As with most business across the UK, 4site Consulting is currently operating remotely with all office staff and advisors working from their homes.
Of course, many vital services that keep the UK running cannot be completed entirely from home, and the operations of Safety Personnel and Risk Managers are seldom an exception to this.
To maintain continuity in supporting the safety of buildings across the UK, we have adapted the way we work, carefully following public health guidance in order to deliver our services safely.
What Changes Will You See?
All of our Advisors attending sites now wear fresh face masks and disposable gloves that are changed upon the arrival and leaving at each site. They’ll also be using antibacterial wipes to wipe down any door handles or handrails that they might inadvertently come into direct contact with. What’s more is that we will only be attending managed sites where our advisors are unlikely to come into contact with others, so normal social distancing can be maintained allowing safety to prevail.
Some may find working from home easier than others, but for most of us it is a new way of life that we are still getting used to! Some of our team have put together some of their personal advice and tips for working from home:
Jane Gray, Logistics Coordinator
“I’m very much a yoga enthusiastic and whilst in lockdown I have also started to try Wim Hoff breathing exercises, which I am finding extremely relaxing!
I am lucky that I get to work from home with my daughter, Isabelle, who also works for 4site. We get through the day by having little bursts of music that we can sing along too; usually Prince or Queen!
My tips for lockdown are to enjoy natural beauty as much as possible and enjoy having content and happy dogs!”
James Purdey, Health and Safety Advisor
“Before lockdown we had started morning yoga in the office, with Jane leading this for us. So now, during lockdown, I’ve continued Jane’s advice and complete yoga every day after work! It helps a lot after a few hours sitting at a dining room table..!!”
Gary Hendry, Lead Health and Safety Advisor
“I have found that, to make working from home successful, you should get yourself up and ready for an ordinary day’s work – it’s very tempting to just sit in your pyjamas all day, but I’ve found that just isn’t conducive to a happy and productive mind-set. My top tips;
Stay sociable, keep in regular contact with work colleagues via video-call, telephone or email.
Give yourself regular breaks as you would in the office, get away from the screen for 5 minutes then go again.”
Lucy Owen, Logistics Administrator
“I have been using this time to get fit and have been doing workouts in the garden every day after work, without fail. I do this in the time that I would usually have spent commuting home from the office!”
Immy Masters, HR Director
“I have been making sure that I go out every day for a walk and have been spending much more time having cuddles with my guinea pig!
I’ve also found that routine and regular exercise helps to keep my mind focussed at work – completing regular early morning runs these last four weeks has allowed me to clock over 85 ‘socially distanced’ kilometres.
Simple tips, but they keep me going!”
Daniel Bull, Client Services Executive
“My tip for working from home effectively is to use headphones/earphones. As, no matter how often you tell your household you’re working, and no matter how many times you tell yourself you’re working, there are unavoidable distractions everywhere! With headphones you can have some music or the radio playing to substitute the noise an office environment would usually make, and it also gives the visual representation to others that you do not want to be disturbed.
I also try to appreciate the positive changes in this new lifestyle. Spend those little breaks away from the screen doing something that means something!
When you spend all week commuting, working all day, and then getting home late, you end up missing out on things in life.”
Elliott Linnane, Water Risk Advisor
“Since I went to the gym most mornings before work, I now try and do home workouts each morning and try to recreate a somewhat normal routine. I am also making the most of spending time with my kids – tonight is board-game night!”
Hopefully some of these tips are useful for adapting to the ‘new normal’ of working from home. Overall, it is vital that, as property professionals, you continue to comply with your legal duties to assess risk and manage safety at your properties.
We have contingencies to maintain the monitoring of safety management at your properties so that, during this time, you don’t have to compromise the prevalence of one safety routine for the sake of another.
You can contact the 4site Consulting team via their website or by calling 01376 572 936.
