News and Views

Story Contracting provides building and civil engineering, construction, plant hire, and rail infrastructure services throughout the United Kingdom from its base at the Burgh Road Industrial Estate, Carlisle.

We implemented a wide range of measures to address the rapidly changing circumstances of Covid-19 to ensure the safety of our employees.

Story Contracting are strictly upholding guidelines across all sites, including works on the critical rail infrastructure.

Here’s an overview of what we have achieved on-site recently:

Story’s Construction division recently completed works to deliver a care home back to the NHS ready to accept patients very soon. The team adhered to current Government guidelines through such measures as:

• Implementing staggered breaks, only allowing one person in the welfare unit at a time;
• Splitting up trades to minimise contact;
• Our own joiner made wedges to prop doors open to avoid contact with handles;
• Implementing the 1 person to 1 vehicle rule
• Providing disposable surgical gloves to wear under construction gloves.

Our ‘key worker’ site teams and plant operators continue to deliver critical projects on the railways across the UK whilst complying with Government guidelines. We have:

• Implemented the 1 person to 1 vehicle rule;
• Secured self-catering apartments to enable teams to cook their own food whilst practising social distancing;
• Enforced the 2m rule on site and introduced ‘triangular’ team meetings;
• Minimised the number of people on site by keeping the same team together, including cancelling annual leave;
• Implemented staggered breaks only allowing one person in the welfare unit at a time;
• Additional hygiene measures including cleaning regimes.

In addition to the range of site safety measures described above, we also paid particular attention to effective communications with the workforce. For example, we communicated with our staff daily by email and text with important updates and guidance and developed a hub on our intranet with information on Covid-19 including:

• Government Guidance Updates;
• Advice on Symptoms;
• Social Distancing & Self-Isolation;
• Provided Key Worker Information;
• Line Manager Information;
• FAQ’s;
• Physical & Mental Wellbeing Support.

We have also ensured that all staff who can are working from home. We have provided Display Screen Equipment and risk assessments for those doing so and remote conferencing systems are being well utilised.