In our last blog post, we discussed the practices you can adopt so you can return safely to work after lockdown In this week’s post, we’ll cover the best ways to automate and simplify Coronavirus safety procedures with job management software.
Customer Confirmation
For tradespeople that have to enter client properties, it is essential that it is safe to do so. From 24-48 hours before the scheduled appointment, the client needs to confirm that there are no shielded or vulnerable people in the property. It is also essential to make sure everyone in the house is symptom-free.
The easiest way to ensure this happens for every client is to send an automated email to each customer before the work takes place. Through a CRM system, such as Workever, it is easy to request that customer’s complete the necessary safety form. That will make it easy to explain that no worker can visit until the form is completed.
With this information, your workers will have the reassurance that it is safe to visit the property. It can also help to prevent any wasted trips by confirming the health of the residents in advance.
Revising Work Schedules
In post-lockdown, it is recommended to avoid travelling during peak times to minimise contact with others. For example, to reduce the number of people meeting on the commute to work. If you are able to, it may be wise to make sure your team do not travel during peak times. Even if they travel in their own vehicle, they may be at risk if they go to a shop or petrol station during busy peak travel times.
Another way to revise schedules is to make sure cross-contact within teams is kept to a minimum. This means keeping to the same work teams for every project for the foreseeable, without having people switch between two work teams.
On Workever, it is possible to create a schedule for your team. By doing this, they know exactly where they need to be and when and who they will be working with. No confusion!
Assign Tools
One of the ways HSE recommends safety for workers after lockdown is to assign equipment to individuals or work teams. The equipment your employees need to do a job should be the same piece of equipment they always use. Where tools or equipment or limited, try to assign it only to each work team to prevent potential cross-contamination.
If this is not feasible, ensure there is a thorough clean-down process before the equipment switches between two individuals.
It is also important to remind employees that tools should go straight back into the tool bag after use or be laid on a dust sheet. They should not be put directly on client surfaces.
Use Cleaning Checklists
With so many aspects to consider and clean, your workers may forget some of the items they need to clean. Having a thorough checklist that they need to complete at the end of every job means they don’t need to rely on memory. Furthermore, a checklist makes a thorough job easy and customers will appreciate how their safety is a priority to your business.
For safety, try to keep checklists on digital devices. Workever offers a checklist option where team members can tick off each cleaning job on their mobile device. This checklist is then sent back to the office for your records.
Customer Communication
Many clients may be confused about the rules and how best to let you work safely. The best way to ensure a safe working environment for your team and clients is to provide thorough and clear communication. Using automated text messages to remind clients to stay in other rooms of the house, open the windows and to maintain a two-metre distance between themselves and the workers.
It may also help to ensure that your CRM system has client contact numbers. This way, workers can discuss the project and any concerns by calling the client from their van before entering the house.
Create Posters For Vans
It is crucial to minimise the number of visits in and out of the house. This means taking all the tools and equipment your employees need in one trip. Having a poster on the inside of van doors can serve as a helpful reminder. Posters in work vans can also help to remind employees of PPE rules. Signs reminding staff to wash or sanitise hands regularly are helpful. So make sure that every employee has a bottle of hand sanitiser in their tool bag!
While posters may seem to be stating the obvious, there is a lot of to consider for Coronavirus safety. Therefore, making it as easy as possible for your employees to follow is essential for protecting your entire workforce.
Utilise Training Apps
There will be times when employees may need to brush up on safe COVID-19 practices, such as infection control. Apps mean your team can access training, wherever they are, making it much easier to complete refreshers whenever they can.
Ensuring your business-specific procedures are on every work device can also help to ensure everyone is clear about business policies. It’ll be easy to make sure everyone follows best practices that way!
Keep The Conversation Going…
Safe communication is vital to ensure all the measures you are currently taking are safe enough and effective. Video calls with your team can be really helpful with this. Employees may have questions as they get back to work and it’s best that these queries are discussed as a whole team. Easily ensuring everyone is following the same procedure!
By maintaining regular contact and team meetings, you are showing to your whole workforce that you take their safety seriously and are doing all you can to protect them and your clients.
About Workever
Workever is a real-time management solution for Field Service & Service Management businesses. Whether you have a small mobile team of five field workers or a large enterprise with hundreds of field staff, Workever field service management software makes your job simple.
Increase productivity, reduce paperwork and save admin time with our easy to use field service software for both the office and your fieldworkers. Why not request a free trial today?
