4 Steps for Implementing Covid-19 Safety
Throughout the pandemic, Medstrom has made one thing a priority above all else – people’s safety! And not just internal staff, but everyone that interacts with the organisation on a day-to-day basis; from nurses and porters, to suppliers and couriers. We caught up with Jenna Cassidy, Medstrom’s Quality, Health and Safety Lead Auditor, to understand what the top 4 steps were for implementing Covid-19 safety.
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Sanitisation Stations
“Our infection control has always been paramount in the business. All we have really done is strengthen those policies and procedures that were already in place for improved Covid-19 safety. This included implementing sanitisation stations across the business for staff to sanitise their hands, record their temperature and don the required PPE for that work environment.
“There is mandatory mask wearing in all areas of the business and this extends to vans too. We tend not to promote vehicle or van sharing, but if a two-person install is required then we have the protection from masks, plus windows must be open. When people are working in relatively confined spaces, rooms are also kept well ventilated and we’ve even changed how our heating systems operate to minimise the distribution of particles!
“We know it’s not always comfortable, but we really appreciate the effort that people have made.”
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Social distancing
“We’ve implemented quite a few measures with social distancing. This includes reducing the amount of desks we have in head office and we’re strongly promoting the work from home ethic for those that are ‘office based’.
“For those that it is essential they come in, we have taken desks out and added Perspex screens around those remaining. To help reinforce Covid-19 safety we have added social distancing bubbles across the business, from warehousing and service centres, helping with that perception of how close you are to other people.”
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Regular company-wide communication
“As we are a business that operates across the entire UK and Ireland, some of the Covid-19 restrictions slightly differ; but collectively, we follow one set of rules whilst at work. Therefore, we provide regular updates via a company-wide webinar about once a month. Our Managing Director and Clinical Director host the call and then we have supporting guest speakers from the likes of myself or our HR Manager.
The aim is to communicate with our staff about the latest news announcements and up-to-date information.
“We appreciate that on the news, sometimes it’s almost in a different language, so we find this simplifies things for people and they have a better understanding of how we can all keep one another safe. After all, we are a 24/7 business that has continued to run throughout the pandemic, and it is just about ensuring people are safe in the workplace and then they’re safe to go home too.”
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Enhanced decontamination
“We have introduced regular cleaning regimes and mandatory wiping down of hot spots e.g. door handles, to reduce any levels of contamination. Plus, all cleaning materials throughout the business have been assessed for use; so, we have replaced many which were anti-bacterial to anti-viral.
“We are also more conscious now of removing mattresses or ASUs from contaminated plastic bags. So there are now procedures in place to enhance segregation of equipment, maintaining Covid-19 safety for our technicians and cleaning staff.”
I’m really proud that we have not had one person, out of the entire business, who has contracted Covid-19 from operating within a hospital or ward setting.
“Staff have reacted phenomenally to all the changes we have made, with people being positive about mask-wearing and wiping down of surfaces. They all understand that we have their health and safety at the forefront of what we do.”
