What a week, my printer has been in over-drive!
Sunday 10th May the Prime Minister gave his much awaited and much leaked address on his three-phase strategy out of the UK coronavirus lockdown. It lacked detail and raised as many questions as it answered.
Monday 11th May saw the release of three sets of documents.
First, the 50 page Our Plan to Rebuild – The UK Government’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy.
Second, the Government Guidance for Employers to Help Workplaces Operate Safely, giving guidelines to make workplaces Covid-secure, to give people confidence to go back to work. In addition, there are downloadable notices There are eight sets of guidance for people working in different settings including outdoor work, offices and restaurants. Six of these apply to the K&ESR in one form or other.
The common theme across the eight guidance documents are - “Five Key Principles”:
- Work from home, if you can
- Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions
- Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible
- Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk
- Reinforcing cleaning processes
These will require review of all department activities, numbers of staff on site, shift patterns, occupation plans, and risk assessments.
Third was the ORR Inspection Guidance – Heritage Railway Recovery Plan in response to Covid-19 planned follow up by ORR HMRI. The purpose of which, to quote “To ensure that the pace to re-commence and increase train services is appropriate and to avoid uncontrolled risk.” This is a very good document and well worth reading.
Tuesday 12th May was the Chancellor’s turn, announcing the continuation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from end June to October. As has been said on previous occasions, the devil is in the detail which will follow later this month.
Wednesday 13th May and more announcements, the Government established five new ministerial-led taskforces, set up to develop plans for how and when closed sectors can reopen safely.
We are a complex mix of attraction, catering, construction, office, overhaul, retail and transport and each part of the business, each service type, all staff and locations, have to be made Covid-secure, capable of meeting HSE inspection. What this entails and at what cost is being worked through, and the same has to be put in place for our customers.
Saturday 4th July, the start of Phase 3, may well be the Government’s target date for leisure attractions to open but we are not a safari park or National Trust garden. One thing is clear, in the interests of everyone’s safety we will not be rushing back until we can demonstrate to all that we are both Covid-secure and can operate profitably across the railway.
Critical Work Phase
Following the close down we said we would subsequently add back critical work. Critical by definition can mean different things to different people, but we have taken a pragmatic view based on overall need, resource and priority.
Task requests have been coordinated by Brian Richards (thank you Brian). We have reviewed each request based on purpose, cost, the number and risk category of personnel involved, equipment required and ongoing consequence of such use, covid-19 risk assessment and overall priority.
Some requests have been declined, others have been approved, and I would like to thank everyone involved in these activities for working within the system. With so few people working it is very important we control exactly what is permitted across the railway at any one time for the benefit of the railway and the safety of the individuals involved.
Some task examples are very public, such as the security patrols undertaken by so many volunteers & the weed spraying train. Others have been more individual. An example of this is the work Richard Stone has been doing behind the scenes at Rolvenden, all of which has been through the approval process:
“repaired the tractor and mower and mown both fields, fixed the main sump pump once and kept the pits in the shed pumped out, repaired a couple of lights round the site and run every drinking water tap for at least 10 minutes at least once a week to keep it fresh. I have been keeping the outside pit drains clear and made a ramp so if animals fall in, they can get out as it’s not every day people are looking in the pits. I have also been cleaning up the mess room bit by bit. Believe it or not, the lino is light blue, not black!”
The repair to the Palace roof must still be on the pending list!
Brian Richards is continuing to build the work list, so please pass any requests to him via Infrastructure@kesr.org.uk for due consideration.
Shaun Dewey
General Manager