Safety First! How we’ve adapted our home repair service Find out how L&Q and Axis are keeping you and your home safe during the Coronavirus pandemic. Axis and your landlord will continue to provide property repairs and maintenance services during the coronavirus pandemic. In this guide we explain the steps we are taking to keep you safe.
Click to view our video for residents on how we are working safely
General Safety Protocol We are following Government guidelines to make delivering repairs and maintenance as safe as possible.
SELF-ISOLATE WITH SYMPTOMS If an operative or any member of their household is displaying symptoms, they will not come to work – they’ll get tested and self-isolate.
WEAR PPE AS DIRECTED Use of PPE, like masks, is as much about protecting residents and the person wearing the protective equipment. We describe later what PPE will be used and when.
WORK A MINIMUM OF 2M APART Only work that allows a 2m distance from any other person should be undertaken. Anything else should be risk assessed.
REGULAR HAND SANITISATION We’ll use hand sanitiser when entering and existing your property and regularly throughout the day.
Resident Responsibilities Please adhere to the Government COVID-19 safety guidelines and help us undertake repairs in your property safely.
REPORT COVID CASES We need to assess the risk and adapt how we work where there is a self-isolator, confirmed COVID case, vulnerable or shielded person. Please inform us when you report a repair.
PRACTICE SAFETY MEASURES Please keep a 2m distance from our operatives, ideally wait in another room. Open windows for additional ventilation, sanitise the area being worked on.
TRACK & TRACE When it comes online, we recommend using the NHS tracing app. It will provide early warning of a potential outbreak and identify people needing to self-isolate. Our operatives will be using the tracing tool too.
Working In Your Home To complete a repairs in your home, our operatives will follow the steps below to limit the risk of contamination.
HAND SANITISER & GLOVES Prior to reaching your property our operative will use hand-sanitiser for a minimum of 20 seconds and put on Nitrile gloves.
CHECKING FOR SELF-ISOLATORS At a distance more than 2m, they will (re)ask the question ‘if anyone is self-isolating, has a confirmed case or is on the vulnerable or shielded list’? FAQ
What should I do if someone is self-isolating, has COVID-19 or is vulnerable or shielding? We’ll risk assess the situation, weighing up the urgency of the repair with the safety measures available. Appointments may need to be deferred or cancelled if it is not safe.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE 2M RULE If the appointment is going ahead, there needs to be a minimum of 2m distance kept at all times. It would be safest if you could wait in another room.
USING APPROPRIATE PPE Prior to entering the property, the operative will select the appropriate PPE, determined by the type of repair and your self-isolation answers.
PPE QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
ROUTINE REPAIR (no known risk)
If requested
KNOWN COVID RISK (Emergencies only)
FFP2/FFP3/KN95
TYPE 5
hand sanitiser will be used throughout any appointment
CONTACTLESS WORKING In addition to observing the 2m social distancing, they will avoid touching surfaces, proximity to other people, movement around your property or sharing equipment where possible. .
SANITISE THE AREA Once the work is complete, the operative will wipe down anything he or she has touched with a sanitising product. FAQ
What if I am not comfortable with someone in my home? Some emergency repairs and statutory inspection will carry a legal or safety obligation to be undertaken. Make your reservations clear, along with any health issues that need to be taken into account.
ADAPTED SIGN-OFF You will not be passed anything to sign. Instead the operative will mark the job as complete or update the status on their hand-held device.
PPE REMOVED OUTSIDE PROPERTY We’ll take all PPE and materials away with us. The operative will remove his or her PPE outside of your home.
DISPOSAL OF PPE We dispose of potentially contaminated PPE responsibly via hazardous waste bags that are taken away – we will not use your bin or communal bins.
HAND SANITISING Having removed and bagged the PPE, our operative will apply hand sanitiser for a minimum of twenty seconds, prior to heading for their next appointment. .
MONITORING COMPLIANCE We’ll monitor compliance via random manager and supervisor inspections, resident surveys and asking that you report any deviation from these safety control measures. FAQ
My appointment has been cancelled, when can I rebook? We are scaling up our services now, but prioritising the most urgent deferred repairs and vulnerable residents. Please follow the normal repair reporting process and rebook your appointment from now.
External & Communal Areas We are just as committed to safety for external or communal area improvement programme and will follow the guidance below:
WORK A MINIMUM OF 2M APART Only work that allows a 2m distance from any other person (resident or colleague) will be undertaken.
PPE USED AS DIRECTED Axis’ risk assessment and operative training provides direction on what PPE to use, as well as when and how to use it.
COMMUNICATION & SAFETY SIGNS We’ll let residents know where work is taking place and clearly mark the area. Safety signs will be used to communicate key messages like social distancing.
REGULAR HAND SANITISATION We’ll use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day, following the twenty second use principle. Particularly after touching commonuse items such as handles, keypads, locks etc
CONTACTLESS WORKING
FAQ
In addition to observing the 2m social distancing, we’ll be avoiding touching surfaces, proximity to other people, movement around a property/site or sharing equipment where possible. .
If work doesn’t allow 2m distancing? We will keep this type of work to an absolute minimum. Use additional control measures such as; full PPE, undertake the task with the same designated partner (don’t keep swapping), avoiding facing the other person, increase ventilation
RISK ASSESS & WORK PLANNING We’re reviewing the work that takes place on our sites or projects and organising hours, tasks and breaks to stagger when people will be in a specific locations at the same time.
SANITISE SHARED FACILITIES We’ll avoid sharing equipment and ensure that shared facilities including toilets, site storage and kitchens are regularly sanitised.
Heightened Hygiene Please practice the Government and NHS guidance on additional hygiene measures; wash or sanitise your hands regularly as well as any surfaces – particularly those share or used by different people, such as handles, kitchens, switches, keypads etc.
Reference Materials We recommend regular review of Government and HSE guidance, some useful links are provided below:
Other resources: Staying safe and alert (Gov Doc) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safelyduring-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-toL&Q COVID-19 Statement working-safely
Coronavirus testing advice CLC Site operating procedures
FAQ
How are you helping those who need extra support? Vulnerable residents will receive priority in our appointment booking process. We also practice additional safety control measures in their home.
Work safely. We all have a responsibility to follow these guideline and Axis will take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone putting their safety or the safety of others at risk. We’ve provided the training and equipment to ensure operatives can practise the safety measures. We ask you and them to challenge anything that seems unsafe or falls short of the guidance and report if you or anyone in your household is suffering symptoms of Coronavirus – so appointments can be deferred. FAQ
Why not wear a Face Masks all the time? Face coverings in enclosed spaces can be useful if fitted, worn and removed correctly. Our operational risk assessment recommends masks in certain situations, like properties with a known self-isolator. However, at the time of producing this document the The World Health Organization (WHO) currently says only two groups of people should wear protective masks, those who are sick and showing symptoms and people caring for others suspected to have coronavirus. It says medical masks should be reserved for healthcare workers and that masks are not generally recommended for the public because: • they can be contaminated by other people's coughs and sneezes, or when putting them on or removing them • frequent hand-washing and social distancing are more effective • they might offer a false sense of security