icon-search

Enter a search term to see suggested pages.

Close
What we do
Workplace Consultancy
icon-consultancy
Design & Build
icon-design
Workplace Furniture
icon-furniture
Workplace Technology
icon-technology
Our Story
Our People
Careers
Academy
Sustainability
icon-case-study-red
icon-view_1
icon-blog
icon-whitepaper
icon-video
icon-360
Claremont Claremont
Chat
Search
  • What we do
  • Our work
  • Our thinking
  • Destination Office
  • Our story
  • Contact us
  • What we do
    Sub Menu
    • Overview
    • Workplace Consultancy
    • Design & Build
    • Workplace Furniture
    • Workplace Technology
  • Our work
  • Our thinking
  • Destination Office
  • Our story
    Sub Menu
    • Overview
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Academy
    • Sustainability
  • Contact us

Blog

Staying Operational in a Covid-19 Landscape.

27 July 2020 | by Richard Brook

3
MIN

read-circle
Staying Operational in a Covid-19 Landscape.

Home → Our Thinking → Staying Operational in a Covid-19 Landscape.

Construction Director Richard Brook explains the procedures that Claremont has put in place onsite and the steps that have been taken to keep the team, clients and supply chain as safe as possible in the face of Covid-19.

post-line-1

How have you responded to Covid-19 on site?

Richard said:

“From the first recorded cases of Covid-19 in the UK at the start of the year we’ve been focusing on managing and mitigating the risks to both projects and people across our sites.

“We implemented Government guidelines from day one with increased health and safety signage, tool box talks and regular morning briefings, eventually moving these outside as an extra precaution.

“We’ve also applied more site management resource to each of our projects to help implement Government Guidelines. This has also allowed us to build flexibility into our programmes so that social distancing can be observed and more contractors can be on site safely.

“As part of this, we chose not to furlough staff straight away as this has given us the flexibility to bolster site management and increase resource to help with future planning, commercial decisions, senior management, QS and internal administration.”

What social distancing measures have you implemented?

“By assigning more management resource to each project and revisiting our work and task schedules we have built social distancing into our programmes.  We’ve increased welfare provision on site and have staggered breaks, and we’ve altered access and egress into routes onto site and to work areas. We’ve also extended onsite access to include weekend working, which gives contractors the space they need to operate safely.

“To ensure we keep people as safe as possible our daily delivery team briefings now take place using Microsoft Teams. This helps us to get daily insight into any onsite challenges as well as ensure that our people still feel connected and part of a team, albeit remote. These briefings also help us to plan ahead regarding PPE provision, contractor movements, potential materials shortages and other supply chain challenges.”

Richard added:

“We have also moved all of our managers out of hotels into residential accommodation, which has allowed contracting teams to isolate together. This ensures our teams safe, minimise the risk to others and keep programmes on track.  Our supply chain has taken the same approach.”

What impact has Covid-19 had on your ability to source materials?

“As we had concerns about the long term availability of some materials, we have completed specific Covid-19 risk registers for each project with a view to managing the procurement of materials and fully understanding lead times and product availability. We’ve continued this process as the pandemic has spread and it now comprises resource availability as well as the logistical challenges of deliveries, waste management and accommodation.

“As our core focus is design and build, we have added flexibility and can modify designs where material or product availability has been compromised.  Where necessary we are working with clients and the supply chain to change specifications and find alternatives.  This gives us the perfect balance between project objectives, product availability and project timelines.

“This, along with careful collaboration with our extensive supply chain, has allowed us to keep our contractors both safe and  productive across our sites.”

How are you planning for the future?

Richard said:

“It’s difficult to plan for the future with any certainty as we are living and working in unprecedented times, but we are trying to anticipate potential pain points and put alternative strategies in place.

“In particular we are reviewing our building methodologies and looking at ways to reduce time onsite by increasing offsite production. We’re also trying to forecast the materials, PPE and welfare needs of our team, supply chain and clients over the next six months so that we can make more informed decisions.

“Our ability to flex and adapt in the face of Covid-19 is testament to the rigorous operating procedures and health and safety standards we have in place.  ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 accreditation’s as well as Safe Contractor and Fitwel, give us a robust foundation on which to change and adapt and we’ll continue to adhere to these important standards and principles.

“Although there will be many challenges to come, we will not compromise safety or the quality of our projects. We are taking a keen interest in how other countries’ construction industries are responding, identifying new best practice and maintaining the robust measures we’ve already put in place.”

Richard concluded:

“Uncertainty is the only certainty right now. We’re doing everything we can to keep our people safe, and that will remain our priority.”

Author

Richard Brook
Construction Director

Related thinking

cs-line-9

Blog

Collaboration inspiration for a post Covid-19 workplace – Our Top 7

Blog

Our view: 10 things that might change in the workplace post Covid-19

Blog

Our top 10 tips for working from home.

home-line-4

OFFICE INTERIOR
DESIGN & BUILD

From Workplace Consultancy through design, to the build and beyond. Whether you use all or part of our capabilities, you’ll find we’re a safe pair of hands.

home-line-5
icon-plus

Workplace Consultancy

Helping you achieve the optimal combination of people, space and technology, enabling your organisation to realise its maximum potential in a FutureFlexible way.

icon-plus

Design & Build

Claremont’s comprehensive in-house capability takes care of it all, it’s an end-to-end solution that mitigates risk, accelerates timescales and controls costs.

icon-plus

Workplace Furniture

We believe furniture has a huge impact on the people using it. We aren't limited to a specific range of suppliers, so finding exactly the right products for you or even designing you something unique is at the heart of our approach.

icon-plus

Workplace Technology

Just the right tech fully integrated with your space gives you that all-important agile and collaborative environment.

What we do

Get in touch

home-line-10
logo-ig
logo-twitter
logo-linkedin
logo-pinterest

    Warrington Design Studio (HQ)
    • T: 0800 262 880
    • E: hello@claremontgi.com

    Claremont House
    The Breeze
    2 Kelvin Close
    Birchwood
    Warrington
    WA3 7PB

    Bristol Design Studio

    Origin Workspace
    40 Berkeley Square
    Bristol
    BS8 1HP

    Living Wage Logo

    © Claremont 2023

    Design and build by

    Future
    • Privacy Policy
    • Anti-Slavery Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this.
    Dismiss
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT