UCS COVID-19: Personal Protective Equipment

Early 2020 saw the increased spread of the Coronavirus, now more commonly referred to as COVID-19. Early cases were confirmed in the York area on the 31^st January, it quickly became clear that the virus was quickly spreading and on the 23^rd March, the UK government announced a nationwide lockdown that saw the introduction of social distancing and limited people referred to as ‘key workers’ who were allowed to attend work as usual.

Over recent weeks due to the infection rate of COVID-19 falling below a designated baseline, the UK Government has deemed it safe for various businesses to allow workers to return to work. For the UCS team, this meant a limited number of staff were allowed to return to our Middlesbrough office to continue work, and some members of the office staff set up working from home to allow for more social distancing space within the workplace.

Our engineers have new procedures in place that they must follow to adhere to social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. This includes limiting the number of people allowed in one vehicle. UCS has deemed it best to have the driver and only one passenger allowed per van. The passenger will be separated from the driver via a Perspex screen, this screen is removable via Velcro to allow for thorough cleaning. All engineers have been issued a visor which must be worn when working in unavoidable, proximity to other members of the workforce. This visor has been designed so that it can be worn with a hard hat to comply with health & safety regulations. The material of the visor is a strong plastic that can be easily cleaned. Please see the below photos for reference.

Engineers have also been provided with packs of anti-bacterial wipes to clean the key touch points of the vehicle regularly, in between regular deep cleans e.g. seat belts, steering wheel, gear stick, door handles, mirrors etc.

Within the office, social distancing guidelines are being met by limiting the amount of staff in the office at any one time. Hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed in easily accessible places. Any doors that can safely be left open with supervision e.g. main door into the reception area, have been left open to reduce the touch points within the office. Re-usable hand towels have been replaced by single-use disposable paper towels to avoid any germs accumulating on a single surface. Anti-bacterial wipes and sprays are available for all staff use to maintain a clean office environment. Staff have been informed that all desks and touch points must be regularly cleaned to limit the chances of germs spreading. Various signage including hand washing, social distancing & Government advice has been placed in readable places throughout the building.

For advice regarding COVID-19 please visit:

NHS GOV.uk