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Safety first when we get back to work. I’m sure everyone is looking to see how this can be achieved. Nobody is expecting this to be simple no matter the amount of advice we receive from the government.

Our Health & Safety Manager, Martin Robertson is understandably, quite focused on making sure we deliver this correctly. Fortunately, we’ve been able to spend some time working on essential sites which has given us an insight into how challenging it will be operating under tight restrictions.

Martin confirmed that, “This has involved us in a significant amount of additional but necessary work including the increasing of site management controls and noting how best to support operating staff on a day to day basis in the completion of their tasks”.

To help us with the issues we are likely to face Martin has been instrumental in producing MPACT’s comprehensive Return to Work strategy document.

In this document he has endeavoured to cover everything which could be anticipated at this stage. It majors on the separate demands made depending on whether the return to work is to your own office or site premises attended by our operatives. Not too surprisingly, Martin has been particularly strict in noting how we should be dealing with the hygiene aspects and how they influence our working methods. It’s fine stating the obvious: keep 2 metres apart, don’t share tools or controlling the welfare facilities. But how will this work in practice?

This document is already primed for the more demanding second stage, where proposals meet reality. To ensure that we manage effectively, Martin is working closely with our Operations Director Dean Stevens and his Contracts Management team to highlight the specific requirements of each of the projects planned to start whenever the go ahead is received. However, it won’t be as simple as this – even a relaxation of current guidance would not be sufficient to just restart some works.

We are fully aware that this is a dynamic document and aspects may change in the light of additional information and guidance received from the government and other professional services.

Quote and strategy document prepared by Martin Robertson CMIOSH, Health & Safety Manager, MPACT Group Ltd.