Arrangements for Dealing with the Covid-19 Outbreak

 

MHB Consultants Ltd’s Arrangements for Dealing with the Ongoing Covid-19 Outbreak

General

As you would expect, we are taking the situation very seriously and monitoring developments closely, but we have also put in place sensible measures to ensure that MHB Consultants is well prepared to continue its operations as close to “Business as Usual” as possible.

We can reassure you that in respect of the spread of the outbreak we are focused on:

• The health and welfare of both our staff, clients, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Our ability to continue to support clients and provide professional design services.

Some of the specific actions that we have taken include:

Prior Preparation

As part of our management procedures we have had in place for a number of years, a Business Continuity Management Plan (BCMP). This includes, amongst other things, arrangements for dealing with a range of scenarios including the temporary closure of our main office premises for any reason and how the business will continue to function. The current UK Government advice, in relation to restrictions on individual movement, can be accommodated under our BCMP. We have invested in technology and infrastructure to ensure that the business is both robust and adaptable to be able to cope with significant and potentially disruptive events such as this.

Remote Working

All of our staff are currently working from home and can remotely access our systems within a secure IT environment. Normal office phone lines to MHB can be used and have been diverted to remote working staff. Email addresses and mobile phone numbers are unaffected.

Geographic Dispersion

We operate from 3 locations across the UK (Glasgow, York and Edinburgh) and this gives us the flexibility to temporarily relocate activities or teams to other sites, if necessary.

Staff, Client, Supplier And Other Stakeholder Safety

The health, safety and well-being of our staff, clients, suppliers and other stakeholders is of paramount importance to us. We are therefore closely monitoring and implementing official guidelines from the UK Government and health organisations in respect of COVID-19. Specific actions taken include:

Health And Hygiene

Due diligence from all is critical, and anyone feeling unwell contacts their Line Manager immediately and follows UK Government and NHS advice.

We maintain good hygiene standards by following the latest advice from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), UK Government and the NHS.

Advice on social distancing measures are followed throughout.

Meetings

In the current circumstances, we believe that facilitating meetings by Skype/ Teams or by telephone is best practice. By exception only, we remain responsive to client needs in reasonable and appropriate circumstances.

Business Travel

Business travel is being minimised and non-essential travel avoided. The use of public transport is being minimised to reduce exposure. We recognise that many clients will also want to minimise their travel and face-to-face contact during this period and therefore we can facilitate meetings by telephone, video conferencing and Teams/Skype.

Site visits should preferably be made by company vehicles rather than public transport.

Summary

The coronavirus outbreak is clearly a constantly evolving situation both in terms of infection rates and the impact on our clients, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders. While we cannot predict when the outbreak will peak and/or start to subside, we hope that disruption will ultimately be short-lived.

In the meantime, we want to reassure you that we are taking sensible precautions to minimise the potential impact of coronavirus on our clients, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders and will maintain as close as is possible to “Business as Usual”  during this period.

If you have further questions, please contact Hendrie Barbour or your usual contact at MHB Consultants Ltd.

 

Hendrie Barbour

Managing Director