Data Loading...
Business Continuity Plan 2020 Flipbook PDF
Business Continuity Plan 2020
137 Views
49 Downloads
FLIP PDF 875.77KB
Homes | Lives | Communities
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN
UPDATED MAY 2019
Authorised by
-------------
DATE OF ISSUE
____________________________________
DATE OF FINANCE COM. APPROVAL
_____________________________________
This plan must be held by ALL SMT and OMT with copies made available to all office bearers. This plan will be reviewed on a biannual basis through SMT and reproduced annually.
INDEX A. Purpose of the Plan A.1 B.
Emergency staff and Board contacts / Key Holders Out of hours contractors / emergency services Utility Companies and Out of Hours Emergency repairs Insurance Brokers Social Work & Homelessness Specialist Equipment in Housing Properties Key Office Contact Numbers Support Providers & Lease Partners
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10
Office Fire/Flood - ‘What to do’ Checklist Loss of Computer Data - ‘What to do’ Checklist Theft from the Office - ‘What to do’ Checklist Speaking to the Media - ‘What to do’ Checklist Personal Injury, Loss, Damage Claim - ‘What to do’ Checklist Enforced Absence of Chief Executive - ‘Contingency Arrangements’ Dealing with Severe Weather Conditions - ‘What to do’ checklist
12 14 15 16 17 18 19
What to do in a Housing Property Emergency D.1
D.2 D.3
E.
Maintenance emergencies - ‘What to do’ checklist D.1.1 Housing Property Fire or Explosion D.1.2 Housing Property Flood D.1.3 Housing Property Loss of Gas Services D.1.4 Housing Property Loss of Electricity D.1.5 Housing Property no Heating & Hot Water D.1.6 Housing Property Structurally Unsound Tenant emergencies - ‘What to do’ checklist D.2.1 Emergency Re-housing - Property Uninhabitable D.2.2 Emergency Re-housing - Serious Harassment Development emergencies - ‘What to do’ checklist D.3.1 Death/Serious Injury on Site D.3.2 Development Contractor Going Bust D.3.3 Development Site Fire/Flood D.3.4 Development Site - Damage to Neighbouring Property
20
22 23
Avoidance & Limitation procedures E.1 E.2 E.3 E.4 E.5 E.6
F.
Office Fire/Flood Loss of Computer Data Theft from the Office Premises Natural Disasters Attacks on Staff Housing Association’s Guide
25 26 27 28 29 30
Additional Contacts F.1
G.
1
What to do in an Office Emergency C.1 C.2 C.3 C.4 C.5 C.6 C.7
D.
Introduction
Contact Names & Telephone Numbers B.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 B.5 B.6 B.7 B.8
C.
PAGE
Housing Contacts Coronavirus
F.2
Helpline Numbers
30 31
DIAGRAM 1: CRITICAL INCIDENT PLAN Stage 1 Notification of Incident
INCIDENT THREAT
RAISE ALARM NOTIFY EMERGENCY LEAD OFFICER
Stage 2: Assessment of Incident
ASSESS LEVEL OF RISK TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION
Stage 3: Appropriate Actions and Information Control
SECURE AREA
WHERE APPROPRIATE EVACUATE
MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES
FACILITATE HANDOVER TO EMERGENCY SERVICES
EMERGENCY LEAD OFFICER TAKES CONTROL
CEO NOTIFIES BOARD AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
CONTINUE TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS ARE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE SAFETY AND PROVISION
Stage 4: End of Incident
SOUND ALL CLEAR
ALL CLEAR
RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATIONS WITH SUPPORT PROVISION
SMT REVIEW EVENT LESSONS LEARNT ACTION PLAN
A
PURPOSE OF THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN
A.1 Introduction The purpose of this manual is to allow the Association to recover quickly and effectively from any incident that threatens to seriously disrupt operations. Response to critical incidents, according to sectional information, should follow Diagram 1 opposite. a)
Risk Identification
The Business Continuity Plan should be viewed as a supplement to the Association’s Risk Register and the Operational Plan.
The Plan covers all risks which the Association has identified requiring immediate response or emergency action according to the following scale of severity: Death Risk to staff or tenants Loss of operational services Need to move people Failure of organisational services Media Involvement Breach of legislation
LEVEL 1
Critical
CEO/ Board
LEVEL 2
Substantial
Director/ CEO
LEVEL 3
Serious
Manager/ Director
Risk of media involvement Emergency Services implemented. Damage to property Risk of breach of contract through failure to provide services Unable to get prompt access to appropriate services to rectify situation. Out of Hours service issues
Officer/ Manager
Can be dealt with swiftly by staff/contractor and / or manager. No risk to life, or organisational processes.
Level 4
Urgent
b)
Avoidance & Limitation Procedures - Section E.
Clear procedures need to be put in place, which either help the Association to avoid the occurrence of the disaster, or which limit the potential impact of the disaster.
These procedures must be capable of being implemented using the current staff resources, and adherence to the procedures will be monitored on a regular basis.
These procedures must be detailed, and must be effectively communicated to the staff involved in their implementation.
c)
Recovery Procedures - What to do’ checklists, Sections C and D.
Clear procedures must be put in place that can be followed in the event of a disaster, aiding a speedy and organised restoration of normal business operations.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 1
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.1 Emergency Contacts Manager name H Scott Thompson H Frances Magee H Barbara Scott
Operational area
NW Philip Mooney
Asset Management
NW Gráinne
Robinson
Homes & Communities
NW Stephen Power
Homes & Communities
Director name Sean Fitzsimons Deborah Wooderson Katrina Smyth
Directorate
Development
Telephone 028 9039 5678 028 9039 5677 028 9209 3451 -
Derek Johnston
Finance
028 9020 8939
Asset Management
Telephone -
Homes & Communities Homes & Communities
Asset Management Homes & Communities
02890777940
028 7126 7015 028 7127 2562
Mobile 07580396962 07740640999 07921050300 07725962942 07525236119 07528371890 07970150912 07543260407 Mobile 07966 245572 07970 669410 07901 978356 07740 153500 07872601461 07766 528238 07447 947752 07740214485
Level 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
2 2 2
2
Darren McKinney CEO 028 9059 3962 3* *CEO to contact Board if necessary. In the event of a disaster situation, in particular one which might implicate the Association. Out of hours Office Key Holders Office Bearers
Position
Home
Sarah Witchell
Chairman
028 9181 3024 07759 602301
Trevor Greene
Vice Chairman
Ian Nelson
Treasurer
028 9076 0900 07881 587906
Brian Symington
Hon. Secretary
028 9050 7783 07714 528772
Name
Position
Home
Darren McKinney
CEO
SEE ABOVE
Greg Statham
Comms Officer
028 9042 5580
Derek Johnston
Director of Finance
SEE ABOVE
All H
Sean Fitzsimons
Dir Asset Management
SEE ABOVE
HibSt
Ann McErlean
Quality/Performance M
Stephen Power
Sen. Housing Officer
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 2
Mobile
07773 351959
Mobile
All H 07773391214
07834518382 SEE ABOVE
Office Hib St
NW NW
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.2 Emergency Contacts / Contractors, Emergency Services Emergency contractors should only be contacted for Emergency Repairs, see definition below. If unavailable out of hours contact Fold Telecare 0800 731 3081. DEFINITION OF AN EMERGENCY REPAIR Required response time - attendance within 4 hours, 7 days a week When any individual property or part of the common property is unsafe, insecure, structurally unsound, or uninhabitable. The following list is an example and is not exhaustive: Gas escape / Fire / Uncontrolled escape of water / Serious subsidence / Full loss of power / No water / Insecure property - as notified by the emergency services / Any repair which affects the safety and security of the property/tenant / No heating or hot water MTC: D MARTIN - DAYTIME: 02890448811 Out of hours: BUILDING - 07541168126 (Please state this is a Building call out for D Martin) If no response, try 07341896405 PLUMBING - 02890370664 (Please state this is a Plumbing call out for D Martin) If no response, try 07970249324 ELECTRICAL - 07825027355 (Please state this is an Electrical call out for D Martin) If no response, try 07958191544 In the event of any of the secondary numbers fail to answer contact: Richard Hogg on 07802330427 or Mark Martin on 07714283818 WARDEN CALL SYSTEMS, DOOR ENTRY, FIRE ALARMS, EMERGENCY LIGHTING: ATLAS - 02890391000 LIFTS: KONE - 08443326973 DAYTIME: 02890735904 HEATING CONTRACTOR: CTS PROJECTS - DAYTIME: 02841752299 All types of heating and hot water issues (leaking radiators), Smoke detectors and CO Detectors, Solar, Heat Recovery Units, Gas & Oil Boilers (NB NOT ECONOMY 7 - please refer to D MARTIN ELECTRICAL) Conars Court Fire Alarm / Electrical: Gareth Fry, McMurdie Electrical – 07766005973 Fire Alarm / Fire Panel: Dean Brownlee, Atlas World – 07918721148 Managing Agent: Eamonn McGlinchey, Midas Property Services 07763385830 – (Responsible if system is activated but should contact fire monitoring station directly.)
POLICE In an emergency dial 999 or 18000 for text phone users - where serious injury has been caused or a crime is in progress and the suspects are at or near the scene. Police Exchange - Belfast - 02890 650 222 Police - Londonderry - 02871 367 337 For all non-emergency police 101. Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 3
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.3 Utility Companies and Out of Hours Emergency Repairs UTILITY COMPANY EMERGENCY NUMBERS Gas (Phoenix and Firmus) EMERGENCY Calor Gas EMERGENCY Northern Ireland Electricity EMERGENCY Public Water and Sewerage EMERGENCY
0800 002 001 02890 442 442 08457 643 643 or 02890 661 100 08457 440 088
TENANT CONTACT FOR OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCIES Out of hours emergency repairs FREEPHONE Fold Telecare NI Housing Executive (24 hr Emergencies) (Head Office)
0800 731 3081 0800 731 3081 03448 920 900 028 90240 588
ENERGY SUPPLIER CONTACT DETAILS Airtricity Energy Supply Ltd Energia ESB Independent Energy NIE Energy Firmus Energy Phoenix Supply Ltd VAYU
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 4
0845 601 9093 or 0845 603 4444 028 90 685900 08453 990901 08457 455455 08456 08 00 88 0845 900 5253 +353(0)18849400
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.4 Insurance Brokers BROKER Lockton Companies International Ltd. 1st Floor, 40 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BA Contact person: Telephone: Fax:
Keith Holden 02890 34 8433 02890 23 3902
Policy details (see note below) Office Combined Insurance Combined Liability Property Owners Public & Product Liability Excess Fidelity Guarantee Engineering Lockton Computer Facility Lockton D & O Liability Facility Group Personal Accident Private Car Property Owners Loss adjusters Appointed by insurers.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 5
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.5 Social Work and Homelessness
NI Housing Executive (provides emergency housing and advice)
Office Hours - 034 4892 0900 Out of Hours Homeless 028 95049999 Emergency repairs 03448 920 901
Housing Rights Service (advice on housing debt, homelessness and landlord problems)
028 9024 5640
Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Western Health & Social Care Trust Southern Health & Social Care Trust Northern Health & Social Care Trust South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
028 9504 0100 028 7134 5171 028 3833 4444 028 9446 5211 028 9055 3100
Samaritans - 24 hour (for confidential emotional support)
084 5790 9090
Women’s Aid - 24 hour (refuge and advice for abused women and children)
0808 802 1414
Citizen’s Advice Bureau (free legal, financial and other advice)
028 9023 6522
Simon Community Advice and Emergency Housing
0800 171 2222
NB: The NI Housing Executive has a statutory obligation to provide housing in the event of a fire or flood/civil emergency.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 6
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.6 Specialist equipment in housing Automated Hoist: In the first instance, contact the Trust responsible for installation (for Trust contact details see B.5) Where not possible and/or installation predates Trust involvement, contact our main contractor (B.7) Automatic Toilets: Contractor Contact details B.7
D. Martin (contact details as per B7)
Automatic Door/Window Openers: Contractor D. Martin (contact details as per B7) Contact details B.7 Alarm Call System: Contractor Telephone
Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd 02890 391 000
Appliances: Phoenix Gas (gas appliances)
0800 002 001
NI Electricity (electrical appliances)
08457 643 643
Lifts: Contractor Telephone Out of hours
Kone 028 9073 5900 084 5330 5850
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 7
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.7 Key office contact details OFFICE ALARMS HOLYWOOD Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd 02890 391 000
NORTH WEST BHP Alarms Ltd 028 7126 2757 [email protected]
SOLICITORS & LEGAL SERVICES EJECTMENT SERVICES ASSOCIATION SOLICITOR Edwards and Company 28 Hill Street BELFAST 028 9032 1863 Contact: Teresa Curran
Additional (Belfast area) Harrisons 15 -17 Chichester St BELFAST 028 9032 3843 Contact: Claire Fisher
Additional (North West) Babington & Croasdaile 9 Limavady Road LONDONDERRY 028 7131 0600 Contact: Killian Conwell
INSURANCE WORK See details for Lockton B.4 BANKS Ulster Bank Limited Corporate Markets 11-16 Donegall Sq East BELFAST 028 9041 6625 Oonagh Walker Corporate Executive
Danske Bank Limited Corporate Banking Donegall Sq West BELFAST 028 9004 9309 / 07834 585 455 Chris Martin Corporate Banking Manager
Barclays Bank Commercial Bank 7 Donegall Sq North, BELFAST 028 9088 2924 Claire Walker
Ulster Bank - bank accounts can be accessed through online banking at www.ulsterbank.co.uk/ni/business/products/online-banking.ashx Customer id is 406550.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 8
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.7 Key office contact details (continued) INTERNET MAINTENANCE AdEPT Telecom PLC 77 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells KENT 08445 577300 Contact: Gemma Ronan OMNILEDGER MAINTENANCE OmniLedger Limited 5 Bridgegate Centre, Martinfield HERTS 01707 324201 Contact: Support desk TELEPHONE MAINTENANCE Rainbow Communications Rainbow Communications House, 286 Ballygowan Road BELFAST 02890 379000 Contact: Neale Wilson PAYROLL PROVISION Frontier Software PLC Frontier House, 63 Guildford Road Lightwater SURREY 0845 6015441 Option 1 Contact: Support desk
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 9
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.8 Support Providers and Lease Partners The Cedar Foundation Client Group: Physical disabilities, Brain injury, Learning difficulties, Sensory impairment Mr Stephen Mathews, Chief Executive Malcolm Sinclair House, 31 Ulsterville Avenue, BELFAST 028 9066 6188 www.cedar-foundation.org
Schemes in partnership with Cedar Foundation: Ardkeen 86 Marlborough Park North BELFAST BT9 6HL 028 9066 7102 Manager: Michelle Bolton
Ballymacoss House 1 Johnston Way LISBURN BT28 2XE 028 9260 3534 Manager: Colette Speight
Twisel Lodge 19a Church Avenue HOLYWOOD BT18 9BJ 028 9042 8458 Manager: Louise Campbell
Hillmount Close 104 Finaghy Road South Belfast BT10 0DG
Hillmount Court Finaghy Road South BELFAST BT10 ODT
The Karuna Home 3-5 Minorca Drive
028 9062 4372 Manager: Michelle Bolton
Manager: Michelle Bolton
028 9336 0665 Manager Heather Wright
Simon Community N Ireland Client Group: Homeless Mr Jim Dennison Chief Executive 57 Fitzroy Avenue, BELFAST 028 9023 2882 www.simoncommunity.org Schemes in partnership with Simon Community NI: Larne Hostel 1 Curran Rd/Circular Rd LARNE BT40 1BS 028 2827 5175 Team Leader: Greg Russell
Newry Hostel 65 Bridge Street NEWRY BT35 8AF 028 3026 6044 Team Leader: Marianne McCaul
Linen Court Linenhall Street ARMAGH BT61 7AD 028 3751 1545 Manager: Arlene Irvine
Extern Client Group: Homeless Charlie Mack, Chief Executive Hydepark House, 54 Mallusk Rd, Newtownabbey BT36 4WU 028 9084 0555
Schemes in partnership with Extern: Ormeau Centre 5/11 Verner Street BELFAST 028 9023 8091 Manager: Vivien Harvey
SENSE Client Group: Sensory impairment Ms Colette Gray, NI Services Manager The Manor House, Mallusk, BT36 8RU 028 9083 3430 www.sense.org.uk
Schemes in partnership with SENSE: Eden 41 Edenvale Avenue CARRICKFERGUS BT38 7NP 028 9336 2792 Manager: Patrick Black
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 10
B
CONTACT NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
B.8 Support Providers and Lease Partners (continued) Board of Social Witness Client Group: Substance abuse rehabilitation Mr Lindsay Conway OBE Dir of Social Service & Secretary Church House, Fisherwick Place BELFAST BT1 6DW 028 9032 2284
Schemes in partnership with Board of Social Witness: Gray’s Court 31 Cliftonville Avenue BELFAST BT14 6TX 028 9035 1948 Manager: Frances Craig
NI Institute for the Disabled Client Group: Homeless K Miskimmon, Executive Director Downshire Road BANGOR BT20 3RD 028 9146 5211
Schemes in partnership with NIID Utility St Hostel Utility Street, Donegall Road BELFAST BT12 5JS 028 9032 1132 Manager: Edmund McCullough
First Housing Aid & Support Services Client Group: Homeless / rehabilitation Mr Kevin Wright, Chief Executive 28a Bishop Street, LONDONDERRY BT48 6PP 028 7126 6115 www.first-housing.com
Schemes in partnership with FHASS Damien House 10 Foyle Road LONDONDERRY BT48 6JY 028 7136 0287 Manager: Garry Burns
Inspire Client Group: Mental health needs Mr Peter McBride, Chief Executive 80 University Street BANGOR BT7 1HE 028 9132 8474
Schemes in partnership with NIAMH Millburn Close Knockbracken BELFAST BT8 7SS 028 9079 3388 Manager: Andrew Gowdy
Southern Health and Social Care Trust Ms Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive Craigavon Area Hospital 68 Lurgan Road PORTADOWN BT63 5QQ 028 3861 3963
Schemes in partnership with SHSCT Glanree House Needham Close, Patrick St NEWRY BT35 8EB 028 3026 1300 Manager: Hazel Sommerville
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 11
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.1 Fire/Flood The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. If necessary, make brief notes regarding each task. 1) Ring fire alarm and confirm everyone is out of the building and, for the main building, assembled at the Car Park beside the taxi office. Assembly point for North West, the courtyard, for Kinnegar and St Helens - , respectively Contact the fire brigade/police/ ambulance as required. It is the responsibility of Managers to make sure staff and visitors have left the building. The emergency services must be informed of any staff member whose location is unknown. Staff must not return to the building until advised by the Emergency Services. In the case of Assembly points being unsafe staff must follow instruction from the Emergency Services and Assembled at a location deemed safe. It is the responsibility of all staff to make sure that they identify themselves to managers.
2) Where possible the building should be checked by the Fire Wardens and made secure. 3) If possible contact the Chief Executive & other key staff members, B.1. 4) Transfer all calls to Telecare 0800 731 3081. 5) Initiate a location move to the designated alternative premises, if required. In the Case of Hibernia Street this is Kinnegar and vice versa. If this is not practical then Ardnaclowney House, Ardnaclowney Drive, Beechmount Street, Belfast is the designated site for relocation for Holywood. For Northwest St Eithne’s Park, Springtown Road, Londonderry is the designated site for relocation. Current Offices that are still in operation must be immediately used to handle key customer services and disaster co-ordination.
6)
Contact must be made with the following when practical Insurance Company listed - B.4 Emergency maintenance Contractors - B.2 DfC - F.1
7) Assign responsibility to someone to contact the following and advise of the temporary office address and the telephone number: Police Insurance Company Emergency Maintenance Contractors All staff and key Management Committee member Post Office - to re-direct mail Rainbow - divert main line 02890 427 211 to the temporary office when available Ulster Bank Note here who is doing this task: _______________________________________ C WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 12
C.1 Fire/Flood (continued) 8) Where possible backup drive(s) should be removed from the affected server site 9) Initiate failover of all replicated servers. 10) Systems administrator will ensure domain and network services are available to temporary office and / or workers. 11) Arrange access to a photocopier and print copies of headed paper as required. Contact the Association’s usual printed stationery supplier to arrange for an urgent delivery. 12) Contact the Community Assistants or Housing Officers with instructions to contact all tenants and update them on the situation. Notes
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 13
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.2 Loss of Computer Data Checklist The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. There is also space for you to make brief notes. Context: This checklist is designed to deal with large-scale loss of computer data. This will be restored by the systems administrator (for outside office hours contact Derek Johnston 07766528238. For OmniLedger system, contact 01707 324201. 1) Try to identify the event that has caused the loss of data. For example: Server machine crash Damage to server by smoke, liquids etc Theft of part of the network Damage to cabling
Note here any details:
2) If Omniledger system is affected, contact Omniledger and advise of the problem. 3) Depending on nature of loss either re-enable replication of data from other sites or restore data from local backups. 4) Once the restore has been completed the system must be completely tested. The system passwords are stored in an encrypted file a copy of which is stored by IT and by DoF. Notes
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 14
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.3 Theft from the office The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. There is also space for you to make brief notes. Context: This checklist is designed to deal with large-scale theft of items from the office. Generally it would be expected that this event would occur outside office hours when the office is unoccupied. 1) If something appears amiss when approaching the premises, do not enter until the police have attended the scene and confirmed that the office has been checked for intruders. 2) Note the name and number of the police officer in attendance and record the incident log number. 3) Using the office equipment inventory see below, check each room of the office with the PSNI Officer for missing/damaged items. Note details of all of these items, and of any other damage visible e.g. broken windows, graffiti etc 4) If required, contact the emergency maintenance contractor to attend the office and make the building secure. 5) Ensure the police are supplied with full details of all missing and damaged items and any damage to the office. 6) Contact the insurance company and provide them with full details. Await their go ahead before replacing or mending items. 7) If required, contact ICT Systems Administrator, to ‘restore computer data’. NB Managers must take responsibility for the all the items equipment and furniture within their area of responsibility and provide documented list of these when required. Use this list as an inventory to check against in circumstances where theft has taken place or is suspected.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 15
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.4 Speaking to the media The following checklist sets out the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware that the media (e.g. radio, TV, newspapers) are seeking a statement from the Association in relation to an emergency situation. This may involve any issue which could be damaging to, or contentious for, the Association. It may arise due to a disaster type situation (e.g. death or serious injury on site, serious harassment or an emergency at a property / housing scheme). 1) Members of the Senior Management Team and the Communications Officer are the only people authorised to speak to the media. Refer to the other approved people if outside your competence or review if in doubt. DO NOT MAKE A STATEMENT. 2) Find out the enquirer’s name, phone number, reason for the enquiry and what media company they represent. DO NOT GIVE INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE. 3) Pass the details of the enquiry to the relevant person. 4) If the Chief Executive cannot be contacted, contact the Directors or, where necessary, the Chairman or other Board Office Bearer. Consideration should be given to brief the Board and others (DSD, NIHE) if necessary. 5)
In the event that none of these people are contactable, contact the Association’s solicitors, refer to B10.
6) Depending on the situation, a holding statement may be required until an appropriate person is available. The Communications Officer and/or member of the Senior Management Team will prepare such a statement. 7) If appropriate, legal advice or further investigation should be undertaken before a full response is issued. 8)
Consideration should always be given to the requirements of Data Protection Legislation.
9) In instances where a Care Provider or Partner Organisation (see section B.11) is involved, there should always be communication between them and the Association before a statement is issued. The Chief Executive will, if he deems it appropriate, issue a statement jointly with the Care Provider or Partner. 10) Care Provider and Partners will be advised of the Association’s policy on speaking to the media in line with the review of the Business Continuity Plan. 11) The Chief Executive (or Director) is to decide whether the Department for Social Development or other interested parties should be contacted.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 16
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.5 Personal injury, loss or damage claim The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of situation. You should do all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. Add notes if necessary.
Context: This checklist is designed to assist in the situation where a tenant or member of the public alleges loss or damage to possessions, or personal injury as a result of Association activity. 1)
DO NOT ADMIT LIABILITY OR MAKE ANY STATEMENT IMPLYING ACCEPTANCE OF LIABILITY.
2)
Collect the information that our insurers will require to consider a claim for third party loss as follows: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h)
The date the loss, damage or injury occurred Where the loss, damage or injury occurred What Habinteg were doing at that place and time What happened to cause the loss, damage or injury What did Habinteg do to minimise the loss, damage or injury What was the nature of the loss, damage or injury Name/s and address/es of the person/s experiencing loss, damage or injury The name/s and address/es of any witnesses
3)
The claimant may ask a representative to complete a statement/claim on their behalf. However, this representative should never be a member of the Association’s staff.
4)
If an accident involved a member of staff, then it should be logged in the Association’s accident book. Where required inform the Health and Safety Executive.
5)
They, or their representative, must: a) Put their claim in writing if they have not already done so b) The Association will forward the claim and report to our insurers who will deal with the matter
6)
A Liability Accident Report Form should be completed and sent to our insurers. If the claimant has submitted a letter of claim, this should accompany the form. If the letter of claim has not been received, the insurers should be advised that it is anticipated.
7)
Copies of the claim form and other relevant documents should be retained.
8)
The Association should not respond to any correspondence from the claimant or their representative. This should be forwarded to our insurers for reply.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 17
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.6 Contingency arrangements dealing with enforced absence of Chief Executive Background As the Association’s most senior officer, the Chief Executive is responsible to the Board for the day to day running of the organisation. The Chairman and Managers are responsible to the Board through the Chief Executive, for the management of their particular functions.
Following a review of the Governance and Accountability of the Association, the Board agreed the following contingency arrangements to deal with an enforced absence of the Chief Executive. Definition of enforced absence An enforced absence has been defined as an unplanned absence arising from illness, accident or some other unforeseen circumstance. It is also defined as covering an absence in excess of 12 weeks. Procedure to be followed a) At the point where it appears likely that the Chief Executive’s enforced absence may exceed 12 weeks, the Chairman will be informed by the Directors. A designated Director will then perform the temporary role of Acting Chief Executive. b)
At the next Board meeting, in consultation with the Acting Chief Executive, the Board will agree contingency arrangements for the management of the Association and the Chairman’s team during this period.
c)
The contingency arrangements will remain in place until the Chief Executive returns to work.
d)
Should it become apparent that the Chief Executive will not return to work, the contingency arrangements will remain in force until a new Chief Executive is in place.
e)
Should these contingency measures have to be implemented; their effectiveness will be reviewed by the Board following the Chief Executive’s return to work or on the appointment of a new Chief Executive.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 18
C
WHAT TO DO IN AN OFFICE EMERGENCY
C.7 Dealing with severe weather conditions The following checklist sets out the steps to be taken immediately it has been recognised that severe weather is likely to take place. It is important to note that it will not be acceptable to wait until severe weather takes place because management of the housing and maintenance issues will be far less effective This situation may arise due to a wide range of weather conditions including: 1) Low temperatures i.e. typically below 0 C which may be accompanied by ice, frost and snow. Weather conditions may also affect the availability of staff, contractors and physical resources because road and transport conditions may be difficult. 2) High temperatures i.e. typically above 25C this may be accompanied by health concerns and impact on staff, contractor availability. 3) High levels of rain fall - this may lead to localised flooding and affect staff, contractors and the transport system, this may be accumulative and not be as a result of a heavy downfall of rain. 4) High winds - causing damage to offices, housing and the transport system. 5) Prolonged periods of dense fog effecting health and making driving and transport conditions difficult. Actions to be taken 1) Secretariat Team will act as a weather watcher and ensure that reports of serious weather conditions are circulated to SMT. 2) The Chief Executive will co-ordinate an emergency response to severe weather during normal office hours through the SMT. Outside of office hours this will be coordinated by the Directors in consultation with the Chief Executive. 3) Contact will be made with key contractors prior to adverse weather conditions taking place. 4) Staff will be given notice of severe weather and asked to make themselves available for additional hours and or overtime working. 5) Additional resources e.g. staff will be made available to deal with routine emergencies. 6) Where a major emergency takes place members of SMT will operate through the emergency committee procedures. 7) If the Chief Executive cannot be contacted, contact Directors, in the event that none of these people are contactable, contact a member of the SMT.
8) Depending on the situation, a holding statement may be required this should come through the communications officer. 9) The website should be updated and call handling should be given absolute priority by staff.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 19
D
WHAT TO DO IN A HOUSING PROPERTY EMERGENCY
D.1 Maintenance emergencies The following gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should complete all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. Add notes if necessary. D.1.1 Housing property fire or explosion 1) Instruct evacuation of the property. 2) Contact the emergency services. Give full address, name and incident details. 3) Contact the Housing Manager. Or another staff manager if Housing Manager is unavailable. 4) Attend to the site at the earliest convenience to assess the damage. 5) Organise alternative accommodation for tenant. 6) If appropriate, contact Loss Adjustor to attend at the earliest opportunity. Confirm with Insurance Company.
7) Instruct essential works to make the property safe and secure. 8) Assess the full extent of the works when it is safe to do so, allowing the tenant to remove personal belongings. 9) Arrange temporary accommodation - decant property. 10) Procure the works, with the Insurance Companies approval. 11) Monitor progress. Advise Housing Manager who will inform tenant of anticipated completion. Check on completion. D.1.2 Housing Property Internal Flood 1) Advise tenant to locate the stopcock and turn off the main supply. If the leak is adjacent to any electrical current, advise tenant to turn off power or isolate appliance. 2) Assess whether attendance by staff member is required. Alternatively request emergency contractor to attend. 3) Identify source of water ingress and isolate further. Attempt to restore water supply and electricity. 4) Contact the Housing Manager and arrange an inspection at the earliest opportunity. Advise tenant to inform their insurance company and take adequate precautions to prevent further damage. 5) Assess the need for alternative accommodation. 6) Assess damage and notify insurance company and loss adjustor if appropriate. Request an inspection at the earliest convenience. 7) Procure works with insurance company’s approval. 8) Instruct internal works, make property safe and secure. 9) Monitor progress, advise Housing Manager of anticipated completion who will advise tenant. Check on completion. BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 20
D.1.3 Housing Property Loss of Gas Services 1) No gas reported 2) Request tenant to check with gas supplier in the first instance and check credit on meter. If due to tenant’s unpaid bill, advise tenant to agree payment terms with the gas supplier. 3) If the fault is due to essential gas works by the utility company, contact utility company and assess the timescale and make a judgement on whether the gas supply is essential. 4) If the fault is specific to the property, advise the tenant to check that the gas main stopcock located at the meter is in the ‘ON’ position, i.e. the handle should be in line with the pipe work. If it is not, request tenant to turn off gas appliances and reset gas main to the ‘ON’ position. 5) If the fault continues, contact our emergency gas contractor and instruct a repair. 6) Should a repair not be possible, temporary arrangements for heating should be in place. If there are no cooking facilities and the timing for repair is unreasonable, arrangements should be made for an alternative cooking source. IN CASE OF SMELLING GAS, IMMEDIATELY CALL 0800 002 001 D.1.4 Housing Property Loss of Electricity 1) No electricity reported: As above only contact electricity supplier and contractor.
The tenant should check that the miniature circuit breakers (MCB) are in the ‘ON’ position. If there are any in the ‘OFF’ position, advise the tenant to turn off all appliances and lights and reset by pressing the reset button and turning the MCB to the ‘ON’ position. Each appliance can then be turned ON. Should the problem reoccur, avoid using the appliance that set it off. Repeat above process to return supply. D.1.5 Housing Property no Heating and Hot Water 1) There is a report that there is no heating or hot water. 2) Advise tenant to check controls, if the problem still exists contact the approved emergency maintenance contractor. 3) If the heating cannot be restored, temporary heating should be offered by the maintenance contractor until such a time as the repair is completed. D.1.6 Housing Property Structurally Unsound 1) Call received, advise tenant to vacate the property and then contact the Housing Manager if available. 2) Attend the property and assess the implications as to whether there is any risk to the neighbouring properties. 3) If a dangerous situation is identified, contact the Police, Insurance Company and Local District Council. 4) The Police and Local District Council will assess the risk and advise on the appropriate course of action. 5) Instruct the works as per instruction from the Police and the Local Authority. 6) Inform the Housing Manager of the situation. NB In all of the above instances, if the property is uninhabitable the Housing Manager should be informed in the first instance. If unavailable, contact the Local District Council to request alternative accommodation, see D.2 BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 21
D
WHAT TO DO IN A HOUSING PROPERTY EMERGENCY
D.2 Tenant Emergencies The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all of the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. Add notes if necessary. D.2.1 Arranging Emergency Re-housing - Property Uninhabitable 1) Check everyone is out of the building, and in a safe place. 2) Contact the fire brigade/police/ambulance as required. 3) Contact the Housing Manager if possible. 4) If we speak to the affected tenant and they are wish to make their own arrangements without assistance, find out their contact address and phone number. No further action required. 5) If we cannot speak to the affected tenant, or more than one tenant is affected, arrange to visit the development with the Housing Manager or another member of Association staff. 6) On arrival, introduce yourself to affected tenant/s and assess situation. 7) In affected properties, consult section D.1 for procedures regarding disconnection of utilities or emergency repair requirements. 8) Secure affected properties either by use of existing door locks or by boarding of doors and windows by emergency trades, see section D.1. 9) Assess decanting options for affected households including temporary move to local friends and family and emergency accommodation, consider any voids in our stock. 10) Make arrangements with NIHE to take households to temporary accommodation. Take note of accommodation address and phone number. Leave contact phone number and depart. D.2.2 Arranging Emergency Re-housing - Serious Harassment 1) If 999 calls have not already been made, contact Emergency Services e.g. Police, Fire and Ambulance to deal with any disorder, fire or injured persons. 2) Arrange to visit the development with the Housing Manager or another member of Association staff. 3) On arrival, introduce yourself to the tenant and senior Police Officer at the scene. 4) If Police propose to take victim into protected situation, record their contact address and phone number. Leave your contact address and phone number with the Police. 5) If properties affected by criminal or associated damage, such as to be uninhabitable, turn off water, gas and electricity. Refer to procedures in section D.1. 6) If Police do not propose to remove victim to protected situation, and for other households affected such that their property has become uninhabitable, proceed as for stages 8-10 in section D.2.1 above. BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 22
D
WHAT TO DO IN A HOUSING PROPERTY EMERGENCY
D.3 Development emergencies The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all the tasks on the checklist in the order they appear. Tick the right hand side once you have completed a task. Add notes if necessary. D.3.1 Death/Serious Injury On-Site Context - Accidents of this nature on site are a statutory responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Although police are involved, HSE has the investigative powers. 1) In the case of serious injury, take appropriate first aid action. 2) Contact the fire brigade/police/ambulance as required. 3) Notify HSE and take advice Belfast: 02890 246 111 Londonderry: 02871 262 628. 4) Ensure the closure of the site and make it secure if possible. 5) In advance of emergency services arrival, ask witnesses to remain or take names.
6) Notify the Association’s Chief Executive and Chairman. 7) If the death/injury is to an Association staff member, access next of kin information from the Association’s Holywood office and give to the police. Ensure the accident is logged in the Association’s accident book. Inform scheme CDM Co-Coordinator information in development file and take advice 8) Notify the Association’s insurers. 9) Notify the Association’s solicitors D.3.2 Development Contractor Going Bankrupt Context - When a contract developer goes out of business, unpaid sub-contractors could asset strip the site of materials. 1) A member of the Management Team and another staff member should attend site immediately to secure access. 2) While at the site, staff should contact local security firm, if possible use the firm employed by the contractor, to attend locking access to the site until the liquidator makes contact. 3) Notify the Association’s insurance company - NHBC / Warranty - immediately, using the standard notification document. 4) Contact the Association’s solicitors, and keep them advised of all developments.
5) As soon as the name of the liquidator is known ensure they have the Association’s details as owners of the site and its contents. Note liquidator’s name here: ________________________________ 6)
Notify project Architect and Quantity Surveyor of position.
7)
Notify the Department for Social Development and any other funding agency involved in the project. BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 23
D.3.3 Development Site Fire/Flood 1)
Notify Emergency Services
2)
If project is ‘on site’ notify contractor.
3)
Ensure Association visits site to ascertain the extent of damage.
4)
If site is partially occupied, visit tenants to assess their situation.
5)
If site partially occupied, and tenants affected, then follow section D.1.1 in the plan ‘Fire/Flood in a property’.
6)
If structural safety may be an issue, contact local authority emergency services (they will contact building control).
7)
Contact architect and planning supervisor.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 24
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.1 Office fire and flood The following procedures are designed to ensure that the chances of an office fire/ flood, and the impact should it occur, are minimised as far as possible. 1) Ensure annual testing of all electrical equipment and fire equipment is carried out, with renewal as necessary.
2) Ensure that fire extinguishers, fire blankets and first aid supplies are easily accessible and that all staff are aware of their location. 3) Ensure that appropriate staff are trained to operate fire equipment. 4) Ensure all staff are aware of what they should do in the event of fire. Ensure that a Fire Drill takes place every 6 months and that panic buttons are checked at this time. 5) Ensure that Fire Doors are kept shut at all times. 6) Ensure that the building and pipes are adequately insulated to guard against frost/ flood. 7) Ensure important documents, the daily computer back-up tapes (if any and original computer software CDs are kept in the fire-proof safe in the Finance Office. 8) Ensure computer back-ups of all information held on the server are undertaken on a regular basis. Responsibility for checking the off site back up lies with the ITC Systems Administrator. 9) Ensure that adequate insurance policies are in place.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 25
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.2 Loss of computer data The following procedures are designed to ensure that the chances of the Association suffering a large scale loss of computer data, and the impact should loss occur, are minimised as far as possible. 1) Automatic back-up of computer data held on the server is carried out on a daily basis. The daily back-ups of each server are held on site and stored within the server cage. Each server has a least one USB external hard drive, which may be removed for data restore to another server. 2) Clear Clear responsibility for computer back-up should be assigned as follows: ICT Systems Administrator - Responsible for monitoring the automatic daily back-up, and addressing any failure. IT staff - Responsible for the back-up process in the absence of IT staff. DoF - Responsible for the back-up process in the absence of IT staff. 3) Quarterly checks of back-ups should be carried out to ensure that the data stored is valid. This is done using current backup software and files are restored to a test server. A record of these back-up checks should be kept in the server Network Administration Log Book. 4) Staff have been instructed to save all computer data in network locations, this allows the back-ups to capture all the Association’s computer data. 5) The computer system should be reviewed annually to ensure that the equipment is adequate for the tasks required. 6) Staff should receive adequate training in the use of computer system and best practice file management. 7) The domain administrator password should be kept in two locations:
1 2
IT Team DoF
9) Adequate insurance policies should be in place.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 26
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.3 Theft from office The following procedures are designed to minimise the chances (and the impact if incident does occur) of the Association suffering a major theft from the office premises. 1) The person setting the alarm at night should first check that all doors are locked and all windows are shut. 2) If the office is totally empty at any point during the day, the office alarm should be set. 3) All office keys must be obtained from any Association staff member before they leave the employment of the Association.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 27
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.4 Natural disasters Natural disasters include earthquake, floods, extreme winds and weather warnings. 1) Identify risk to office and personnel 2) Once risk is identified, implement that following procedures: Contact emergency services Contact emergency operator and advise on situation 3) Secure building and contents 4) Evacuate the building 5) Contact local contractors for assistance 6) Staff cannot enter the office until the Chief Executive, Director or Health and Safety Administrator agree to reopen the building In some of the above instances the risk may be less apparent. Should this be the case, the senior staff members should contact the emergency services for guidance. Some of the specifics that relate to this section are as follows: Earthquake Once the above (1) to (5) has been implemented the senior staff members should: Notify the insurers and loss adjusters Arrange for the survey to be carried out In the event that there are structural issues, a qualified person will need to assess the property and advise on the remedial works if necessary. Flood
If a flood warning is provided the senior staff members should arrange for the external doors to be sand bagged. Internally, all paper documents and computers etc should be relocated either at a higher level or stored off-site. Similarly at houses, residents should be advised. Should time allow, a complete office or house clearance may be commissioned.
In the event of a flood from the storage or a supply pipe: 1) The water should be turned off. The rising main in the main and finance offices is located beneath the kitchen sink. Also, in our scheme houses the main supply stopcock is located under the kitchen sink. This should be categorised as an emergency. 2) A plumbing contractor should be contacted to repair the affected pipe and, subsequently, restore the water supply. 3) The office administrator should contact the loss adjusters to arrange an assessment and subsequent claim. If flooding forces office closure, implement C.1 In the event any decant of properties are necessary, refer to section D.2.
The management of the process will be allocated by the Chief Executive and Director. The office will only reopen when the Chief Executive, Director or Health and Safety Administrator allows. All staff should ensure that any meetings that were planned during the closure are relocated or rearranged.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 28
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.5 Attacks on self The following checklist gives practical advice on the steps to be taken immediately upon you becoming aware of this type of emergency situation. You should do all the tasks on the checklist, and do them in the order they appear. Once you have completed a task, tick the right side. Add notes if necessary. In office or outside office: 1) Raise alarm - use personal, local office alarms or mobile. 2) Isolate perpetrator (if safe to do so) and ensure victim is taken to a safe place/ hospital. 3) Report incident to Chief Executive. 4) Report incident to police. -
The police will require a statement so it is important that you retain a written record as soon as you are able.
5) Fill out the report form and ensure correct details are given, for example:
Date and time of incident Names of the accused and of the victim Address if known Name and address of any witnesses Police officers details and incident number
6) Copies passed to Health and Safety Administrator, Chief Executive and Line Manager. 7) On receipt, the Health and Safety Administrator will log in the accident book. 8) Notify the insurance brokers if criminal proceedings are likely 9) In the event that the attacker was a tenant or a member of the household, details should be passed to the Housing Officer to:
Highlight the household as at risk. Commence proceedings to end tenancy. Make arrangement for a joint visit at a mutually accessible public building (unless there are criminal proceedings pending that may affect the case - in such instances no meeting will take place).
10) On return to work, the line manager should meet with the victimized staff member to offer their support or professional counselling services. 11) In the event that counselling is required, a report will be issued to the Chief Executive on the proposed course of action to ensure that normal working practices are resumed within as practical a time as possible.
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 29
E
AVOIDANCE AND LIMITATIONS PROCEDURES
E.6 DFC Housing Associations’ Guide The Housing Association Guide, prepared by the Department for Communities, details the operation of Housing Associations. The guide is available online at: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/housing-association-guide#toc-0 We are required to seek to be compliant. If not possible, agree action and report. F
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS AND HELPLINE NUMBERS
F.1 Housing contacts Northern Ireland Housing Executive The Housing Centre, 2 Adelaide Street, Belfast, BT2 8PB General Enquiries 03448 920 900, Repair Enquiries 03448 920 901 Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations 6C Citylink Business Park, Albert Street, Belfast, BT12 4HB 028 9023 0446 Department for Communities Causeway Exchange, 1-7 Bedford Street, Belfast, County Antrim, BT2 7EG 028 9082 9000 F.2 Helpline numbers Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline Women's Aid Federation NI Nexus Victim Support Disability Action NI Council for Ethnic Minorities Citizen's Advice Bureau Law Society (legal & local Solicitor) Relate Samaritans Parenting NI Legal Services Agency Age NI Children in NI Men's Advisory Project (MAP) Cara Friend LGBT Rainbow Project
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 30
0808 802 1414 028 9024 9041 028 9032 6803 028 9024 4039 028 9029 7880 028 9023 8645 028 9023 1120 028 9023 1614 028 9032 3454 028 9066 4422 0808 801 0722 028 9040 8888 028 9590 0393 028 9040 1290 028 9024 1929 028 9089 0202 028 9031 9030
G
CORONAVIRUS
Due to the unique situation brought on by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic of 2020, this section of the PCP has been compiled to deal with circumstances and potential circumstances for which no pre-existing section offered provision. This information has been developed to specifically highlight the potential threats to the Association from the Coronavirus (COVID-19). It is essential that the Association is prepared to deal with every potential scenario that the spread of this virus may cause. The report detailed below gives an indication of what would normally happen in a similar situation however it is the responsibility of the Directors and the Board to decide the best course of action to be taken based on information provided by the Public Health Agency, NHS or emergency services which may be provided during any outbreak. The overall aim of this policy is to reduce the risk posed to employees, tenants and contractors and continue to operate without a significant reduction of service. G.1 Definitions Suspected Case A confirmed case is defined as a situation when an employee, tenant or other person has the symptoms of Coronavirus but has yet to be confirmed by a medical professional. Confirmed Case – a confirmed case is defined as a situation when an employee, tenant or other person has been informed by a medical professional that they have a case of Coronavirus. Self-Isolation – this should occur when a person has a suspected case of Coronavirus in their household and involves the person remaining in their home and having no contact with others, including their own family member for a specified length of time. G.2 Concerns for the Association
The symptoms are very similar to that of the common flu, it is impossible to differentiate the difference without professional medical knowledge
Generally there is very little reliable information regarding how business’s should respond to a major outbreak
The majority of our employees have tenant and public facing roles and could potentially come into contact with hundreds of people per day
Frequent changes to information being provided by the government and other relevant agencies
Differences between the UK and Republic of Ireland government control measures
Risks to the Association
Potential for key personnel to become infected and non-operational
Significant absenteeism throughout the workforce
Impact of contractors not being able to carry out tasks
Significant harm to employees which under lying health issues BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 31
Preventative Measures The following steps have been taken as a preventative measure to reduce the likelihood of employees becoming infected while at work and spreading the virus;
all employees are provided with hand sanitizer and hand washing signs to be put up in all toilets
tissues to be made available in all office
all non-essential travel to be cancelled and a reduction in travel between office locations
clear instructions as to how and when to report a suspected case
regular updates as to the current situation
employees to be given to option to work from home
risk register of employees who may be considered high risk
Employee Responsibilities All employees need to be make the Association aware that if they have suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus, they are to remain in their home and call the office to inform them of situation. No employee is permitted to enter a work premise owned by Habinteg if they have any suspected cases of coronavirus. All employees are expected to maintain good personal hygiene practices at all times ensuring that they wash their hands and work stations on a regular basis. Plan for Suspected and Confirmed Cases The following stages suggest the approach the Association should take to reduce the potential for the spread of the virus. During a suspected or confirmed case all Habinteg employees will follow the instructions of medical professionals and emergency services. Stage 1
At stage 1 the Association is aware of the issue however there has been no confirmed or suspected cases within the workforce
Preventative measures should be in place to proactively reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading which include:
all employees to be provided with hand sanitizer and hand washing signs to be put up in all toilets
tissues to be made available in all office
all non-essential travel to be cancelled and a reduction of travel between office locations
clear instructions as to how and when to report a suspected case
regular updates as to the current situation to all employees
community activities to reduce visits to as few as possible
any employee considered to be high risk will be given the option to work from home
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 32
Stage 2
At this stage the Association is aware of a suspected case of coronavirus within the workforce
That employee is instructed to stay at home in isolation and follow the instructions provided by the Public Health Agency
Anyone who shows the symptoms are required to inform their manager by telephone and are not permitted into any of the work locations
All employees who work in their office will be informed that they are to work from home until told otherwise
A list is to be held with HR detailing all employees who are considered to be ‘high risk’*, once there has been a case of suspected or confirmed coronavirus all employees on the high risk list will be informed they will be working from home
At this stage all ‘essential personnel’ will be informed that they are to prepare to work from home or one of Habintegs peripheral sites if available
No employees are permitted to visit any tenants properties – all employees must work from office locations and/or home if they are permitted to do so
*A person considered to be high risk is one that falls into one of the following categories: Over 65 years old / Pregnant / Recently returned from long term sick absence / Anyone with known long term health issues Stage 3
Stage 3 occurs when there has been a confirmed case of coronavirus and the following steps will be taken:
All employees in that office are to remain at home and not to come to work, all employees already in work are to be sent home
A deep clean is to be carried out on all surfaces within that location
All essential personnel are to work in isolated locations such as working from work or at one of Habinteg’s peripheral sites.
Reporting Procedure (Tenants)
Reporting Procedure (Employees)
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 33
Working from Home In the event that employees are expected to work from home the Association will endeavour to ensure that employees have access to all essential information to carry out their jobs. Managers will be responsible for assigning each employee a work load based upon tasks which need to be completed and employees will be expected to maintain regular contact to inform their manager of progress which has been made. Habinteg will endeavour to provide employees with laptops however employees may be asked to use their own electronic equipment if laptops and other materials cannot be made available. All employees will be expected to inform the Health, Safety and Compliance Business Partner of any additional risks which they may encounter as part of their change of work environment. Tenant Responsibilities Habinteg at the earliest opportunity will provide tenants with information on how to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and what they should do if they become infected. Text messages can be sent and information can be shared via social media and the Habinteg website.
A procedure has been put into place to ensure that all cases are officially recorded and can be provided to contractors and any other relevant personnel. Contractor Responsibilities Meetings have been held with the main contractors who have supplied information regarding their Business Continuity Plans. Regular communication is being held with contractors and Habinteg will endeavour to provide as much information to contractors as possible. All contractors are expected to inform Habinteg as soon as possible if they have been informed by any tenants that they are self-isolating. In the event that a contractor cannot gain access to a property due to tenants undergoing self-isolation this must be communicated to Habinteg and recorded to ensure that the Association can demonstrate why works were
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 34
BCP MARCH 2020 \ PAGE 35
Alex Moira House 22 Hibernia Street Holywood . BT18 9JE T 028 9042 7211 E [email protected] Exchange House 2nd floor, Queens Quay Londonderry BT48 7AS T 028 7136 0015 E [email protected] www.habinteg-ulster.co.uk Habinteg is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (NI) 1969 Registration 3 August 1976, No. 1P 172 and under the NI Housing Order 1976, subsequently amended and consolidated Registration 24 May 1977, No. R17