With the final stage of lockdown measures eased at the start of this week (Monday 19th July), the government has issued revised guidance for different business sectors.
Two sets of guidelines are most applicable to CEMEX: the advice for construction and other outdoor work, and also that for offices, factories and labs. These have been uploaded to the Health & Safety SharePoint. Please read through and contact the Health & Safety team if you have any questions.
The guidance is closely aligned with our continued approach to managing the risk of the virus, as outlined in the COVID Comms last week. In particular, we would like to highlight the six steps the government has outlined to protect yourself, your colleagues and your customers as the pandemic continues:
- Complete a health and safety risk assessment that includes the risk from COVID-19
- Provide adequate ventilation
- Clean more often
- Turn away people with COVID-19 symptoms
- Enable people to check in at your venue
- Communicate and train
It is important that all employees follow these steps, alongside the other requirements that were communicated by the RRT previously. In particular, we would recommend taking this opportunity to review Risk Assessments and double check that key controls are in place, such as ensuring signage is in good order, hand sanitiser and cleaning materials are available and used regularly, work areas are adequately ventilated, masks are worn when required, etc.
We appreciate that some may be feeling ‘COVID fatigue’, particularly as we experience the hotter weather and approach the summer holiday period. However, the number of cases nationally and in our business continues to increase; with 29 people self-isolating and seven confirmed positive cases in CEMEX UK last week; the risk is as high as ever and the virus has not disappeared.
We cannot afford to be complacent – please do everything you can to follow the Four Behaviours that Save Lives and look out for others.
Finally, please can we remind all employees that all COVID-19 related absences/self-isolation should also be logged via the dedicated online form, accessible here, and absences recorded on SAP as you would do normally.