Looking at the current scientific evidence, COVID-19 is a virus that's most commonly transmitted from person-to-person via airborne respiratory droplets or via physical contact with a contaminated surface. The virus can be transmitted from an infected person anytime they cough, sneeze, sing or speak. This is why precautions, like face coverings, are becoming the norm across the UK.

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On March 23rd 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nation-wide lockdown in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since then, life as we know it has been completely flipped upside down, with many people not able to leave their home, see friends and family or go to work, leaving businesses in extremely difficult positions. With their doors temporarily closed to minimise the spread of the virus between members of staff and customers, businesses were left in the cold as to when they would be able to open again.

Fast forward a couple of months and many businesses have started to open their doors to the public, bringing some degree of normality back into people's lives. However, in order to do so, these businesses are required to carry out a risk assessment to examine the possible dangers associated with the spread of COVID-19 and put steps into place that manage and minimise these dangers. To support employers in creating a COVID-secure workplace, the government has published several guides on safe working during the coronavirus pandemic, each designed for a specific area of work. It is vital that employers try their very best to follow these guides as close as possible, as to keep their employees and customers safe during working hours as well as following the law. Boris Johnson announced that the HSE will be performing spot inspections to ensure all employers are keeping their employees safe. 

So, what exactly is a COVID-secure workplace and how can you create one? Read on to find out! 

What is a COVID-Secure Workplace?

In short, a COVID-secure workplace is any workplace that has implemented sufficient measures that minimise and prevents the risks of catching and spreading of coronavirus. Unfortunately, as long as the coronavirus pandemic lasts, every workplace in the country will face the risk of COVID-19 being transmitted among staff and customers. However, by creating a COVID-secure workplace, you will be making your work environment as safe as possible for all those who are returning to work as well as customers and visitors.

Creating a COVID-Secure Workplace

The government guidelines mentioned above outline several steps that employers need to take to ensure their workplace remains safe. The steps you take to manage the risks of transmission will depend on your specific area of work, but most can be applied to all. Here we take a look at these.

Conducting a risk assessment 

The government announced that all employers must perform a COVID-19 risk assessment before asking members of staff to return to work. This includes the same steps as a regular risk assessment; identifying potential hazards, evaluating risks and taking preventative action but this assessment will concentrate solely on the risks associated with coronavirus transmission. Employers will need to take into account which members of staff will be returning to work and which tasks will need to be carried out while on-site. Things that may need to be considered include a phased return to work and offering a reduced service. 

The results of your risk assessment should be used to minimise risk to the lowest possible levels by identifying and implementing sufficient control measures, some of which have been outlined by The Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH). Here they explain that while elimination and substitution are often the most effective forms of risk mitigation, it's not feasible or possible to eliminate or substitute risk completely. As a result, there are several types of control measures that you can put into place: 

• Engineered Control Measures - These are the most effective control measures, whereby physical changes to the workplace are made. These include installing physical barriers such as screens between people to keep them safe. 

• Administrative Control Measures - These actions include changing workplace activities and tasks, keeping the environment and equipment clean and potentially redesigning the workplace. This could involve measures such as social distancing, increased hygiene practices, signage and limiting the number of people allowed on-site at any one time. 

• PPE - Protection equipment such as masks and gloves are the least effective form of risk mitigation against the coronavirus. Therefore it should be the very last resort for all employers.

Sharing your results 

Once you have identified the actions you need to take to mitigate the risks of transmission, you will need to record and write up your findings so that you can share this information easily with your staff. If your business has over 50 employees, you will be expected to share your results on your website also. In doing so, businesses are likely to make their workforce feel safer, encouraging them to take an active role in managing the risks of transmission. 

Maintaining social distancing

Social distancing plays a vital role in the government's plans to get the workforce back into work by drastically reducing the risk of airborne transmission of the virus. There are several ways in which businesses can encourage social distancing on-site, which include laying down markers, limiting the number of customers and employees that are allowed on-site and placing signage up that reminds people to maintain a safe distance from one another. 

If there are certain work activities that can't be completed while social distancing, employers will need to review whether these are vital. If they are, then considerations need to be made on how to make these activities as safe as possible, with PPE may be having to be used by all individuals involved. 

Deciding on returning staff 

When it comes to deciding which members of staff should return to work, employers need to make this a gradual process to ensure the measures that they have put into place can be as effective as possible. Initially, only essential staff should be encouraged to return to work, any employees that can work from home should continue to do so. Phasing the return to work is particularly important for workplaces that require staff to work in smaller, confined spaces.

In addition to staff members, employers also need to consider customers and visitors that come to their workplace. These should also be made aware of any new measures that are put into place to limit the potential transmission of the virus.

Implementing additional hygiene measures 

There has never been a time where hygiene in the workplace has been more important. The frequency of surface cleaning, handwashing and sanitising should be increased as well as the encouragement of staff to wear masks whenever possible. Another important thing that needs to be considered by employers is waste. If members of staff use disposable PPE such as masks and gloves or tissues, these need to be disposed of into closed bins and discarded hygienically. 

Employers can encourage staff to carry out additional hygiene measures by hanging up posters, calling meetings and running training sessions to promote high standards of hygiene around the workplace. 

 These are just some of the standard measures that you can put into place to ensure the safety of your employees. However, it is very important to consider the safety measure and advice that pertain to your specific industry. 

How IDS Security Can Help Your Workplace Become COVID-Secure

Here at IDS Security, we're striving to make the transition back into work for employers as easy and safe as possible. As a result, we now offer two fantastic and effective services that can keep your workplace safe, minimising the risks of transmitting coronavirus. These are thermal imaging cameras, which measure your employee's temperature. An important indicator when monitoring if an individual is infected with COVID-19. And density control cameras, which help to count the number of individuals on your premises at any one time, also another important factor when trying to manage safe distancing between staff, customers and visitors to your site. You can find out more information on our two brand-new services by clicking below. 

Thermal Imaging Cameras >             Density Control Cameras >

By following the above guidelines, as well as implementing industry-specific measures in combination with services from IDS Security, you will be well on your way to ensuring your workplace is COVID-secure and your staff members, customers and visitors are kept as safe as possible from coronavirus.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you, be sure to get in touch with a member of the IDS team today by calling 02920 753 251, emailing us at admin@ids-securityltd.co.uk or filling out our contact form

The UK is still in the grip of a deadly coronavirus pandemic. New cases of COVID-19 are still being reported every day, so it remains important for all of us to do our bit to slow the spread of this disease.

One crucial precaution is to stay at home if you are displaying any of the following coronavirus symptoms:

• A high temperature
• A new, continuous cough
• Changes to your sense of smell or taste

If you have one or more of these symptoms, you may be infected and should self-isolate at home in order to avoid infecting others.

But taking responsibility for your own health is one thing. What should you do if you're a business owner and one of your employees comes to work with one or more symptoms of COVID-19?

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It’s no secret that most offices will be shut between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, while many businesses will remain shut all the way through until January 2^nd.

While this is great news for workers, it’s also great news for burglars as well, posing the perfect opportunity to strike while the iron is hot…or, more accurately, absent.

Christmas may be a time of giving but, for burglars across the country, it’s most certainly a perfect time for taking too – particularly if business security it lax.

Avoid returning to work for a New Year’s disaster by following this handy guide on how to safeguard the office when shutting down for Christmas.

Christmas Office Safety Tips

Shutdown Before Lockdown

As the office will likely remain uninhabited for several days, it’s important to not only protect your premises for risk of break-in but also risk of fire.

Naturally, the first port of call for fire prevention is to ensure all non-essential electrical items are appropriately turned off; including computers, festive decorations, etc.

You may also wish to turn the water off at the mains as an added precaution, to avoid any leaking pipes causing additional issues.

Conversely, you may want to set your heating systems to come on intermittently via a timer during the holiday to avoid any pipe issues, such as freezing.

Knowledge is Power

If you aren’t going to be the one to lock-up your work premises on the final day before the office holiday, it’s absolutely vital that the person tasked with doing so is clued up.

It goes without saying that the person given this responsibility will need to be reliable and trustworthy. However, that same person will also need to be briefed ahead of time.

Ensure the individual chosen to close up shop on your final working day is given a full run-down of the locking-up procedure in advance of the last day.

This will allow them time to: A. Get their head around the process; B. Ask any questions on anything they are unsure of; and C. Have a trial run if necessary.

Be Wary of Strangers

Christmastime brings with it an increase in deliveries, particularly if you allow your workers to get their personal effects and gifts items delivered to the office.

However, the increase in deliveries can also bring with it additional personnel on-site, many of whom you may not be familiar with. If so, be sure to exercise caution.

Allowing unfamiliar individuals on to your premises or, worse still, into your workspace can inadvertently gift them with valuable site information.

This can range from general layout and insight into entry routes to potentially even provision of security details and passwords.

Team Effort

Due to the nature of seasonal office closures, it’s not unusual for people to work late on the last day to get work wrapped up like the Christmas presents to come.

However, this can often lead to low numbers come closing time and can commonly leave the duties of locking up to a solitary member of the team.

Leaving a single worker to lock up prior to the Christmas holiday break can be a recipe for disaster and one that should be avoided at all costs.

Not only can holiday excitement lead to vital security measures being overlooked but the solitary nature of locking up alone also leaves the solo worker vulnerable to criminals.

Ensure there are at least two members of staff on hand for on the last day to provide your premises with safe and secure closure.

Christmas Lights

Turns out that the Christmas tree isn’t the only thing that benefits from a little bit of illumination during the festive period.

Ensuring the perimeter of your premises is well lit should be a high priority for any office manager or business owner.

Simply equipping your office entrance and site borders with lights can be an effective deterrent for thieves, increasing the chances of them being caught.

What’s more, it can also make it notably more difficult for potential thieves to survey your premises beforehand and considerably harder for them to go by undetected.

Office Safety with IDS Security

At IDS Security Systems, we know a thing or two about safeguarding businesses. In fact, we have been providing security solutions since 1996 and our experiences in that time make for good advice, particularly when it comes to business security.

In our experience, whether you’re a shop owner, an office manager or otherwise, there are certain security systems no business can afford to do without.

Check out this list of options currently available at IDS Security, designed to keep your business safe over Christmastime and running smooth all-year-round.

• CCTV Cameras

• Intruder Alarms

• Access Control Systems

• Security Barriers

• Fire Alarms 

For more advice on office security over Christmas and Christmas office safety tips, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 029 20 753 251 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.

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When it comes to door entry systems there is no hard and fast answer about which is the 'best' one out there. The best door entry system for you depends on the why and where you plan to install it. Here are a few things to bear in mind if you're trying to decide which door entry system is the best for you.

Location

Commercial - If you're a business owner there are a few things to consider when you choose a door entry system:

• Which door entry system will be most efficient for your employees?
• Which system will provide the desired level of security commercial property?
• Which locations need to be secured around the premises?

Residential - A homeowner's worst nightmare is burglary or theft. Here's what you should consider before choosing the best door entry system for your home:

• How many people will be using it?
• What level of security do you prefer for your home?
• How much do you want to spend?

Best types of door entry system

Once you've considered the answers to the above questions, it's time to decide what type of door entry system is best for you! Let's take a look at some of the door entry systems we offer and explore why they might be the best for your property...

Key Fob Security Systems

• One of the simpler door entry systems on the market, key fob security systems are easy for everyone to use. You'll often find key fob door entry systems outside blocks of flats, although they can be useful when employees need to pop in and out of the office frequently too.

Video Door Entry System

• Ideal for monitoring your property while you're away, our video door entry systems are the best for residential properties. You can see who's ringing your doorbell without having to answer the door, and you can keep a close eye on people behaving suspiciously.

Security Barriers

• Security barriers are a physical blockade between your property and the outside world. Generally, this might be considered a bit of a strange choice for a residential property where most people would install a gate or fence.  Security barriers work wonders in private car parks, making them the best door entry system for commercial properties. 

Do you need more help choosing the best door entry system for your property? Speak to one of our advisors today, we're more than happy to help. Call us on 029 20 753 251 now.