Area announce new on-site health and safety measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
In response to the current unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, Area have reviewed and revised all on-site procedures to ensure that clients, employees and contractors are protected to the highest standards possible.
From the announcement of the pandemic, Area have continued to operate fully compliant construction sites. A top-to-bottom review was carried out at the outset of the outbreak and new measures to on-site health and safety procedures have been implemented as a result. The measures include:
- Contactless access/egress to sites
- Remote on-line site inductions via smartphone technology
- Revised risk assessments and method statements for all elements of work to ensure that Covid-19 is included
- Compulsory screening questionnaires and daily temperature checks for all personnel
- Covid-19 supervisors on every site
- Visual alert level system giving clear guidance on PPE, in line with government alert levels 1-5
- Virtual Health and Safety audits, with particular attention to the HSE and CLC current guidance
- Revised site logistics, including welfare arrangements and one-way circulation
- Stocks of PPE, including gloves, face masks, respirators and hand sanitizer on every site
- Sites physically gridded to ensure social distancing
- Site cleaning regimes completely revised, hand washing stations throughout to reduce the risk of infection
- Robust emergency planning in the event of a suspected case on a site
The additional measures reflect Area’s commitment to adhering to strict health and safety protocols. Area are a three-time ROSPA Gold winner – an accolade given to businesses who have achieved a high level of performance and demonstrated well developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.
Additionally, parent company Fourfront Group have upheld the ISO 45001 (formerly OHSAS 18001) accreditation for over five years. ISO 45001 specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, and gives guidance for its use, to enable organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injury and ill health, as well as by proactively improving its OH&S performance.
James Cornwell, Director of Area, comments: “We are committed to providing excellence in delivery across the entire project journey and upholding the highest health and safety standards play an instrumental role in achieving this. Now more than ever the safety of our employees, clients and subcontractors is our key priority. Having put extra measures in place we’re confident that we can deliver projects to the same exceptional standard our clients have come to expect in the safest way possible.”
Area delivered a refurbishment project of London River House in Gravesend on behalf of the Port of London Authority during the pandemic. Peter Steen, Director of Marine Operations for Port of London Authority, comments: “We were really impressed with Area’s swift implementation of all the Construction Leadership Council’s Covid-19 safety measures. As a result of this they have continued to make safe and steady progress thanks to the dedication of their staff and subcontractors.”
