Keep safe and healthy – keep to government guidelines – only leave the house if necessary and keep 2 meters apart and wash your hands regularly - Showroom open by appointment only. Ring 01454 285235. Mon-Fri 9-5 Sat 10-2

COVID-19

Dear Valued Customer,


We thank you for your patience during this difficult time. We hope that you have all kept safe and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are affected by this virus.


We have taken measures to keep our staff and customers safe by this long period of closure.


We have now had time to consider the government’s guidelines in detail (see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19) and have put measures in place to be able to restart installations in our customers’ homes. This is still a worrying time for all of us and we are taking the government’s guidelines seriously and are asking you, as the customer, to help us achieve a safe working environment for all.


We have completed a Risk Assessment and have included below the relevant sections that refer to working in your home. (A complete copy will be available on our web site before the 1st June.) We ask that you take the time to understand this and that by accepting us into your home to work that you are prepared to help us abide by these measures to keep us all safe.


We are having a phased return to manufacturing in May and will start installations on the 1st June. During the later part of May, we will begin contacting you and offering you installation dates. (This process will take a few weeks to complete and may not be finished until mid-June.) We will do this in the same order that you were originally scheduled to have work done. Please be aware that both manufacturing and installation work will now be more difficult and will take longer as we keep to the social distancing rules. 


As we are still dealing with this infection it will always be possible that any member of our team or any of our customers may become infected. We have instructed all employees to keep away from work if there are any signs of infection in them or anyone in their household and request that you do the same for us. This could cause intermittent difficulties with any installation dates given so we request that you remain patient with us if dates again need to change. This of course is true also for all our suppliers who will be doing there best to meet delivery dates.


There will still be some customers who would prefer that they postpone there installation still further and this will not be a problem. Please note this point from our Risk Assessment: -


Clinically vulnerable or over 70. If this applies to you, then we will need to have a discussion with you as to the essential nature of the work. We may need to postpone your visit or explore other ways of meeting your needs.


We thank you again for your patience and thank you in advance for your co-operation in keeping us all safe.


Simon Webb
Managing Director

COVID-19 Risk Assessment and Method Statements (12/05/2020)

Overview

The general principle of the governments guidelines is about social distancing and putting methods in place to stop the spread of the virus. As we do not know when a person has the early signs of the virus, we need to take the necessary measures to limit, as far as possible, contact between individuals both employees and customers. If no measures are put in place, then we can be reasonably sure that as a business we will be responsible for spreading the virus. If we put the following measures in place, then we can do our part as a company in keeping both our employees and customers safe.

General Guidelines for Everyone

  1. Keep 2 meters apart - from everyone 
  2. Hand washing – regular 20 second hand washing and /or use of hand sanitiser is important. 
  3. Do not touch your face - without washing your hands for 20 seconds first. This is a vital part of controlling the spread of the virus.
  4. Cough and temperature – if your showing any signs of a persistent cough or high temperature or if anyone in your household is displaying these symptoms then you must not come to work.
  5. Temperature – We will be checking our employees’ temperatures at the start of each day.
  6. Inform management – if you have any existing health conditions which could preclude you from working at your normal job.
  7. Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals - have been strongly advised not to work outside the home. (see appendix 2)
  8. Clinically vulnerable individuals, - who are at higher risk of severe illness (for example, people with some pre-existing conditions), have been asked to take extra care in observing social-distancing and should be helped to work from home, either in their current role or in an alternative role. If clinically vulnerable (but not extremely clinically vulnerable) individuals cannot work from home, they should be offered the option of the safest available on-site roles, enabling them to stay 2m away from others. (see appendix 2)
  9. Working from home – this is only possible for the sales staff but even then, they may need to go to customers’ homes on occasions. We can limit other employees’ access to company properties to reduce social interaction.
  10. People Suspected of having COVID 19 – Should leave there workplace immediately after informing management. The area they were working in will need to be cleaned. (see instructions in appendix 3)
  11. PPE – all workers should continue to use there normal PPE for the work that they do. (see appendix 1)

Installation / Surveying / Service Work

  1. Keep 2 meters - distance from all other individuals.
  2. Hand washing – for 20 seconds and use of hand sanitiser needs to be done regularly – especially when arriving and leaving the premises. 
  3. Cough and temperature – if your showing any signs of a persistent cough or high temperature or if anyone in your household is displaying these symptoms then you must not come to work.
  4. Temperature - is an early indication of developing symptoms of the virus - Every day each installation team will need to check their temperature before going to site. This can be done either at the workshop or self-administered.
  5. Other illnesses – use tissues to cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Dispose immediately of tissue and wash your hands or use hand sanitiser.
  6. Do not touch your face - without washing your hands for 20 seconds first. This is a vital part of controlling the spread of the virus as well as basic hygiene
  7. Installation teams – consist of the same individuals each day, with only one team attending each site.
  8. Traveling in vans - where possible we will only have one person in a van. If this is not possible then it will always be the same team members that travel together with increased ventilation by opening the windows. Disinfect the inside of the van cab after sharing.
  9. Loading times - only one team to load-up at a time. Staggering loading-up times including some loading in the afternoon and evening.
  10. No entry - to offices or workshop – just the storerooms.
  11. Communicating – with customers immediately upon arrival to ensure social distancing of 2 meters is maintained at all times. Also communicate the hygiene measure that needs to be observed
  12. Ventilation – keep as many windows and doors open during your time in the house as weather conditions allow.
  13. Hand to mouth protection – when tooling silicone you must not lick your fingers – have a small pot with water in for smoothing silicone.
  14. Cleaning – before house holders are allowed back into a room where you have been working all surfaces that have been touched during installation must be wiped down with antiviral cleaners – this includes the new installation and internal door handles and banisters etc.
  15. Cleaning – at the end of the day make sure all surfaces that have been touched during the day have been cleaned with antiviral cleaners.
  16. Cleaning and clearing – of all rubbish, equipment and materials from site each day.
  17. Large shared equipment – between teams will need to be sanitised before use.
  18. Toilet – if using the customers toilet is unavoidable then use antiviral cleaner before and after use of any surfaces that are touched.
  19. Food and drink – Installation teams to provide their own and not take the kind offer of food or drink from householders – eating not to be done inside the house. Washing hands or using hand sanitiser before eating.
  20. First Aid – and emergencies, may require breaching the 2 meter rule, use the normal PPE for giving first Aid, return to social distancing as soon as possible and wash hands and sanitise after the emergency has subsided.

Customers Responsibilities


The following measures are for the protection of both you as the house holder and our workers.

  1. Keep 2 meters distance from the installation and sales teams.
  2. Cough and temperature. If you or anyone in the home are showing any signs of a persistent cough or high temperature then you must let Yate Windows know immediately and not let our teams into your house.
  3. Self-isolating. Inform us if anyone in the household is self-isolating
  4. Clinically vulnerable or over 70. If this applies to you, then we will need to have a discussion with you as to the essential nature of the work. We may need to postpone your visit or explore other ways of meeting your needs. (see appendix 2)
  5. We need you to keep out of the rooms where installations are being carried out.
  6. Food and Drink – we appreciate your kind offers but request that you do not offer food or drink to our teams.
  7. To protect yourselves – if you see any breaches of our ‘COVID 19 Installation measure’ please inform the team working with you and/or ring the Yate Windows office 01454 320320.
  8. Sales Appointments (preferred option)– Use email, phone and video calls instead of visiting home as much as possible.
  9. Sales Appointments (preferable to entering the home) – meet in the garden if possible, keeping 2 meters apart.
  10. Sales Appointments – if a face to face appointment in the home is unavoidable then keeping 2 meters apart at all times must be observed.
  11. Communicating – our teams will talk to you upon arrival to ensure social distancing of 2 meters is maintained at all times and about the hygiene measures that need to be observed.