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Keeping The Gap At GAP - Download Safe Working Guides Now
GAP depots have reopened for installers to buy a range of plastic products but the company has put in place a safe 'collection only'...
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Covid Digest - All The Latest News & Help Offered To Return To Work
The government kicked off the week by easing the coronavirus restrictions in England - but what else have we learned this week about lockdown and return to work?
Not So Disconnected
Management firm Wazoku has released research that says 86% of respondents think their organisation has provided enough technical information for them to work from home effectively, 70% say their employer has taken steps to ensure their mental health and well-being is addressed and 72% have been consulted about how best they can all approach home working during the crisis.
Regular Temperature Checks
Integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass & Glazing has re-opened its doors with a skeleton admin team to process orders, provide quotes and respond to customer enquiries. Limited manufacturing with a reduced workforce resumed this week, and will be increased steadily during the coming weeks, ensuring the safety and well-being of all staff.
Customer and staff safety measures include the provision of full PPE equipment and hand sanitiser cleaning stations, regular temperature checks, deep cleaning of all work areas and strict social distancing regulations, which will be carefully monitored.
Five free virtual showrooms for installers
Morley Glass & Glazing is set to give away five free virtual showrooms to help installers provide an improved digital service to customers.
“In an age where social distancing is going to change how we all do business, the virtual and digital worlds are going to play an important part of winning future business for installers. We’ve created our own interactive online showroom and seen the benefits that brings to our own business, so we wanted to help installers to achieve the same benefits.”
– Ian Short
MD, Morley Glass & Glazing
www.morleyglass.co.uk/virtual-tour-reception/
Singletons Seek Love
Global matchmaking firm, Gray & Farrar says these tumultuous times have prompted a renewed focus on what’s important in our personal lives.
The company is receiving record numbers of calls each day from professional singletons who under lockdown had the emotional and 'logistical' space needed to take stock and start prioritising finding love. (Let's face it, love is all about logistics.)
Heavy Petting
Pet obsessed Brits take 1,464 pictures of their cute companions every year - and this habit has gotten worse under lockdown. The research was conducted by photo printing specialist CEWE. It shows we’d rather pause for a moment to look back on pictures of our pets (28%) than our partner (26%) our friends (21%) or important life events (14%), such as graduations or weddings.
31% of women say their favourite photos to look back on are of their pet, compared to just 23% who said their partner. Some cities take it to a whole other level, with owners in Oxford taking 3,340 photos of their pets every year. Coventry – 2,941, Leeds – 2,672, London – 2,073, Sheffield – 1,664. Our favourite things to do with our pet photos are:
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Keep them on our phones to look back on – 51%.
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Send to friends and family – 33% .
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Share them on social media – 31% .
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Create a photo album – 20%.
Corgi Shows You How To Walk The Dog
Corgi Fenestration produced its Covid-19 Operating Code for Installers of replacement windows and doors in domestic properties and a corresponding Consumer Guide for homeowners.
The GGF produced a Consumer Guide for homeowners to be followed by an Installers Guide.
Follow the Code
The Corgi Fenestration Covid-19 Operating Code covers everything from the quotation and sales process (no face-to-face interaction) to safe surveying and installation, to job sign off.
The Consumer Guide tells the homeowner what they can expect from an installer following the Code and what their responsibilities are too (ranging from advising the installation company if they or any of the household have Covid-19 symptoms to wiping down frames and work areas).
Corgi's Code for Installers covers the measures that should to be taken by installers to protect themselves and their customers whilst working and the responsibilities that homeowners have to minimise any risks to workers that operate in their properties.
The Code and Guide have taken current government approved methodologies from other sectors and inserted them into real installer work practices, procedures and situations.
They are free and available to all as downloadable documents on the Corgi Fenestration website.
No Restrictions
Jackloc, providers of a window restrictor range, have become the latest business to take advantage of a lockdown inspired free trial to Insight Data’s Salestracker.
Like businesses throughout the sector, Jackloc found its usual ways of working severely disrupted by the coronavirus lockdown – which made Salestracker a very attractive proposition, as MD Eric Collins explains:
“With the country in almost total lockdown, sales visits have suddenly become a thing of the past – and we were intrigued to see how Salestracker could help us overcome that challenge, particularly with its in-built email marketing platform."
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Insight Data has seen a surge in interest in Salestracker – it’s state-of-the-art online portal, that combines a prospect database, a CRM system, and a powerful email marketing platform called STEM. Accessible 24/7 on PC, laptop, tablet or mobile, Salestracker is an ideal tool for home working, putting records for over 60,000 potential customers at your fingertips.
Interested in learning more? Call 01934 808293 or via email at hello@insightdata.co.uk
On The Roof
Manufacturing and deliveries for Made for Trade Bi-folds, and Korniche Lanterns and Global Conservatory Roofs are up and running.
MFT stock levels on all our products have been increased, ensuring a full return to fabrication.
Quotations and orders are being processed and confirmed in date order. Post-lockdown slots are filling up fast so make sure you get your requests in as soon as possible for the fastest delivery.
New orders for Glazed and Unglazed deliveries are scheduled to restart from the 18 May though some may be subject to slightly increased lead times depending on delivery demand.
All deliveries will be risk assessed to ensure the receiving party and our drivers can maintain social distancing requirements on site.
Or email your Bi-fold, Korniche and Global product quote requests to sales@madefortrade.co
Going Global
Those returning to the Ultraframe factory, which reopened on 11 May, discovered the company had gone Global - Global Conservatory Roofs that is. Ultraframe bought what remained of the brand out of the liquidation of Aperture - which went bust not long after being formed to by the massive Synseal operation...which itself had gone bust.
An Ultraframe team will continue to be phased in to meet customer requirements with staff implementing strict hygiene, safety and social distancing measures across the Ultraframe site. Those that can are continuing to work from home.
A statement on the Ultraframe website reads: 'We encourage our customers to talk to us as early as possible in the order process to give us the best possible chance of meeting requests as we scale up.
'We have a team available to process orders, quotations and answer any technical queries on the following emails addresses'.
Quotations - quotes@ultraframe.co.uk
Roof Sales - roof.sales@ultraframe.co.uk
Component Sales - fabricatorfirst@ultraframe.co.uk
Customer Service - csi@ultraframe.co.uk
Technical support - techsupport@ultraframe.co.uk
Business As Usual For Door & Hardware Federation
As early as the end of April, the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) told its members and the wider industry that, it’s very much ‘business as usual’.
The trade association had successfully launched its online training facility, and in so doing, responded swiftly to the continuing need to provide online training courses for its members and the industry as a whole. Although not a complete substitute for the face-to-face training courses, initial feedback has been positive.
And The Front Line In Your Sights, Pioneer
To support UK workers still furloughed, Codeworks, a coding bootcamp, is offering companies support to upskill their workforce with a free introductory course to coding.
Available online, the course teaches the basics of JavaScript, one of the most widely-used and in-demand programming languages, in around 15 hours. Codeworks will also be offering live support from their team of bootcamp Instructors,
Research by the UK government found that 72% of large companies and 49% of SMEs are suffering digital skill gaps, and this shortfall in education and professional development costs the UK around £63 billion a year in lost GDP.
Companies interested in joining the scheme should book a call with Codeworks’ team here. Individuals wishing to join can also access the free Javascript course here.
A three month license of BullGuard Small Office Security has been offered for free to provide advanced cyber security protection for small businesses, enabling them to focus on their core operations during uncertain, challenging times. And you don't even have to hand over your credit or debit card details.
Stinky
A new BullGuard survey reveals that gamers are reducing stress, improving mental health, upping their game and staying at home - but not washing.
The BullGuard survey reveals 84% say their gaming has increased due to lockdown with a whopping 27% gaming for an extra five or more hours a day. Extra time spent online has proven to be a boon for gamers with nearly half (43%) of respondents being able to improve their gaming skills. 77% of respondents said they live with partners and family who have no issues with their lockdown gaming habits.
The survey further revealed that 84% of gamers are using antivirus protection and that 79% are not turning off their antivirus when gaming.
Although the survey revealed that additional gaming has helped with overall mental wellbeing, it also revealed that some crucial day-to-day routines may have slipped, with 1 in 5 admitting to missing showers, 29% not going outside for over three days and 16% even admitting to skipping cleaning their teeth.
Cutting The Confusion
AluK is countering the somewhat confusing messages being put out by the English, Welsh and Scottish governments about the relaxing of the lockdown and signposting its customers to the straightforward advice which is already available online and which could help them get back to work more quickly.
Marketing Director Sioned Roberts says that, while some politicians are still tying themselves in knots during interviews trying to explain how the new rules around social distancing will actually work, government civil servants and relevant industry bodies have actually already issued clear advice setting out how they will affect those working in factories, on sites and in people’s homes.
“We’re really encouraged by the amount of common-sense guidance now being published and the message from the government – however badly communicated – that most of us can go back to work as long as we can keep our teams, our suppliers, and our customers safe.”
– Sioned Roberts
Marketing Director, AluK
Covid-19 Secure
Roberts adds: “The government had already published advice for manufacturers and those working on construction sites and has now added to that with a comprehensive 27-page document for installers on how to work safely in other people’s homes. This even includes notices to display online and in sales literature to confirm that their company is ‘Covid-19 Secure’ and is acting in accordance with the government guidelines.
“Added to that, we’re seeing similar bespoke guides being produced by the GGF and Certass which their members can use to keep themselves safe and give to homeowners to give them peace of mind about allowing an installer into their homes."
Not ready
Roberts continues: “We recognise that not all companies are in a position to return to work yet and it’s good to see that the Chancellor has extended the furlough scheme to support them, but for those that can start to plan a restart now, it’s important that they have access to the clearest and most comprehensive advice to give them confidence that can comply with the rules.
“We’ve been doing as much as we can at AluK to support our customers directly with a flexible approach from our operations teams on ordering and deliveries, and a brand-new marketing hub to provide tools for generating new business.
“Obviously, there are plenty of hurdles to overcome for all of us but a collective effort of support for each other is what we need.”
Online guidance for fabricators and installers includes:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.ggf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GGF_Safe_Guide_For_Homeowners_CV19_LR.pdf
What The Government Has Said
1. Work from home, if you can
All reasonable steps should be taken by employers to help people work from home. But for those who cannot work from home and whose workplace has not been told to close, our message is clear: you should go to work. Staff should speak to their employer about when their workplace will open.
2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions
This guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and we expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so.
3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible
Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating one way walk-throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms.
4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk
Employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.
5. Reinforcing cleaning processes
Workplaces should be cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.
Picture: A Morley Glass driver following PPE rules and AluK is cutting through the confusion on returning to work.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
15th May 2020