Our response to COVID-19 has consistently been that there is no silver bullet – unfortunately.
But what we can do is respond effectively to the challenges posed by COVID-19 by deploying practical tactics and solutions, in an effort to make our working environments as safe as possible and mitigate transmission risks.
There has been a huge amount of pressure and responsibility placed on the shoulders of everyone in the construction industry to adapt to new ways of working and our customers have responded admirably to this challenge. Amidst high expectations and some criticism in the early days. Without clapping. Without complaint. With resilience.
Keeping sites running safely is not easy – it is a complex, ongoing challenge. It requires a team effort. There isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Certainly, there are universal practices like social distancing and site hygiene that form the backbone of a site safety strategy, but when it comes to additional safeguards, it is really down to the needs of each site and customer. That’s why we work collaboratively with our customers, to listen to their challenges and respond by tailoring a solution that works for them. What is right for one site may not be right for another, for a variety of reasons including site set-up, available space and facilities and the number of expected operatives.
Social distancing has become the crux of the response to COVID-19 and is something everyone is having to adapt to; in general life and at work – not least on construction sites.
We have been fighting the battle against COVID-19 with everything in our arsenal – by adapting existing solutions and developing new ones. From workforce management and access control tools, to hygiene systems and training support, there are plenty of additional measures sites can put in place to support safe working practices – both technology-enabled and practical:
- Sites can mitigate transmission risk through symptom management, mandatory and trackable training and hygiene processes; by reducing face-to-face interactions on site or establishing a ‘track and trace’ approach utilising existing access control systems.
- It’s not just for safety purposes – there are lots of digital tools that can help boost productivity, team collaboration (on and off-site) and traceability; from reducing paperwork to enabling mobile collaboration.
- A combination of solutions to support safety, efficiency and compliance can be invaluable in providing not only extra levels of safeguarding but also reassurance for operatives on and off-site.
From workforce management and access control tools to hygiene systems and training support, our COVID-19 Response Solutions range has been created to help keep sites safe.
We have introduced many of these solutions at our own manufacturing facility to help keep our production team safe and protected. Not just one measure – a range of measures, because we believe a combination of methods and tools is the best defence against COVID-19.
We see our role as supporting construction with flexible solutions that help keep sites safe, with tools and systems that can meet specific requirements and circumstances and always balance our customer’s priorities and needs.
We are proud to support everyone in the UK construction industry. That’s why we’re standing side-by-side with the industry to help win this fight.
We’re supporting the construction industry adapt to new ways of working. Without clapping. Without complaint. With resilience. Keeping sites running safely is a team effort.
Written by:
Li Wang
Managing Director at Biosite Systems Ltd
