Mortgage Centre is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all our employees, customers and other visitors to our premises.
Over recent weeks, we have considered available Government guidance in all territories in which we operate to establish how we can ensure our premises are safe for all our employees, customers and other visitors. As part of this, we have conducted an assessment of the COVID-19 related risks arising out of or in connection with our work environment and put measures in place to mitigate them. As a responsible retailer, we have also chosen to put in place a range of other measures that we consider responsible in these circumstances.
Our Risk Management team will continue to review arrangements regularly to ensure that they reflect current Government advice and other changing circumstances. Also, Arcadia will continue to consult and work with our employees and other organisations to safeguard all those who work in or visit our retail and non-retail locations.
Arcadia will endeavour to follow all of the applicable guidance.. Where it is not reasonably practicable to implement a recommendation in the guidance, as part of our risk assessment process, we will implement an equally effective measure.
Our starting point is that employees who can work from home continue to do so and are supported to do this safely.For those employees not able to work from home, and for our customers and other visitors, all of our sites have completed a risk assessment specifically to address the risks of COVID-19 arising from our undertaking.
Whilst each site has its own risk assessment and Arcadia has prepared a number of other risk assessments and guidance documents to support these, there are a number of control measures which are to be implemented across all of our premises.
These include, but are not limited to:
• Pre-start/reopening training will be provided to all staff using a combination of video calls, briefings and guidance.
• We have taken all reasonable steps to help people work from home where it’s practicable for their role.
• Only essential staff and contractors are to attend Arcadia’s premises.
• Increased frequency of general and surface cleaning in all premises.
• Regular hand washing to be promoted, and hand washing and sanitiser stations will be made available.
• All reasonable efforts are to be taken to comply with the social distancing guidelines. We have engaged social distance champions to advise/remind staff and customers. about the need to maintain a 2m distance. Floor markings and posters will be used to assist with social distancing.
• Where practicable we have reconfigured our workspace to assist in social distancing.
• Access into lifts and toilets will be restricted.
• Where stairs/escalators are to be used, we have introduced a number of measures so people can pass safely.
• Sufficient access points will be available at Arcadia premises to avoid the need for people to congregate at entrances and exits.
• We will introduce physical partitions, where necessary.
• We have revised our staff catering and welfare facilities to assist with social distancing with all staff encouraged to bring their own crockery and utensils.
• Additional support to those members of staff who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
• Should there be any instance of a confirmed case of COVID-19, a system is in place to isolate/close down the area concerned to arrange a deep clean.
Where social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in relation to a particular activity, as part of the risk assessment process, we have considered whether that activity needs to continue for our business to operate. If it does, we will take mitigating actions to reduce the risks of transmission.
A number of further control measures will be introduced in our offices, including:
• The number of customers allowed in to a shop at any one time will be reduced in order to assist with social distancing.
• We will encourage customers to shop alone where possible, unless they need specific assistance.
• We will remind customers who are accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them at all times and should follow social distancing guidelines.
• We will implement queue management and rearrange our fixtures and fittings to assist social distancing.
• Fitting rooms will be closed.• We will encourage customers to use cashless payments.
• We have revised the way that goods are delivered and collected from our stores.
• We will introduce pick-up and drop-off collection points and implement ‘no contact’ return procedures.
Ongoing review
All our risk assessments and control measures will remain under constant review, alongside any updates to theGovernment and HSE guidance.Arcadia staff will be provided with regular updates and any necessary training in relation to the control measures to be implemented and we will continue to work with our staff, contractors and customers to find further ways in which we can make improvements to the way we are managing the risks of COVID-19.
