We have been monitoring closely the developing situation regarding the Coronavirus. Our Operational Board have developed and instigated a detailed business continuity plan to address all identified risk associated with COVID-19.

Our plan has incorporated government advice provided for employers on how to deal with Coronavirus in the workplace:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-covid-19

The plan below summarises our approach and actions to enable us to act quickly and reduce risk for our people and their families, our clients, our subcontractors and the wider community, together with creating an action plan that will deliver business needs and protect economic well-being.

Risk

Action Taken

The spread of COVID-19 to our people and their families, our clients and our supply chain

Ongoing updates, communication and policy advice to employees including informing of travel plans, self-isolation and reducing risk of spread with scenario examples (COVID-19 Guidance to Employees Communications)

Assessed potential high-risk individuals within the business and taken appropriate action to mitigate their personal risk

Assessed impact of educational closures on staff’s ability to work

Implemented self-declaration process on all sites and offices

Advised that all staff should work from home where possible

Implementation of a non-essential travel ban

Stipulated an inter-office travel ban to protect spread between internal offices

Cancelled large meetings, gatherings and events

Advised that meetings should take place electronically

Provided all employees with hand sanitiser and tissues and purchased cleaning products to support hygiene control

Organising ‘clean areas’ on sites for handwashing

Organised escalation communication for swift decisions/actions

Purchased additional IT hardware to support home working

Instructed that our cleaners must use anti-bacterial spray to clean all potentially contaminated high contact areas and organised additional cleaning functionality

Isolation clean room created in all offices with hand sanitiser, antibacterial wipes and tissues with a window that can open.

Appointed COVID-19 Co-ordinator

Our ability to deliver central office support

Alternative sanitised office area in place if an office with essential services is required to close

Portable IT kit provided for core personnel and printers for home working

Delivery is hindered due to illness or self-isolation (for self-delivery & supply chain)

Expansion of supply chain in key trades to ensure alternative suppliers are in place

Additional mobile welfare facilities organised

Communicated with supply chain to ensure they adhere to our COVID-19 policy and government advice to limit risk of spread

Organised smaller multi-trade ‘gangs’ to limit infection and allow alternative non-infected gangs to continue works

Building options for alternative core roles – E.g. site managers

Stock shortages prevent operational delivery

Assessed stock availability with key suppliers

Stock management to ensure continued supply of core products – specialist M&E components, plasterboard, soft wood, face masks etc.

We are further following the following scenario advice provided by the government:

What to do if an employee or a member of the public becomes unwell and believe they have been exposed to COVID-19

  • If someone becomes unwell in the workplace and has travelled to China or other affected countries, the unwell person should be removed to an area which is at least 2 metres away from other people. If possible, find a room or area where they can be isolated behind a closed door, such as a staff office. If it is possible to open a window, do so for ventilation.
  • The individual who is unwell should call NHS 111 from their mobile, or 999 if an emergency (if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk) and explain which country they have returned from in the last 14 days and outline their current symptoms.
  • Whilst they wait for advice from NHS 111 or an ambulance to arrive, they should remain at least 2 metres from other people. They should avoid touching people, surfaces and objects and be advised to cover their mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when they cough or sneeze and put the tissue in a bag or pocket then throw the tissue in the bin. If they don’t have any tissues available, they should cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow.
  • If they need to go to the bathroom whilst waiting for medical assistance, they should use a separate bathroom if available.

What to do if a member of staff or the public with suspected COVID-19 has recently been in your workplace

For contacts of a suspected case in the workplace, no restrictions or special control measures are required while laboratory test results for COVID19 are awaited. In particular, there is no need to close the workplace or send other staff home at this point. Most possible cases turn out to be negative. Therefore, until the outcome of test results is known there is no action that the workplace needs to take.

What to do if a member of staff or the public with confirmed COVID-19 has recently been in your workplace

  • Closure of the workplace is not recommended.
  • The management team of the office or workplace will be contacted by the PHE local Health Protection Team to discuss the case, identify people who have been in contact with them and advise on any actions or precautions that should be taken.
  • A risk assessment of each setting will be undertaken by the Health Protection Team with the lead responsible person. Advice on the management of staff and members of the public will be based on this assessment.
  • The Health Protection Team will also be in contact with the case directly to advise on isolation and identifying other contacts and will be in touch with any contacts of the case to provide them with appropriate advice.
  • Advice on cleaning of communal areas such as offices or toilets will be given by the Health Protection Team. and is outlined later in this document.

When individuals in the workplace have had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19

If a confirmed case is identified in your workplace, the local Health Protection Team will provide the relevant staff with advice. These staff include:

  • any employee in close face-to-face or touching contact
  • talking with or being coughed on for any length of time while the employee was symptomatic
  • anyone who has cleaned up any bodily fluids
  • close friendship groups or workgroups
  • any employee living in the same household as a confirmed case

Contacts are not considered cases and if they are well, they are very unlikely to have spread the infection to others:

  • those who have had close contact will be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact with the confirmed case and follow the home isolation advice sheet
  • they will be actively followed up by the Health Protection Team
  • if they develop new symptoms or their existing symptoms worsen within their 14-day observation period they should call NHS 111 for reassessment
  • if they become unwell with cough, fever or shortness of breath they will be tested for COVID-19
  • if they are unwell at any time within their 14-day observation period and they test positive for COVID-19 they will become a confirmed case and will be treated for the infection

Staff who have not had close contact with the original confirmed case do not need to take any precautions and can continue to attend work.

For any suspected cases in the workplace, we must contact the local Health Protection Team

Contact details for each office are as follows:

  • Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Team (covering Warrington): Telephone 0344 225 0562 (option 1) / Out of hours advice 0151 434 4819
  • West Yorkshire Health Protection Team (covering Leeds): Telephone 0113 386 0300 / Out of hours advice 0114 304 9843
  • Health Protection Team (Scotland): Telephone 0141 300 1100

Download COVID-19 Client Communication