Animation puts workers in the picture about safe return to work

In another practical step to help the sector’s restart, the CICV Forum has released a short film outlining the key health and safety steps that all staff should take during the return to work.

Entitled Working Together, the 90-second animation illustrates the positive day-to-day measures that workers in the construction industry can take to protect themselves, their colleagues and the wider community.

Its release follows the success of a previous Forum animation, In It Together, which outlined procedures for emergency domestic work and was adapted by a host of other UK and European organisations for their own use.

Rebecca Crosland, Health and Safety Advisor at Forum member the Building Engineering Services Association, said: “The restart has the potential to be an unsettling time for everybody concerned, with people unsure about exactly what they should do.

“This latest animation lays down in simple terms, with bright and cheerful graphics, the common sense ways in which everyone can contribute to a safe working environment and help keep the virus at bay.”

In line with Scottish Government and Construction Scotland advice, which is underpinned in an earlier Forum guidance document, the animation advises that employees should:

  • Travel to work alone, if possible.
  • Observe physical distancing at all times.
  • Wear a proper face covering if required.
  • Wash their hands properly and often.
  • Regularly clean frequently touched tools, objects and surfaces.

The film also emphasises how everyone can play their part by:

  • Bringing their own prepared food and drink.
  • Staying on site or using their vehicle during breaks.
  • Always coughing into their sleeve or elbow if they don’t have a tissue.
  • Staying at home and following Government guidance if they have Covid-19 symptoms.
  • Reading their company’s Covid-19 policy and risk assessment.

The new film follows the launch of the Forum’s return to work pack, and reinforces its reputation for proactive innovation, with the collective being at the forefront of information distribution and the first port of call for advice and clarity for many enterprises.

Iain Mason, Director of Membership and Communications at SELECT and Chair of the Communications Sub-Group on the CICV Forum, said: “The Forum has been at the forefront of information flow since the start of the crisis in March.

“The number of trade associations, professional bodies, companies and individuals who have come together for mutual benefit and for the sake of the preservation of the sector underlines the core message of the film that, by working together, we can successfully navigate a safe return to work.”

The animation was once again brought to life by creative agency Connect Communications whose Managing Director Alan Ramsay said: “For the second time during this pandemic we have successfully created a clear and straightforward message that can be quickly and easily understood and adopted by the construction sector’s diverse and varied workforce.”

  • Watch the animation here.