Following a very intense few weeks of blood, sweat and (some) tears for our team, where we planned, planned and then planned again; risk assessed; had numerous debates about Golden Rules and new office procedures; panicked over supplies of PPE; talked about toilets and kitchen areas in far more detail than I ever thought was possible; crawled around the floor with hazard tape and floor signs; overheated various laminators and played with thermal cameras, thermometers and tape measures, we were finally convinced the office environments were as safe as we could possibly make them. We were ready to welcome colleagues back to Bridge Gate, Leeds and Newcastle.
Believe it or not, it has now been 8 weeks since we welcomed the first phase of colleagues back and we are well underway to welcoming more of you. I have received some very positive feedback which has really helped in encouraging those who initially experienced some reservations about returning. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has returned for the extremely conscientious approach made to adopting our new Golden Rules. Please make sure you stick to these - they are here to keep us all safe, particularly as our office spaces begin to become busier.
For our fact lovers, you may be interested to know that we have so far used:
16,850 masks
44 bottles of hand sanitiser
78 packets of antibacterial wipes
21 rolls of hazard tape
While you're here, a few reminders:
- Limit your movement around the building. This includes visits to other departments. HR and Finance are now paperless so any correspondence should be scanned and emailed to the relevant contact. Any IT issues should be tackled in the first instance via message or call. Should IT need to see you in person, they will provide you with a time to visit.
- Wear your mask correctly. Having stood in Reception at Bridge Gate on many mornings over the past few weeks, some people’s interpretation of mask wearing is ‘interesting’. You may find this video helpful in demonstrating how to fit a disposable mask, and this video for how to wear a fabric mask. General face coverings (such as a scarf pulled up over your face) are not permitted.
- If you smoke, please ensure you are out in the open air, not under the car park roof at Bridge Gate, and maintain social distancing.
If you do have any questions or concerns about any part of your office environment, please do not hesitate to raise them with either myself or a member of the Office Services team and we will endeavour to address any issues as soon as possible.
