As our Group Head of Health & Safety, I want to remind you of the rules that we should all be following at Greencore to keep our people safe and minimise the risk of COVID-19. I also want to share with you some of my ongoing concerns about the virus.
The following are the rules and guidance I want to reiterate:
Everywhere
- You should continue to wash and sanitise your hands regularly both at home and at work – this continues to be a very effective way of killing the virus
- You must continue to observe the 2 metre social distancing rule wherever possible, both at work and outside of work
- Where social distancing isn’t possible, you should make use of screens, visors, masks or face coverings, as required
- If you, or a member of your household displays any COVID-19 symptoms, you should get tested, follow self-isolating guidance and inform your line manager as soon as possible
- If travelling abroad for personal reasons, you should check Government and Greencore advice – there are currently significant restrictions in place and you may need to self-isolate upon return
Greencore specific
- Those colleagues currently working from home, should continue to work from home
- Where you can, use your own transport – if you need to use public transport, please wear a face covering, sanitise your hands and social distance
- Car sharing should be avoided where possible, unless it is with someone from your household. Further guidance is available from your local HR team.
- You should not travel between different Greencore sites. If there is a requirement for you to do this for your role, this needs to be authorised by Group Technical Director Martin Ford, Chief Operating Officer Clare Evans or myself, along with the relevant General Manager. There must be at least 7 days between you visiting different Greencore sites.
- We have currently stopped all site visits from suppliers, customers or the general public – if there is a need for any of these to attend a site, they must be approved by Martin Ford, myself or a member of the Executive team. These visitors will need to complete relevant paperwork when they arrive at the site
- Only essential contractors are allowed on site once approved by the General Manager and Operations Director
- You should not travel abroad on behalf of the business
While we are seeing an improvement across the UK, with fewer cases and deaths of the virus being recorded daily, it remains a pandemic. There are lots of regional differences in new cases and some regions are still suffering from a significant number.
You’ll also be aware of news over the past week that several food manufacturing sites across the UK have had to close down due to significant outbreaks. This reminds us of just how serious the virus is and the consequences it can bring to both individuals and businesses.
All of this, along with continuing evidence and advice I’m receiving from medical and scientific sources, daily, I continue to be very concerned about the virus. We cannot become complacent – we all have a part to play in ensuring we help to reduce the risk of this virus.
We are expecting some further announcements from the UK Government later this week, particularly around their plans concerning the 2 metre social distancing rule. As always, where possible, we will continue to follow Government guidance but, rest assured, we will also put in place any additional steps that we feel are necessary to keep our people safe, to ensure we keep Britain fed and to protect our business for the future.
I know I can count on your support and I’d also encourage you to continue to let us know if you are aware of colleagues who are not adhering to this guidance. Together we can protect ourselves, each other, our families and our colleagues if we all stay vigilant and continue to follow these rules and guidelines.
John Boyle
Group Head of Health & Safety
