Introduction
The Management Team at Lewis & Graves Partnership Ltd appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic is having an impact on how we live our daily lives. People are worried about their health, concerned about their jobs and (in some cases) struggling to support their families. For those of you that are still working we want you to know that we really appreciate your commitment and loyalty. Those of you that have been furloughed can rest assured that we will continue to pay you for as long as the Government’s scheme remains in place.
The safety of our staff remains a priority, if you have received a letter from your GP stating that you need to shield for 3 months or you have an underlying health condition that might mean that you are at increased risk, please contact your Supervisor or Area Manager who will be able to advise you.
Any members of staff showing possible symptoms of COVID-19, or were looking after someone with COVID-19, or had been in contact with someone must not come into work. You must seek medical advice or access advice through the Government’s guidance website and the web address was made available to all staff.
If you have been self-isolating it is important that you contact your Supervisor or Area Manager before returning to work.
In recent weeks there has been a lot of talk about lifting the current lockdown. The safety and well-being of our staff is important to us, so when the country does start to open we will be putting measures In place to ensure that staff coming back into work are protected.
The Government will be publishing guidelines on re-opening in the next few days. We will be following that guidance and working with all of our customers to make sure they understand that our cleaning staff offer an important service that is critical if they are to open their businesses safely.
Staying Safe
Staff should carry out hand hygiene before leaving home (wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with hand soap).
Most of our staff work outside of normal working hours so you will probably not meet too many people. Everyone using public transport to travel to work needs to make sure that they are protecting themselves by perhaps wearing a face covering, you should also consider wearing latex gloves if you are able to buy them. On entry to the building please carry out hand hygiene. (Especially if they had come to site via public transport).
Arriving at Work
When arriving at your workplace please do NOT gather in groups. You will need to walk to your area alone and ONLY use the designated entrance, where your Supervisor would be sitting. Please maintain a distance of 2 meters from other members of the team, your Supervisor will sign you in. For your safety It is important that you work alone, under no circumstances should you work in pairs or in groups.in pairs or groups. Your Supervisor will be working with building managers to make sure as many doors within buildings are left open so that unnecessary hand contact with doors and handles is avoided.
Socially distancing at Work
Once you arrive at your place of work you will need to maintain social distancing when signing in. Your Supervisor will work with staff to make sure that there is minimum contact between staff. This may mean that your normal routine might change for a temporary period.
When leaving work it is important that you leave via the designated exit ONLY. Your Supervisor will be sitting in that area and will sign you out. This will stop staff coming into close contact with each other whilst queuing to sign out. On returning home carry out hand hygiene immediately.
Cleaning Tasks
It is important that extra care is given to all areas that might have been touched by building users. These include;
Hand-rails Door plates
Door handles All areas in toilets
Lift buttons
Please follow the advice given to you in your Bio-Safety Level 1 – 4 and Phase 1 and Phase 2 cleaning training.
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment will be supplied to staff (gloves) it is important that you wear these for the duration of your shift. Staff who work during the day may be issued with face masks depending on the areas they are working in and the likelihood of them coming into close contact with building users and visitors.
Our Health & Safety manager is currently carrying out new risk assessments of every contract to make sure that our cleaning operations can be carried out safely and that we are operating in-line with Government guidance. There may be instances where staff will need to be re-trained following these risk assessments, it is important that you take part in any new training to ensure your own safety and the safety of others. If you have any questions following the training please do not hesitate to speak to your Supervisor or Trainer.
Leaving Work
Once you have finished work please make sure that you clean all of the equipment you have used and that you store materials in-line with L&G Policies and Procedures and any training you have received.
Gloves should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and hung in a place that will allow them to dry. Please ensure that you do not share gloves with other members of the team.
Your Tabard should also be stored in the cleaning cupboard. You should take your Tabard home when necessary to wash, this reduces the chances of any cross contamination. Where staff are taking Tabards home to wash, these should be placed in a sealed bag.
Reporting illness
If you start to feel unwell whilst at work you must report this to the Supervisor. If you notice a colleague or member of the school staff showing symptoms, we ask that you report this to your Supervisor.
Any cuts or abrasions must be covered with a waterproof plaster or other appropriate covering. If you are feeling unwell before you travel to work, or are displaying any of the symptoms consistent with Covid -19 you must seek medical advice before coming to work and notify your Supervisor or Area Manager if they were unable to come into work
Working with our Customers
Some of our customers have already mentioned that they will need more cleaning in certain areas once their buildings are re-opened. Your Supervisor or Area Manager will let you know if there are any opportunities to work additional hours to meet this need.
Finally, can I take this opportunity to thank all of our staff for their support and understanding during this difficult period. We really do appreciate you hard work and so do our customers.
Mark Graves
Keith Lewis
James Abbott
Tracey Parker