There has never been a pandemic like this in our lifetime – which meant that most companies found things pretty overwhelming at first. Here at uvex, we also had to rise to the challenge of being able to keep producing and working, despite the pandemic. In this blog post, we outline our comprehensive hygiene policy and explain how COVID-19 has changed the way we work.
The uvex safety and hygiene policy
Whether positively or negatively – COVID-19 has affected every company in the world in some way. We at uvex have also felt the impact of the pandemic. When the Robert Koch Institute recommended wearing goggles to protect against the virus, the demand for uvex goggles rose rapidly. Stopping production was therefore not an option. Work at uvex had to continue. As the health of our employees is obviously paramount, we developed a comprehensive safety policy that allowed uvex to continue operating smoothly and hygienically – #protectingpeopletogether.
The uvex crisis committee: monitoring the impact of the pandemic
To help uvex continually monitor the current COVID-19 situation and its impact, a crisis committee was formed, with members from all relevant departments: Human Resource Management (HR), Health Management, Works Council, Marketing & Communication and Occupational Medicine & Safety. The experts stay in touch constantly in order to assess the pandemic and take necessary measures as soon as possible. The crisis committee is advised by the Executive Board and the owning family, so that all decisions are approved from the very top and are in line with the uvex mission statement.
All changes to internal or external work procedures, relevant information on COVID-19 and how uvex is dealing with it are immediately communicated digitally to the national and international workforce.
Digitally up-to-date – with the uvex intranet
To ensure that all important information and changes within the company reach the workforce “just in time”, uvex has set up an intranet site. Here, the information published by the crisis committee and the internal hygiene policy is uploaded and can be read as required. In addition, the intranet includes YouTube videos and practical health tips on dealing with COVID-19 for uvex employees. Employees can also consult the FAQs on the intranet to find answers to any questions they may have.
The pandemic is pushing everyone to their limits – whether financial or psychological. Even though we have to give up lots of things and restrict our behaviour right now, we shouldn’t let the pandemic get us down. Our employees’ well-being is very important to us, which is why we have set up a support hotline. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, this hotline allows uvex employees and their families to talk to someone who can offer psychological support and ensure employee satisfaction. Because uvex can only function as long as our employees are satisfied and have the strength to keep working.
Home working for uvex employees – we enable mobile working
In the age of COVID-19, home working became an all-round solution for many companies – working safely from home, without the risk of becoming infected on the way to work. It allows employees to carry on working as usual, without endangering themselves or others – the perfect solution during a pandemic. Of course, uvex also offers home working for employees whose jobs can be carried out at home. Additional hardware was purchased and software upgraded accordingly to allow uvex employees to work remotely from home without any problems.
Even after the pandemic, we intend to retain mobile working, so that our employees will continue to be able to protect their health through flexible working, thereby increasing productivity and permanently reducing sickness absence rates. Because it’s not only during a pandemic that railway stations, bus stops and public transport are hotspots for viruses and bacteria that make us ill. And it’s not only uvex who have discovered the many benefits of working from home. Many companies are now relying on the concept of mobile working and have fully integrated it in their working model. We too would like to make home working a permanent feature at uvex.
Hygiene guidelines at uvex: our hygiene policy
And let’s not forget the most important aspect of our current safety measures – hygiene. COVID-19 is a droplet infection that is transmitted to our mucous membranes via the air. It is therefore important to disinfect hands and surfaces regularly – so that the virus-containing particles cannot spread further or come into contact with anyone else. That’s why we’re providing disinfectants throughout all uvex buildings and cleaning more frequently.
To prevent COVID-19 virus particles being transmitted to our mucous membranes, the Robert Koch Institute and the authorities recommend the wearing of face masks that cover the mouth and nose. This prevents airborne particles from reaching our mucous membranes and us from transmitting the virus ourselves when we cough or sneeze. Every uvex employee has therefore been given 20 disposable masks that can be worn at and outside of work.
The most common symptom of COVID-19 is a fever. To prevent employees already infected with the virus from entering the uvex buildings and thus putting other employees at risk, everyone must have their temperature taken before entering the building. If their temperature is already slightly raised, the employee is sent home again and may only return to work after a negative COVID-19 test. If employees feel unwell while already at work, they can avail of the temperature-taking stations at any time.
We have given a lot of thought to the safety and health of the uvex workforce and have put this comprehensive safety policy in place. It allows us to do our bit to help prevent the virus and to provide a safe working environment. Any questions or suggestions about our hygiene policy and safety measures? Contact us!