Covid-19 – UPDATE FOR MEMBERS

As many of us are working from home, including SaRS staff, please use our contact form if you would like to redirect your SaRS newsletter or Journal to your home address.

You can still call the office on 0161 393 8411 and leave a message and we will get back to you.

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April 2020 – It has never been so easy to save lives – simply stay at home – yet at the same time so difficult, particularly for those on the front line.

We have, therefore, collated various information from different sources which we hope you will find useful during the Covid-19 pandemic. We would also like to highlight various requests for help to support the NHS save lives. For completeness we have included the basic information that you are all no doubt already very familiar with which is:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do – GOV.UK
• Guidance for homeworkers
• Guidance for employees, employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19) – GOV.UK

We would also like to draw your attention to NHS guidance on mental wellbeing while staying at home and the latest information and advice from HSE.  This advice includes:

• When a worker’s possible or actual exposure to the coronavirus or diagnosis as having Covid-19 must be reported to HSE.
• What steps you and your business should take to protect workers in the workplace, e.g. through social distancing or when working from home.
• A rapid review of personal protective equipment in the context of COVID-19 including the importance of fit testing of face masks to avoid transmission of the virus.

You can keep up to date with HSE’s science and engineering contribution to the national effort against coronavirus by following HSE’s Chief Scientific Advisor on twitter @CSA_HSE.

We would also like to make you aware of various ways in which your organisation could support the national effort against Covid-19 and the UK’s social and economic recovery afterwards. The government is currently looking for innovative or novel approaches to rapidly sanitise ambulances. The Royal Academy of Engineering is coordinating requests for support and inviting ideas.

UK registered businesses have until noon on 17 April 2020 to apply for between £25 and £50k to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the Covid-19 pandemic. Further details including how to apply can be found here.

Please do let us know via LinkedIn or by emailing journal@sars.org.uk of any further information you think fellow safety and reliability professionals would find useful including how you personally or your organisation have been supporting the national effort against Covid-19.