As the new school term starts, Interserve is delivering vital facilities management and catering services to ensure pupils, staff and visitors remain safe and healthy.
Almost 2,000 colleagues across the company's Communities and International business unit have been installing hand sanitisers, implementing one-way systems, providing extra cleaning facilities in toilets and washrooms and reducing the number of entrances and exits in buildings to help make schools as safe as possible for the new term.
Across Interserve's contracts, cleaners will be working more day-time hours on site to ensure touch points - handles, railings and toilets - are cleaned regularly. Workforces have also been split into separate teams, so that if one colleague contracts or is exposed to COVID-19 then the other team won't be infected, and continuity of service is protected.
Interserve, together with the company's catering brand Autograph, delivers hard and soft facilities management (FM) and catering services to more than 150 schools across the country. Services range from cleaning through to site pre-planned maintenance (PPM) and site compliance to make sure the ventilation, water, electrics and gas systems are all properly maintained.
Colleagues have been working hard throughout the summer to offer expertise, interpret the UK Government guidance and advise schools and Local Authorities before implementing safe responses.
Robert Booth, Interserve Account Manager for the Derby Schools Contract and St Thomas More's in Willenhall, manages FM services at five schools and is responsible for 130 colleagues.
He said: "We provide vital FM services to ensure pupils can safely return to school and are working in partnership with head teachers, academies and local authorities to make sure every school has implemented the best possible procedures.
"School years are all in a bubbles and we have mapped out routes to preserve their integrity. We have set up communal areas as carefully as possible to prevent lots of people coming into contact with each other at the same time.
"To test the procedures, hand sanitisers and measures implemented to promote social distancing are correct, we carried out rigorous dry runs at each school. I am immensely proud of the work undertaken by my teams and partner agencies to get this right."
- Ends - For more information contact:
Stephen Hallmark
Corporate Affairs Manager (Interserve Facilities Management and Community)
Telephone: 07484 085098
Email: stephen.hallmark1@interserve.com About Interserve Group Limited
Interserve Group Limited is one of the world's foremost support services, construction and equipment services companies. We offer, design, construction, equipment, facilities management and frontline public services. We are headquartered in the UK and have consolidated revenues of £2.9bn and a workforce of circa 53,500 people worldwide.
Website: www.interserve.com
For Interserve news follow: @interserve
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