Keeping Site Workers Safe from Coronavirus

In these extraordinary times, safeguarding the health of our staff and our customers remains our primary objective.

At OnSite Support, we continue to review our activities to ensure we stay in line with Government policy and Construction Leadership Council Site Operating Procedures (SOPs) whilst ensuring we maintain the high level of service you expect from us.

Security of Supply

We are aware of concerns in the media about supplies of PPE and related products. Challenging situations highlight the importance of working with trusted partners. As specialists, serving the construction industry for almost 45 years, we have the experience to resolve these issues on your behalf and maintain security of supply.

For this reason, we would like to reassure you that we do not accept orders from customers unless we have already secured supply of the goods. Delivery dates are quoted at time of order and we do everything in our power to avoid changes to this. Despite supply constraints, over 90% of orders are currently being shipped on time and in full.

As previously advised, we are experiencing high demand for a limited number of PPE products – particularly masks, gloves, eyewear and disposable coveralls.

• Prices have become more volatile for certain products in short supply. We stated at the outset of this pandemic that would not take advantage of the situation to charge inflated prices or make disproportionate margins – and we stand by that commitment.
  • We only adjust prices to reflect the increased costs of procurement. Any deviations from normal pricing will be clearly indicated at time of order.
  • For certain sanitising products we are having to ask for advance payment in order to secure the order. Again, this is due to restrictions placed on us by suppliers.
  • Quality and safety standards remain paramount when sourcing these products. We will only supply products where we are confident that standards are maintained – we will not put your workers at risk. We are consulting the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) to ensure all new suppliers provide genuine certification for their products. See here for more information on how to spot fake PPE certificates.

Protecting the NHS

In common with others, we want to protect the NHS and support all those on the frontline fighting the corona virus. We do not want our commercial operation to exacerbate the difficulties in getting PPE to those who need it in a clinical or social care setting. Where appropriate, we are guiding our construction customers to use non-medical grade PPE and to substitute reusable, washable products not normally supplied into healthcare environments. We are also contributing to the Contractors Appeal that is bringing the UK construction sector together to gather and distribute PPE to the NHS.

OnSite Support remains fully operational. Our Customer Support Team is working relentlessly to serve you and your business in these difficult times. Their contact details are:

Telephone: 01293 744 444

Email: [email protected]

Latest Site Operating Procedures

To assist you in adopting the CLC SOPs:

• We have amended our standard delivery procedures to facilitate the social distancing measures.
• We are encouraging all customers to consolidate orders to reduce the need for multiple deliveries to site, and the associated risks of contamination. This lessens the health risk for both your staff operating good inwards and our drivers.
• We are introducing additional products designed to support safe and hygienic working on site. (More details are available from your OnSite contact or our website.)

Caring for people is core to our company values and our brand. In these challenging times the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our business partners, continues to take the highest priority.

If you have any queries regarding the actions we are taking, please do not hesitate to contact myself or your usual point of contact at OnSite Support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warren Lynes
Managing Director

At OnSite Support, we continue to review our activities to ensure we stay in line with Government policy and Construction Leadership Council Site Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Safeguarding the health of our staff and customers, whilst ensuring we maintain the high level of service you expect, remains our primary objective.

• To assist customers in adopting the SOPs:
  • We have amended our standard delivery procedures to facilitate the social distancing measures.
  • We are encouraging all customers to consolidate orders so that they meet our £150 minimum order value. This reduces the need for multiple deliveries to site, and the related risks of contamination. This lessens the health risk for both your staff operating good inwards and our drivers.
  • We are also calling sites to ascertain whether they are open for next day delivery so that we minimise wasted deliveries.
• We continue to experience high demand for a limited number of products – particularly cleaning materials, toilet tissue, masks and gloves. We continue to review Supply & Demand on a daily basis and adjust accordingly.
• You will be aware that prices have become more volatile for certain products in short supply. We stated at the outset of this pandemic that would not take advantage of the situation to charge inflated prices or make disproportionate margins – and we stand by that commitment. However:
  • We have no choice but to adjust prices to reflect the increased costs of procurement. Any deviations from normal pricing will be clearly indicated at time of order.
  • For certain sanitising products we are having to ask for advance payment in order to secure the order. Again, this is due to restrictions placed on us by suppliers.

• In addition to the spike in demand for PPE / sanitisers in sectors such as healthcare, other factors are driving price fluctuations. These include:
  • Currency depreciation (Sterling being weaker) increasing the price of imports
  • A shortage of the raw materials used in these products combined with a shortage of labour and low productivity in manufacturing plants
  • Restrictions on the export of certain products – not only from heavily impacted countries, but also from other countries such as India and South Africa.

We continue to explore all options to maintain quality and supply:

• We are working with companies who are seeking to (re)establish manufacturing in the UK.
• At the time of writing, our assessment of international options is that there is a lower risk in terms of sourcing, if the manufacturing origin is the Far East (e.g. China) compared to Eastern Europe, Italy, USA and France.
• Also, the risk is low to moderate if the products are sourced from ASEAN (Vietnam & Cambodia) or South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan). However, all the South Asian countries are locked down until mid-April to reduce community transmission, which is creating challenges in logistics and transportation.

In sourcing these products, quality and safety remain paramount. You can be certain that we will only supply products where we are confident that standards are maintained – we will not put your workers at risk. We are consulting the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) to ensure all new suppliers provide genuine certification for their products. See here for more information on how to spot fake PPE certificates.

OnSite Support remains fully operational. Our Customer Support Team is working relentlessly to serve you and your business, however we can, in these difficult times. Their contact details are:

Telephone: 01293 744 444

Email: [email protected]

Caring for people is core to our company values and our brand. In these challenging times the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our business partners, continues to take the highest priority.

If you have any queries regarding the actions we are taking, please do not hesitate to contact myself or your usual point of contact at OnSite Support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warren Lynes
Managing Director

At OnSite Support, we continue to review our activities on a daily basis to ensure we stay in line with Government guidelines. These are specifically aimed at safeguarding our staff and customer’s health, whilst ensuring we maintain the high level of service expected by our customers.

You will be aware of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Site Operating Procedures developed specifically for construction sites to ensure they are consistent with Public Health England advice. Government policy remains that construction sites should stay open if work can be undertaken in compliance with the Site Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• To assist customers in adopting the SOPs, our standard delivery procedures will now reflect this advice:
  • All delivery vans will be cleaned and sanitised regularly.
  • Vans will be single occupancy, meaning there will only be the driver allocated to each van.
  • Drivers will try to call the site contact prior to arrival to ensure you are ready to accept the delivery.
  • All drivers will sanitise their hands prior to and after unloading the vehicle.
    • Drivers will remain in their vehicles if at all possible and maintain social distancing at all times.
  • Proof Of Delivery (POD) will now be contactless, meaning our drivers will ensure you are happy with your delivery, sign on your behalf and take a photo of the goods in situ to ensure no future errors with invoicing.
  • Drivers will not:
    • Ask to use your toilet
    • Use your canteen or eating facilities
• We continue to experience high demand for a limited number of products – particularly cleaning materials, toilet tissue, masks and gloves. We continue to review Supply & Demand on a daily basis and adjust accordingly.
• For certain sanitising products we are having to ask for advance payment in order to secure the order. This is due to restrictions placed on us by suppliers.
• We are encouraging all customers to consolidate orders so that they meet our £150 minimum order value. This reduces the need for multiple deliveries to site, and the related risks of contamination. This lessens the health risk for both your staff operating good inwards and our drivers.
• Where customers cannot meet the £150 minimum, we have no alternative but increase the delivery charge to £20.
• We are also calling sites to ascertain whether they are open for next day delivery so that we minimise wasted deliveries.
• As previously advised, we have switched to invoicing by email to reduce pressure on the postal system, eliminate any potential exposure to our customers, and to ensure business continuity.

OnSite Support remains fully operational. Our Sales and Customer Support Teams are working relentlessly to serve you and your business, however we can, in these difficult times. Their contact details are:

Telephone: 01293 744 444

Email: [email protected]

Caring for people is core to our company values and our brand. In these challenging times the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our business partners, continues to take the highest priority.

If you have any queries regarding the actions we are taking, please do not hesitate to contact myself or your usual point of contact at OnSite Support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warren Lynes
Managing Director

Like all responsible businesses, we are reviewing our activities on a daily basis to ensure we stay in line with Government guidelines. These are specifically aimed at safeguarding our staff and customer’s health, whilst ensuring we maintain the high level of service expected by our customers. We will maintain our services to the construction industry whilst that is consistent with Government advice.

• As previously advised, our Sales and Customer Service Teams are working from home and will only conduct business via phone / video calls.
• We continue to experience high demand for a limited number of products – particularly cleaning materials, toilet tissue, masks and gloves. In addition to seeking alternative sources, we have an active policy in place for managing any stock shortages. We continue to review Supply & Demand on a daily basis and adjust accordingly.
• We are working on clearing all back orders as quickly as possible. We are increasing our operating capacity whilst protecting staff and reducing risk by introducing ‘social distancing’ within our warehouse operations. We have developed contingency plans in the event that significant members of staff are unwell. We are encouraging customers to consolidate orders wherever possible as this reduces the need for multiple deliveries to site, and the related risks of contamination.
• We are now adopting a ‘contact free’ delivery experience. This ensures no ‘hand to hand’ contact, with the driver leaving the delivery safely with your team, and signing the POD on your behalf, noting the name of your staff member receiving the goods. We are also trialling the use of photography at the point of delivery, as an additional proof source. Please advise us if you do not wish to make use of the ‘contact free’ service, so that we can eliminate any subsequent invoice queries.
• As advised in a separate communication, we have switched to invoicing by email to reduce pressure on the postal system, eliminate any potential exposure to our customers, and to ensure business continuity.
• Finally, we are closing our Trade Counter, and instead offering a collection service for local customers if they order by telephone or online. This will be both faster and safer for all concerned.

OnSite Support remains fully operational to support you and your business, however we can, in these difficult times.

Our Sales Team continue to be on hand to advise you and the Customer Support Team are still operating our normal opening hours. Their contact details are:

Telephone: 01293 744 444

Email: [email protected]

Caring for people is at the heart of the OnSite Support brand and is core to our company values. In these challenging times the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our business partners, must take the highest priority.

If you have any queries regarding the actions we are taking, please do not hesitate to contact myself or your usual point of contact at OnSite Support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warren Lynes
Managing Director

Given the growing threat from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and as a responsible family company, the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, our customers and our business partners, must take the highest priority.

So we have implemented a number of actions, in line with Government guidelines. These are specifically aimed at safeguarding our staff and customer’s health, whilst ensuring our business maintains operations and continues to provide a ‘business as usual’ approach for our customers.

• We have formed a Crisis Team which meets daily to monitor changes in the advice from the Government and Public Health England and to update our actions accordingly. We are ensuring all staff receive regular briefings regarding new operating procedures.
• We are encouraging all staff who are able to work from home to do so and we are striving to ensure that those staff who cannot work from home are as safe as possible. Naturally, any staff who develop symptoms are acting on the latest Government advice to stay home and self-isolate.
• With immediate effect, Sales Teams will only conduct business via phone / video calls. Face-to-face meetings will be by exception only (i.e. specific customer requests to problem solve.)
• We will not be inviting customers or suppliers to visit OnSite for the foreseeable future.
• The teams at OnSite are equipped to work just as effectively from home or remotely as they can from our offices. We are extremely confident that we are well prepared to continue to meet the requirements of our customers during this important time.
• Our Trade Counter remains open to service local customers – but is recognised as a potential risk area. We are ensuring that sanitisers & wipes are available on the customer counter and a special cleaning protocol is in place.
• Like most businesses, we are refreshing our best practice hand-washing posters. We already have anti-bacterial hand sanitiser and wipes in all meeting rooms & communal areas and we are ensuring that we are suitably equipping our warehouse staff and delivery drivers to protect both themselves and our customers.

As you might expect, we are currently experiencing a surge in demand – particularly for cleaning materials, masks and gloves. We are exploring ways of increasing our operating capacity whilst protecting staff and reducing risk by introducing ‘social distancing’. We are also developing contingency plans in the case that significant members of staff are unwell.

In addition to seeking alternative sources, we have introduced a policy for managing any stock shortages. We are reviewing Supply & Demand on a daily basis – and adjusting accordingly.

• We are discouraging stockpiling by all customers. For a small number of items, this may limit quantities available on individual orders.
• Where product lines are in short supply, once the order is accepted, it will be fulfilled. In these cases, the product may not be returned.
• We will not take advantage of the current situation to charge inflated prices or make disproportionate margins. (We will not engage in ‘gouge pricing.’) However, we reserve the right to adjust prices to reflect increased costs from our suppliers. Any deviations from normal pricing will be clearly indicated at time of order.

We are now adopting a ‘contact free’ delivery experience. This ensures no ‘hand to hand’ contact, with the driver leaving the delivery safely with your team, and signing the POD on your behalf, noting the name of your staff member receiving the goods. We are also trialling the use of photography at the point of delivery, as an additional proof source. Please contact us if you do not wish to make use of this service, so that we can eliminate any subsequent invoice queries.

We would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that OnSite Support remains fully operational, to support you and your business however we can in these difficult times.

Our Customer Support Team are still keeping our normal opening hours.  Their contact details are:

Telephone: 01293 744 444

Email: [email protected]

Finally, we would like to assure you that the Directors of OnSite Support are taking the Coronavirus situation extremely seriously, and are working hard to protect our staff, customers and business and will continue to keep you informed of the actions we are implementing.

For more than 40 years, our customers, colleagues and communities have relied on us during the most challenging circumstances. We don’t take that lightly. With the commitment, passion and dedication of our employees – supported by our remote working technology – we will continue to provide the levels of service that OnSite customers expect. It’s not quite ‘business as usual’ in these strange and uncertain times, but you have our assurance that we will continue to be there to support the needs of your business and employees.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warren Lynes
Managing Director