Pandemic Contingency Plan Policy
March 2020
Introduction:
PPSPower is committed to an evidence-led and common-sense approach to containing the coronavirus outbreak and mitigating its impact on employees, customers and our wider business operations.
The Company recognises the need to have a separate pandemic recovery plan and procedure. In circumstances where a public health emergency is confirmed such as the Coronavirus, the effects of the pandemic could last many months.
The following procedure sets out the contingency measures that the Company will bring into effect.
The procedure aims to ensure that the Company will be able to operate its business to the best of its abilities while protecting, as far as is reasonably possible, its employees.
Procedure:
Departmental managers are responsible for ensuring that employees understand the Company’s pandemic contingency plan policy and procedures. Employees are responsible for familiarising themselves with the policy and should speak to their departmental manager should they have any questions.
PPSPower have identified a Pandemic Crisis Management Team. This team consists of employee representatives from all departments and includes members of the senior management team.
Members of the Pandemic Crisis Management Team will be trained in how to respond to a pandemic. In light of this pandemic and in the event of any future pandemics, members of the team will be expected to exercise leadership and make operational and business decisions, in the absence of senior and operational managers.
As a contingency measure, employees will be trained in various functions to ensure that adequate cover is provided in different roles throughout head office.
A pandemic communications strategy is in place to ensure that employees are provided with up-to-date and accurate information on the status of the pandemic. Information will be provided to employees via e-mail and, where possible, through team meetings/discussions. As well as other important information, employees have been briefed on the symptoms of the Coronavirus and who to contact should they believe they, or a colleague, has the virus. Employees have also been provided with instructions regarding personal hygiene to avoid spread of the virus.
The Company’s leave and absence policies will be reviewed as the status of the pandemic changes. This includes the Company’s policies on sickness absence, time off for dependents and bereavement leave.
Employees are required to observe several measures put in place by us to keep the risk of infection to an absolute minimum. These rules include:
social distancing at work such as maintaining at least two metres distance between participants in essential meetings, avoiding unnecessary travel, cancellation of face-to-face meetings and working from home
increased levels of hygiene management including keeping hands clean and coughing and sneezing into tissues which are immediately disposed of
a requirement for employees to adhere to Government guidance on management of symptoms and self-isolation where recommended.
Business Continuity:
Engineering/Field Teams:
All PPSPower engineers have been issued with hand sanitiser kits and have been instructed to keep human contact whilst on site to a minimum. Hygiene management (as detail by the WHO) should be conducted prior to visiting sites and after leaving a site. Gloves and face masks should be worn on all sites.
Following government guidance any engineer suffering from a prolonged cough or showing symptoms must self-isolate for at least 7 days.
Head Office Teams:
PPSPower’s head office is open as usual. However, head office is now closed for all non-urgent meetings and delivery staff are not permitted to enter the building. All collections are carried out at distance and hygiene management (as detail by the WHO) should be conducted following all deliveries. Gloves should be used to collect deliveries at all times.
All sales and service control teams are able to work from home, due to our cloud-based systems, if the situation gets worse or individuals are required to self-isolate.
Following government guidance any member of staff suffering from a prolonged cough or showing symptoms must self-isolate for at least 7 days.
The above policy and procedure will be continuously reviewed and updated to take account of the changing status of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Update 17th March:
We are now asking 50% of our head office staff to work from home. This is something we can easily achieve without any disruption to business due to our cloud based systems. This is done in shifts to minimise the risks to our employees, customers and businesses.
To date we still have no employees showing COVID-19 symptoms and continue to trade as normal.
Update 23rd March:
We are now asking the majority of our head office staff to work from home. We have a skeleton team at head office to ensure that we can answer the phones and process jobs & parts accordingly for the critical needs of our customers.
All of our engineers are still working safely in the field and available for planned and emergency site visits.
To date we still have no employees showing COVID-19 symptoms and continue to trade as normal.
Update 23rd September:
Following the further guidelines detail by our government we have reverted back to having as many people from head office working from home where they can. The company has also invested in more advanced IT and communications systems to support this way of working. This will help us to ensure we continue to deliver the same high level of service and responsiveness.
All of our engineers are still working safely in the field and available for planned and emergency site visits.
To date we still have no employees showing COVID-19 symptoms and continue to trade as normal.
Your sincerely,
Stephen Peal
Managing Director
PPSPower