Instantprint is a company that has not only implemented
social distancing measures on their own premises, but adapted their output to
respond to the needs of other businesses who might be looking to do the same.
Not only that, but they’ve thoroughly documented all of the steps that they’ve
taken via daily updates, and thereby provided a handy checklist for other companies
looking to follow the same path.
The measures they’ve taken might serve as inspiration for
other warehousing and logistics firms looking to virus-proof their operations.
While we can never reduce the transmission of the virus to zero, we can bring
that r value down, and thereby prevent it from spreading exponentially.
So what steps have Instantprint taken
that the rest of us should be looking to emulate?
Social Distancing
As just about everyone knows, we’re supposed to keep two
metres apart from one another at all times. But doing so throughout an entire
working day can be a little bit of a challenge. Instantprint have identified a
few helpful strategies to help maintain the distance. Among the most
eye-catching of these is a system of one-way corridors, to avoid people having
to pass one another at close distance, and a limit to the amount of people who
can enter a given part of the building at any given time. Staggering breaks,
managing queues, avoiding equipment-sharing, and outdoor dining areas are among
the other measures identified by the company in their insightful
blog on the subject.
Working From Home
According to government guidelines, everyone who can work
from home should be working from home. This has the obvious advantage of
limiting the opportunity for the virus to spread. This requires a little bit of
adapting on the part of the business, but it’s worthwhile if the business wants
to remain productive while adhering to the rules. The company actually reacted
to the lockdown news remarkably quickly, with 100% of their office staff
working from home as of March 18th. Given that full
lockdown didn’t come into force until the 23rd March, this was
actually quite impressive.
Of course, it’s just administrative staff that are working
from home; warehousing staff still need to come in. However, the opportunities
for spreading the virus are that much greater in an office setting than a
warehouse one, as the confines of the room are more restrictive.
It might seem that there are no lessons to be drawn here, as
companies across the UK have already taken these steps. But it’s important to
bear in mind that the current coronavirus situation is unlikely to be the last
one that the UK is faced with. Both government bodies and businesses should
look to learn from what’s happened, so that they’ll be better prepared for
future disasters.
Products
Being a printing company, Instantprint has something to
contribute to the broader effort against the virus. They’re able to spread
messages through posters and stickers, and they’re able to help remind us just
how far two metres is with the help of special tape. In this way, they make it
that much easier for businesses to get messages across to staff and customers,
and to shape those little behaviours that can make a big difference in the
battle against Covid-19.
