recently returned to the workplace or are starting to bring employees back, you may be interested in our Returning to Work Essentials Training bundle, which is full of courses designed to help during the transition period of employees returning to work after time away from the workplace.

We want to help all organisations get back to work safely and smoothly and we want to assure you that our courses are the ideal solution for so. Hence why we highly encourage that you try before you buy! You can take any of these courses for free if you fill out the form below and we'll also grant you full access to our entire course library for 24 hours!

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