E011.2 COVID-19 CONTINGENCY PLAN
As communities around the world are trying to deal with the recent COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak we wanted to reach out to our customers to address their concerns and explain the actions we are taking in addition to our standard contingency arrangements. We recognise our vital role in ensuring healthcare services continue to function by collecting and treating waste arising in a safe and compliant manner and assure you that we will do everything we can to keep going.
In light of the current global pandemic, and while we are learning about COVID-19 and trying to come to terms with it, we want to assure you that we are adapting quickly and are making necessary adjustments to ensure business is carried out as safely as possible, for you, the customer, and for our team.
We are currently operating the business with the usual care, precision, and speed our customers rely on. Our industry is in constant contact with the Cabinet Office, Environment Agency, Department for Transport and the NHS to ensure continuity of service and updates.
- Medisort has relief drivers that operate as cover for the regular drivers who would be utilised as necessary.
- Management are qualified to step into the breach should there be an occasion to do so.
- Using experience gained during recent NHS contingency plans, we have implemented agreements with local employment agencies for replacement drivers & plant staff.
- We can also work from home and log into our systems via Virtual Private Network to ensure we are still operational if the administration side of the business are self-isolating.
- We are on the board of the SMDSA who are in regular contact with other clinical waste management companies to ensure continuity of service via co-operation if that becomes necessary.
- It has been confirmed that Medisort Staff are classified as “Key Workers” by HM Government, so childcare facilities should be available where necessary
In addition, we have made these detailed changes:
- Customers are no longer required to sign our mobile devices when handing waste over to us. Where necessary, our drivers will sign on customers’ behalf by entering CV-19
- We will be shutting the office telephone system down for short periods each weekday, to give our admin team time to process the increased number of queries being received, to minimise errors.
- We have asked customers to make sure their waste is available in positions that remove the need for drivers to enter their premises, to comply with social distancing guidance.
- We have reiterated the need to maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene, particularly emphasising the need to wear all necessary PPE and to wash hands frequently.
- To minimise the number of calls to our office and make home working more effective, we urge all contacts to use our email address, webenquiry@medisort.co.uk, wherever possible, rather than telephoning.
We will prioritise customers dependant on urgency and on-site storage capacity to ensure we are providing a service for the most vulnerable of our clients.
