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Close That Loop!

Most accidents take place near our homes, especially on the way back!

Why???

Because when we are in familiar surroundings, we tend to let our guard down, and sometimes become overconfident, overlooking a minor detail which may lead to disastrous results!

So, closing the loop is as important as entering into the loop, because that is what completes the journey.

The road back to office (image courtesy https://abc13.com/careers/anxious-about-returning-to-work-and-covid-19)

This cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to Business Continuity. We are all geared up and energized, almost on the verge of adrenaline rush. This was especially true in the current COVID-19 scenario where situation unfolded rapidly and everybody was on their toes.

Most of us managed the transition to ensure social distancing and the stop gap arrangement (at least for most) of working from home.

Then came the period of consolidation and stabilization, which helped us, especially IT sector to reap the benefits of advancement in technology.

This is where the next difficult phase comes in, which is, return to Business as Usual and return to office space to continue the work.

Difficult? Why difficult? It should be the easiest part, right? It should be downhill journey, as we are moving back into familiar territory! This is exactly where we have to be extremely cautious. In the need to get to the business continuity arrangements, many decisions were taken quickly, and maybe some mistakes were made, which we all took in stride to ensure we reached the goal quickly. But now, no mistake should be tolerated, as we have had enough time to plan our return to Business as Usual.

This is where the closing of loop becomes crucial activity, because, if not done properly, can lead us back into the loop again!

The Management of all organizations should consider the following pointers to successfully close the loop:

· Ensure coordination with all departments

The organizational activities have to be streamlined like never before. The supporting teams like HR and building maintenance are right at the nucleus of the operations because of the reliance on them for operational safety

· Follow Health and Safety Guidelines

Coordinate with HR / safety department and make sure that they are following the health authority guideline

Follow guidelines (image courtesy https://www.thehrdirector.com/features/the-workplace/adapting-your-office-for-safe-working-with-covid-19/)

· Disinfect

Ensure that disinfection and sterilization operations are carried out regularly

Be Sure Be Safe (image courtesy https://i-sight.com/resources/returning-to-work-after-the-covid-19-pandemic-a-6-step-plan/)

· Insurance

Ensure that all personnel have updated insurance information and same is also available easily

· Prevent inroads

Availability of medical checking equipment like thermometer at the entrance and checks are conducted before letting anybody in the premises

· Protect

Availability of all required personnel protection equipment like masks and sanitizers

· Social Distancing

Ensure safe distance between seating arrangements, even if the strength must be reduced at office, as availability of personnel when required is more important currently than availability all the time

Break that chain (Image courtsey https://www.iso.org/news/ref2504.html ©Leon Neal / Getty)

· Monitoring

Don’t let the guard down, enforce a process to monitor the personnel once they are in the premises for any symptoms

· Plan for the worst

Identify and equip temporary isolation place within premises. Ensure clear protocol and procedure to be followed in case if symptoms are exhibited by any personnel on the premises

· Plan Medical Transport

Ensure coordination and prior identification of the hospitals concerned to transfer the suspected cases (after isolation)

· Contact Tracing

Process for determining the contacts of confirmed and suspected cases and for coordination with health organizations to transport such suspected contacts to hospitals to carry out the necessary checks

· Nominate SPOCs

Identify and nominate personnel for coordination with external parties (police, transport, ambulance, and hospitals) to request support and assistance

Apart from the above baseline activities, depending upon the business activities, the organization’s management can also implement the following measures:

· Identify and document the activities which can be done remotely and the activities which requires on site presence (e.g. desktop maintenance)

· Identify the minimum number of personnel required for the function and reduce the active person requirement to downsized team to keep back up resources away from exposure

· Create a front line and back up team from the current personnel

· The teams should work in rotation with team A in one week while team B (back up) works from home, weekends are used for rigorous sanitization and roles are reversed next week.

· If that is not feasible, the seating arrangement should ensure the primary and backup are physically segregated in different areas and do not meet in person

Let’s plan effectively and reach home safely! Remember, till we close the loop, the journey is still not complete, and we are still exposed to various risks!

Do not let that guard down!