Working smarter to stay safe at Universal Wolf

We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted in two categories at the Make UK Regional Awards 2020 (North East, Yorkshire and Humberside).

At Universal Wolf, looking after our pack is our top priority, and never more so than during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

When lockdown was imposed at the end of March, and we implemented the government’s Job Retention Scheme, creating a safe workplace and facilitating a safe return to work became a point of constant focus.

Our excellent Continuous Improvement Leads at Universal Wolf and Tharsus, our sister company, moved swiftly to assess our facilities, identifying bottlenecks or other potential risks; and implemented a range of measures designed to keep our sites secure and our colleagues safe.

We undertook risk assessments across all sites – before this became a mandatory requirement. Following this we implemented a range of measures including:

• One-way system across all sites
• Installation of a portacabin and conversion of a meeting room to provide additional, dedicated changing facilities; enabling colleagues to enter and leave site safely
• 2-metre distancing markers
• Staggered shifts, breaks and lunch times
• A ‘red line’ system indicating obligatory hand sanitising points
• Manufacture and issue of a ‘door pull’ handle to facilitate hands-free opening
• Production of a Visitors Procedure, covering pre-visit assessment and on-site temperature checks
• Introduction of Infra-Red cameras at each site to help detect signs of fever

We’re also collaborating with Tharsus on Bump – a new system designed to help with social distancing and help limit the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. At Universal Wolf, we help manufacture the hub, which is the system responsible for uploading all the Bump devices data securely onto the online dashboard. This allows all wearers to see their individual data and provides admin insights into how people interact in the workplace.

I’m very proud of the way that our pack has come together during the pandemic, and of the way that they continue to act in the best interests of their colleagues.