Swan Property Repairs Service | Coronavirus Safety Measures

Safety First!

How we’ve adapted our maintenance service Find out how your landlord and Axis are keeping you and your home safe during the Coronavirus pandemic.

We will continue to provide property 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 maintenance on your property 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 exiting your property and regularly throughout the day.

Resident Responsibilities

Please adhere to the Government COVID-19 safety guidelines and help us undertake work on 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 any work that requires entering 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 work 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 work and your self-isolation answers.

PPE QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

ROUTINE WORK

(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 urgent work 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 work and vulnerable residents. Our resident liaison team will be in touch very shortly and will rebook your appointment with you.

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-to-

Coronavirus working-safely 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.

Operatives • Axis operatives will wear masks in your property • Axis operatives will open the windows to allow ventilation and close them when leaving the property