Our human resources are among our most important assets, and we look after staff health and wellbeing to ensure they perform at their best.
Here at REACT, we know that our human resources are among our most important assets. Without vetted, fit and equipped staff, we wouldn’t be able to undertake our wide range of specialist cleaning assignments. Our staff’s professionalism and fitness for work are also key in providing confidence for our clients. On a daily basis, they demonstrate a commitment to the job in dealing with all sorts of difficult situations. We ask a lot of them as they play a vital role in our being able to provide excellent customer service. In return, we believe the way we treat our staff members is one of the important ways that we go beyond the everyday in our specialist cleaning services. In this blog, we’ll look at what we do to look after our staff’s health and wellbeing.
Staff health checks, vaccinations and self-reporting keep us fit for work
We set great store in ensuring that our staff are medically fit, whether in the current pandemic or at other times. Where possible, we make sure that our staff are fully immunised for blood-borne pathogens such as tetanus and hepatitis. For infections where there is no vaccine, our other policies and procedures become ever more relevant. As well as general hygiene, we adopt a particularly rigorous approach to hand washing and respiratory etiquette.
Our approach to the health of our specialist cleaning staff is total. This therefore also extends to making sure our staff inform us as soon as they’re sick. Again, this is of course especially important given the current circumstances and the range of different Covid-19 symptoms. We adopt a no-blame attitude towards sickness and reporting being unable to work. Staff must inform their line manager as soon as possible about any sickness or concerning symptoms. We have strict processes around returning to work after any period of sickness.
We don’t overlook our staff’s wellbeing
One of the most important aspects of our specialist cleaning service is dealing with trauma. That can be on the roadside or on the rail network, or it can be in a home or work environment. Some of the cleaning assignments we undertake are highly sensitive. And we know that dealing with the aftermath of accidents or fatality can in turn be traumatic for our staff. To address this, we provide a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to provide advice and support 24/7 via a helpline. Our staff members can talk confidentially about anything they may have come across during a work assignment.
We’re also aware that staff can minimise the impact that dealing with successive traumas has on their wellbeing. They can often feel as if they’re desensitised to the situation, but may in fact be feeling high levels of stress nonetheless. That’s why we drive awareness of our EAP throughout the company, by distributing discreet credit-card sized leaflets with information about the service. But it’s not just for work situations that we offer help and support through our EAP. We want to support the mental health and wellbeing of our workers in the round. Whether they suffer a bereavement or a relationship breakdown, they have financial concerns or are worried about family illness, we can help.
Our amazing staff are responsible for safety and security
Ultimately, our primary duty of care is towards our clients’ security and safety. We train our staff in every aspect of specialist cleaning. They get to know the correct dosage and use of all types of sanitising fluids and other cleaning products. We follow rigorous health and safety guidelines for all decontamination and deep cleaning processes, adhering to rules around colour-coding, specialist equipment, and disinfection methods.
One key element of protecting our specialist cleaning staff is of course Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It’s vital to have the correct PPE, and clear instructions on how to put on and remove all such equipment. For instance, for a disinfection we insist on every possible precaution. As a minimum, this would include a Hazmat Category 3 suit, A1P2 mask, and two pairs of disposable gloves. Of course, it’s all well and good having equipment, but it needs frequent checking. Before any cleaning job, we prepare sanitising equipment following the industry standards. And most importantly, we always display warning signs near areas to be disinfected. That way, we always meet the greater needs of protecting public health alongside our staff’s health and wellbeing.
To find out more about REACT Specialist Cleaning and our approach to ensuring our staff’s health and wellbeing, contact one of the team today.
Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of REACT Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector.