Continuity Planning?
Pondering again to Monday 16th March 2020 I keep in mind getting up early. I used to be attributable to go to one among our houses 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 have been we for what was about to occur subsequent?
Our administration group had already undertaken numerous strategic planning workouts. On the 16th March, a ‘’strategic govt group’’ was established and a planning and response process produced – that is nonetheless a reside doc.
Workplace primarily based employees have been then requested to work at home. Inside just a few days we obtained studies {that a} member of employees primarily based 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 houses. 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 houses. We deemed this must be classed as a necessary go to and determined the easiest way ahead could be to minimise 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 delivered to them, checked and put again in situ. This may preserve social distancing measures and minimise the chance of cross contamination points inside the residence.
When it comes to Dwelling working, the Well being and Security group have developed a 2 web page self-assessment which now combines DSE, lone working and hearth security. It’s simpler to make use of in its present type and much more streamlined.
Laundry – we’ve got reviewed our procedures and produced a Commonplace Working Process (SOP) to assist deal with considerations referring to contaminated gadgets
Cleansing – Provide points meant we would have liked to work shortly to supply totally 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 Commonplace working process was additionally produced.
Sustaining hearth security is a crucial problem for all care suppliers right now. We had a variety of houses with on-going enchancment plans in place which were recognized in a Hearth Threat Evaluation. To assist minimise the onsite visits to the houses by contractors, the group carried out a assessment of all reside/ongoing hearth threat evaluation actions. Every motion was assigned a RAG (crimson, amber or inexperienced) ranking. This helped us to establish any works classed as important (security vital). Contractors will now solely be permitted to attend websites to finish the remedial works the place the works are deemed Security vital.
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 the truth is needed
Hearth & Rescue Providers have been beginning to contact us each by way of the H&S Staff and regionally on to our houses. Totally different ranges of considerations have been raised by totally different Hearth & Rescue Providers concerning their deliberate response to 999 calls. They have been conscious of the dangers related to Covid 19. The fireplace service needed to make sure the security of their crew. They might need to know the variety of optimistic Covid-19 instances and in addition suspected instances earlier than they have been capable of reply. We now have agreed working protocols in such an occasion that preserve security for all.
Lastly, we’re opening a variety of new construct houses which we might examine and assist with the registration/opening. We agreed that such inspections may very well be undertaken remotely with assist taking place just about.
The previous few weeks have been actually difficult. Instances are certainly unprecedented. We now have been offered with a variety of questions that we didn’t instantly have a solution to. At instances we’ve got been requested to make the unattainable, potential. 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’m positive there might be an entire host of recent challenges and in addition new questions. We’ll proceed to supply the assist and recommendation as and when it’s wanted as we’ve got all the time completed earlier than and we’ll attempt to turn out to be much more ‘’resolution focussed’’ alongside the way in which
Seemingly there are solutions to most questions, however solely if you’re dedicated to discovering them.
Why will we do that job I hear you ask? As a result of security – saves 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).