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Getting back to normal is something we all want, we want to ensure you we are providing a quality and safe working environment. Here at inspired scaffolding, we love what we do, providing a variety of scaffolding services across the UK. Under current measures, we are following the guidelines set out by the UK government to ensure that we carry out our work to the highest standard and meet all guidelines set. We have put together this blog to ensure you and others in the industry, how to carry out a safe working condition that keeps you, your staff and the client safe.
How To Keep Contact to a Minimum
It’s important to make sure that you have the correct people and the right amount of staff on site. By keeping numbers low it will help reduce the risk of the virus being spread. If any staff are to show any of the symptoms outlined by the government they should isolate and their information should be passed on to alert any others that may have come in contact with them. As much as possible, keep groups of workers working together in teams that are as small as possible. You could do this by separating the site into work zones using ground markings and signs so that workers are restricted to one area throughout the day and physically separated as much as possible. This will also mean reducing any job or equipment rotation, i.e. worker focuses on a single task each day rather than different tasks around the site.
Adhering to the 2-Metres Apart Rule
Ensuring the social distancing rules and wearing a face coving is important. Keeping a 2-metre distance from one another at all times, including whilst they are in the workplace and on construction sites can be difficult but achievable. These rules can be communicated clearly around the premises using signage and floor markings. Where it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines in full in relation to a particular activity, you should consider face coverings and the number of people taking on the task.
Workers should be carrying out the activity with sufficient PPE, such as face shields and face masks, and, if possible, ask that they work facing away from one another or side by side rather than face to face.
Hygiene is so Important
We recommend that the staff keep on top of their hygiene. Make sure to wash their hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) and frequently with soap and water, especially after they cough/sneeze, before eating or entering the site and when they arrive home from work. You should make this as easy as possible for them by providing enough appropriate facilities throughout the workplace, such as hand sanitiser, and provide constant reminders using the appropriate signage.
Keeping your staff and site as clean as possible is highly important. The virus can be passed around in a number of different ways. It’s important that high traffic areas and equipment the multiple people will be using is kept clean. This means regularly wiping down surfaces – especially areas with high contacts such as door handles and buttons. If this is well signposted throughout the working area the better it will be for staff and visitors.
Some other COVID-19 safety measures that you should be implementing on your construction site include: Reducing the movement on-site by restricting any non-essential trips within buildings and sites A strict ban on sharing any PPE, including hi-vis jackets. This will mean that any site visitors will also need to bring their own PPE rather than borrow any that you have on-site. Introducing one-way systems where possible Staggering breaks so that there is not a large number of people in break areas at one time where the 2-metre distancing rules will still need to be applied Holding meetings outdoors or in well-ventilated areas whilst still practising social distancing guidelines of keeping 2-metres apart
Inspired Scaffolding Services
We hope that you found this blog informative and useful, as we know government guidelines are subject to change through this time but we will ensure to keep our clients and staff as safe as possible in these uncertain times. If you would like to inquire about any of the other services that we carry out at Inspired Scaffolding Services then please get in contact with us today.
You can call us on 01623 870 688 or fill in a contact form. Stay Safe.