Minimizing Risks During Lockdown: Keeping Your Employees And Customers Safe

The Coronavirus pandemic has flipped the world on its head, but all is not lost. With construction, getting started again and customers keen to get on with projects and plans now is an excellent time for business owners to reach out and engage with new and existing clients. Health and safety are always priorities for construction firm owners, but these elements are perhaps even more crucial than ever. Here are some steps you can take to keep your employees and customers safe.

Virtual meetings

Communication is key for construction workers. At the moment, people are being advised to stay at home as much as possible, but that doesn’t mean that plans have to be put on ice. Thanks to modern technology, it’s easier to stay in touch than ever before. As a business owner, you can set up virtual team meetings to outline objectives and monitor and track progress with your employees and you can discuss ideas and go through plans with customers via email, instant chat, and video calls. Virtual meetings are safe, convenient, and practical, and they enable you to stay in contact with your workforce and your clients.

Safe payments

If you’re working, and you’re completing projects, you want to ensure that you get paid on time. Meeting in person poses risks, but there are alternatives to handing over cash. Offering contactless payment options and accepting payment over the phone or via bank transfer will make paying for services quick, simple, and most importantly, safe. Many people now prefer to transfer money or make payments online, and this enables customers to settle bills without any anxiety about leaving the house or coming into contact with other people.

Social distancing

Social distancing is the most influential measure in terms of reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection and keeping people safe. Building sites can be modified and adapted to maintain safe distances between workers and enable work to continue while restrictions on other businesses may still be in place. If you manage a construction firm, take steps to minimize the number of people on-site at any one time, keep people apart as much as possible and look into options like extending working hours to create a shift pattern. This way, you can complete the same amount of work with fewer employees on-site at the same time. Providing staff training to ensure that everyone is aware of updates and policy changes is also a good idea.

Robust PPE

PPE was an essential requirement for construction workers prior to the pandemic, but Covid-19 poses additional risks. As an employer, it’s wise to look into providing additional PPE to lower the risk of contracting and spreading the virus. Some people might need to commute to work using public transport, for example. If this is the case, you could provide face coverings or later start times to prevent the need to travel during rush hour.

Many construction companies are ready and raring to go after a period of downtime. If you’re a business owner, it’s vital to take good care of your customers and your employees.