Bruntwood recognised by British Safety Council for COVID-19 safety standards

Bruntwood, the leading property company with buildings in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, has received a positive COVID-19 assurance assessment from the British Safety Council to help it safely welcome back the 850 colleagues and 3,000 businesses occupying its workspaces.

Bruntwood has carried out continuous risk assessments at all its buildings in line with the government’s guidance to ensure they’re COVID-19 safe and secure, introducing increased cleaning schedules, clear signposting and social distancing measures.

The implementation of the additional safety measures along with the results of the British Safety Council’s audit, have provided many individuals and businesses with the confidence to return to the workplace.

The British Safety Council’s detailed guidance on returning to the workplace provides a framework for organisations to develop robust protocols and arrangements to manage the risk associated with the transmission of COVID-19 effectively. These include health control and surveillance, social distancing, personal hygiene and increased workplace cleaning measures.

It considers good practice as set out by the government’s guidelines, the World Health Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development and the UK Health and Safety Executive.

As part of its audit Bruntwood was in particular acknowledged by the British Safety Council for ensuring both colleagues and customers were kept informed and advised clearly throughout the pandemic, preparing its buildings well in advance and supporting colleagues and businesses with any help needed as part of their return to the workplace. Bruntwood received the highest recommendation in 13 out of the 16 categories measured.

Chris Oglesby, chief executive, Bruntwood, said: “Getting people to return to the workplace is vital to the UK’s social and economic recovery, but it needs to be done safely and communicated effectively.

“The safety of our colleagues and customers has always been our number one priority so to be recognised by the British Safety Council for all the hygiene, safety and social distancing measures we have put in place over the last six months is testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming more and more people back to our buildings in the coming months, working with our colleagues, customers, the business community and city stakeholders to help make returning to cities as safe as possible.”

Phil Pinnington, audit and consultancy manager at British Safety Council, said: “Providing guidance and a framework for businesses is vital for reducing the spread of the virus, aiding our country’s economic recovery and breathing life back into our cities.

“The results of Bruntwood’s audit speak volumes for the efforts they’ve made and the measures they’ve taken to make their buildings and workplaces Covid-secure. Their approach to safety and security clearly sets the standards for others to follow.”