With COVID-19 hopefully on a downward trajectory across the UK & Ireland, many businesses we are working with across the country are beginning to consider what the new normal might look like when their business or organisation reopen the doors to their staff and customers.
From an early stage in the pandemic we put our family and the families of our team as our utmost priority. We closed our doors and ensured safety was the order of the day. While our studio Kaizen Brand Evolution remained in full operation due to its ability to work remotely, myself (Connor) and Martin manned the presses to ensure essential services and manufacturing businesses we work with continued to receive essential printing.
We like many other businesses across the country, did not know the answers to the questions. We didn’t even know the questions for the most part. The past 6 weeks have been the most challenging for us and throughout it there have been huge moments of doubt on all, but ever the optimists and pragmatists we know this time will pass. Those who focus and look for the opportunity will have a greater chance of finding it than those who sit and wait for the conclusion.
Now, at the start of May, many of our customers are beginning to consider a return to work for their employees and then of course, customers. Already challenges are being presented almost unanimously in all we’ve spoken to. Much of this is not physical but the mental aspect of security each worker will want when they return.
It’ll not be enough to say things are safe, but we must actively demonstrate a robust plan for their safety. And if not for their safety, for yours.
The Government will continue to provide advice and we as responsible business owners and employers will adhere to this. This may be accepted at face value by your employees but for many a level of distrust in the provided information may occur. We must breed trust in our process of ensuring employee safety by communicating its message and actively managing this throughout and beyond the initial return to work period.
At Kaizen Print we have a robust plan that far exceeds the Government advice to date. We’re confident that we and our team will have the measures to be efficient in our working day, while remaining safe. That said, how we work will never be the same again and the measures we implement may change on a daily basis. Together we’ll beat this.
What Measures Can We Undertake As Business Owners To Create a Safe Working Environment Post-COVID?
- Continue remote working where possible. Stagger working hours in the office, or introduce shift patterns
- Promote adequate social distancing throughout the workplace
- When social distancing is relaxed at a later stage, maintain a high level of segregation in communal areas
- Create and maintain a regular cleaning schedule. Provide adequate cleaning and anti-bacterial supplies.
- Singular dedicated workspaces for employees
- Amend working practices to allow employees to complete tasks from start to completion
- Provide appropriate PPE
- Contactless Collection/Delivery
- Create an effective strategy for communication of health and safety policies in your business.
- Actively engage your team in the decisions you make
- Encourage your team to prepare their meals at home and to use disposable cutlery or to keep hold of that fork, plate and cup for their use only.
As you read the above, I hope it sounds like common sense. For the most part, it is. Each element is added to ensure that virus transmission is reduced to a minimum. It will be adapted and changed in conjunction with our team, but it provides a starting point to ensure everyones safety.
For the past while, we as no doubt you have also, been following the practices in the Asian countries. Ones where lockdown has been lifted and people are beginning their new normal. It’s great to see and get an insight into whats coming next for us. It’s not the same, it may not be better, but there is a future and it is bright.
The one thing I feel we’ve done well throughout all of this, is being quick to react. Today we launched a huge range of effective communication tools to promote social distancing inside and outside your business. We have a range of materials such as sneeze guards, roller banners, anti-slip floor graphics, posters, safety screens and banners that well help you visualise and engage your employees and customers on the practices you are undertaking to make your workplace safe.
Right now we don’t know when lockdown will end, but at Kaizen Print we’re ready for it and our business is ready to support yours. If you want to discuss our range of Health & Safety printing relating to COVID, or marketing post COVID, we’d love to chat. Simply drop us a mail via the contact form and we’ll get right back to you.
