How our construction sites are getting ready for re-start
Project delivery directorate teams have been paving the way for a safe re-start of their work on the Sellafield site.
The team has been piloting the new safety measures.
The Box Encapsulation Plant Product Store Direct Import Facility (BEPPS-DIF) site, like much of our construction work, is paused work due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
From the moment construction work paused, we knew that people would return at some point, and we knew that we wanted them to be safe.
So throughout April and into May ahead of the beginning of a phased restart on 11 May, BEPPS-DIF has been piloting the new measures of all our projects we’ll need to have in place once work starts in the “new normal”.
This includes:
- stringent social distancing measures
- increased cleaning regimes
- reinforcing hand washing rules
- changes to travel to and from worksites
- extra supervision
- additional risk assessments
- new signage
It’s already brought a visible change to the way the BEPPS-DIF site looks – there are distancing marks on the floors, parts of buildings have been cordoned off, and new one-way systems have been introduced.
Every part of the working day has been thought of – from the car parking, welfare such as canteens and toilets. The entire site has been reorganised to ensure employees can maintain distance from their colleagues.
Sellafield Ltd’s Head of Projects Steve Harnwell, said:
We’ve been working with our supply chain colleagues who have collaborated and generously shared their approach, as well as linking in with trade unions, and we feel we’re fully in-line with best practices deployed throughout the UK.
The most important thing is to keep our workforce safe, and these measures will help do this. The next step is to roll out these measures across all our major projects, and when we recommence some projects we will review to learn from their use and incorporate improvement if required.
We will be regularly reviewing all measures put in place, including those on BEPPS-DIF and other projects and other areas of site and our offsite offices.
Any measures brought in will depend on what is appropriate, practical and possible in differing spaces, but the overriding driver will be to keep the workforce safe.
The BEPPS-DIF site isn’t quiet this week – a few people returned to work on Monday to ensure everything is ready for the people who will be attending starting from next week.