Safe Working during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This document explains the changes to our working environment and our new ways of working. Our focus is to ensure that we are taking the right actions to ensure the safety of our employees, our customers, our visitors and our families.  These adaptations have been informed by our Covid-19 risk assessments which we have carried out for both the UK and India. We encourage our employees to let us know if they have any concerns, have identified any potential risks, or have any suggestions for further adaptations we can make.  We may make changes to our safe working practices it from time to time, as the advice and guidance around Covid-19 is updated and amended.

Our employees have been advised that they should only attend the office where it is absolutely essential for them to do so.  Going into the office (either location) is by exception only at this stage, and we have put in place an approval process which must be completed before any employee or visitor can go to the office.  We keep track of all requests and visits centrally, so that we know who has visited the offices and when. 

We have put in place detailed procedures for visiting our offices (for both our employees and visitors), as well as details for our employees who are asked to visit a customer site, which have been made available to our employees, and are shared with visitors and customers as required. 

It is absolutely essential that anyone who is planning on coming into our offices does not do so if they or anyone they live with develops symptoms of Covid-19, and that they self-isolate in line with current guidelines.   Anyone awaiting a Covid-19 test result must also self-isolate.

Travel to and from the PMC offices

In the UK, we encourage our employees and visitors to minimise their use of public transport, and instead walk or cycle where possible. If travelling by car, they must not car-share with anyone outside their household.  In India, the use of public transport is currently prohibited.

We have provided handwashing facilities and hand sanitizers throughout our offices, which must be used when entering the building and at regular intervals throughout the day.

Working arrangements

General measures

To reduce the risk of infection spread, we have installed additional hand sanitizers, including at entrances and exits.  We also ensure that cleaning of the work areas and equipment is happening on a daily basis and have provided antibacterial wipes for employees and visitors to clean surfaces they touch throughout the day. We have signage and posters up throughout the building to provide regular reminders to maintain hygiene standards and social distancing.  We ask all employees and visitors to remove waste and belongings from the work area at the end of their visit to the office.

Whilst we are taking these stringent measures, we remind all employees and visitors to play their part by adhering to these procedures, including washing their hands often and thoroughly, avoiding touching their face, particularly their eyes, nose and mouth, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue and binning it safely, or into their arm if a tissue is not available.

Meetings

As part of our social-distancing measures, meetings should be conducted remotely whenever possible. When physical meetings are necessary, only essential participants should attend them and they should be kept as short as possible.  Social distancing of two metres should be maintained throughout and objects such as stationery should not be shared.  Hand sanitizers are provided in meeting rooms.  Floor markings are also provided to help maintain social distancing.

Hygiene and cleanliness

General measures

To reduce the risk of infection spread, we have installed additional hand sanitizers, including at entrances and exits.  We also ensure that cleaning of the work areas and equipment is happening on a daily basis and have provided antibacterial wipes for employees and visitors to clean surfaces they touch throughout the day. We have signage and posters up throughout the building to provide regular reminders to maintain hygiene standards and social distancing.  We ask all employees and visitors to remove waste and belongings from the work area at the end of their visit to the office.

Whilst we are taking these stringent measures, we remind all employees and visitors to play their part by adhering to these procedures, including washing their hands often and thoroughly, avoiding touching their face, particularly their eyes, nose and mouth, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue and binning it safely, or into their arm if a tissue is not available.

Customer and visitors

To reduce the risk of infection spread, customers/visitors will need to confirm that they are not symptomatic of Covid-19 before they come to our offices.  We have restricted the number of customers allowed in at any one time, taking into account the space available and the need to maintain two metres social distancing.  Further detailed guidance is provided to all visitors prior to their arrival.