Emplas has said that it has reinstated its UK delivery service with effect from 11 May, as part of its strategy for a safe and phased return to work post COVID-19 lockdown.
According to Emplas, this includes the introduction of a specially developed COVID-19 driver training and awareness programme and issue of dedicated PPE, to minimise and manage risk to its logistics team and customers, plus the launch of a new ‘safe digital signature’.
Ryan Johnson, managing director at Emplas, said that having built capacity and established new process within its operations in the last few weeks, including within its IGU business, Padiham Glass, the fabricator was ready to restart deliveries nationwide this week.
“Our strategy has been about putting the right processes in place and giving our team the time to adjust to those new controls, so that we are confident in our ability to work safely – and to deliver to our customers,” he said.
“We now have that confidence and are ready to restart our UK delivery programme, as part of our phased and safe return to work. It’s key that we now move forward together to get the economy back on track – the sooner we start that journey, the sooner we get there.”
The trade specialist has been amongst a vanguard of window industry companies to restart its operations following temporary closure in response to COVID-19, at the end of March.
This included the restart of limited production on 20 April, driven by demand from the commercial sector in the UK and its Australian retail business, Ecostar, which has remained open throughout the global pandemic.
New processes for drivers include the creation of a specific fleet ‘Safe Systems of Work’, designed to minimise risk to employees and customers. This includes the issue of PPE, face shields, gloves, sanitiser and disinfectant spray.
Drivers will also go through daily health checks, including body temperature monitoring, developed in-line with the latest government guidelines for the return to work.
Having launched its barcoded dispatch and unloading system last year, orders are recorded digitally and in full as they’re unloaded. This forms the basis of a ‘safe digital signature’ and will be stored against customer accounts, eliminating any physical requirement to sign against orders. These are also available to review or retrieve at a later date.
Ryan continued: “Everything we’re doing is being kept under continuous review. Starting the return to work process when we did, before demand and volume kicked-in, has given us a time to adjust our systems and get them right.
“And while we can’t eliminate risk completely, I have a very high degree of confidence in the measures that we have in place to manage it, and in our ability to deliver safely – and reliably – to our customers, supporting the industry’s safe and phased return to work.”
