Following the recent government announcements, the RRT has carefully considered the requirements for the new national lockdown in England and Scotland and its impact on operations.

As we have done throughout the pandemic, we will follow Government Guidelines and the safety of our staff and those we work with remains our number one priority. 

The Government has confirmed that construction work is essential and should proceed, meaning our business can continue to operate. However, as in the initial lockdown in March 2020, we must all ensure that we are only leaving our homes if it is absolutely necessary and are minimising our journeys as far as possible.

For this reason:

• All those who can work remotely must do so. Any area offices that are not directly required for on-site operations should close if they have not already.
• Visits to our sites must only be made if there is an absolute business need – such as Health & Safety or to maintain operations.
• Visits to customer sites or face to face meetings with customers must only proceed if essential and will require approval from the director of your business unit.
• If site visits are deemed vital and proceed, then all Health & Safety protocols must be completely adhered to with no exceptions.

An essential journey notice for any work-related travel can be found in the download section of the UK News website here, for use as needed.

In a reflection of the increased numbers of cases nationally, we have seen a significant upturn in employees contracting the virus, with 30 cases recorded over the Christmas period. We are expecting further cases amongst over the coming days because of the increased socialisation during Christmas and New Year.

It is now more crucial than ever before that we remain extremely vigilant and closely follow all the required Health & Safety guidelines and protocols; particularly those that cover physical distancing and cleaning routines. This is especially important as we see the impact of the new variant which is more infectious and more easily spread.

These guidelines are the same as for the lockdown in March 2020 – ensuring our workplaces are safe with operations continuing. All employees working at our sites are assured that the risk of Coronavirus continues to be carefully managed in line with our protocols.

Remember to follow the four behaviours at all times:

1. Identify Symptoms and inform. Recognise the symptoms of COVID-19, and if in doubt, be responsible – stay home, do not come into work and get tested.
2. Personal Hygiene. Wash your hands as often as possible and follow other required cleanliness regimes.
3. Physical Distance. Maintain a safe physical distance from others and avoid physical interactions with people outside your home.
4. Protect yourself and others. Anytime you leave your home, please use a facemask and any other PPE like face shields or gloves as required.

It is particularly important to recognise the symptoms of Coronavirus, as people may also be experiencing colds or the flu at this time of year. Do not assume you simply have a cold and come into work; if you have any symptoms, stay at home and get a test. A reminder of the symptoms can be found here

Remember: All COVID-19 Related Absence and Positive Cases Must be Logged

We ask all employees remember that all confirmed cases of Coronavirus must be notified to Line Managers and the Health & Safety team at the earliest opportunity. This procedure still applies to those who are working remotely, even if they do not need to be absent from work.

All COVID-19 related absences should also be logged via the dedicated online form, accessible here and record absences on SAP as you would do normally.