Ensuring operational resilience for a large retail company during covid-19

Overview

International SOS helped protect the 80,000 employees of a large retail company amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Services: Strategic health advice, site based COVID-19 risk assessments, provision of healthcare staff, temperature screening and COVID-19 testing
Location: Europe

Problem

The arrival of COVID-19 in the UK in early 2020 had a massive impact on one of Britain’s premium retail institutions. Their executive team was challenged with keeping their 300 food stores open during government restrictions and 'lockdowns' and, with the shift to online ordering, safeguarding their internet delivery warehouses to remain fully operational. Across both channels, it was imperative to ensure that their staff remained safe. 

Solution

Our advisors worked with the executive team to review the COVID-19 risks impacting their operations and how to best manage them. This included briefings to their Board, delivering educational videos for their employees to reinforce their safety message, advice on face coverings and executing risk assessments of their head office and main online delivery warehouse.

Our risk assessments led to the reinforcement of mask wearing, social distancing and site communications to their employees. A particular challenge was protecting the 3,000 people working at the 24/7 main warehouse to fulfil their ever-increasing online orders. The company wanted to ensure that the site continued to operate at full capacity and we recommended a combination of control measures including temperature screening, rapid COVID-19 antigen screening for suspected cases and a PCR test to confirm any positives.

We provided the temperature scanners, rapid Antigen tests, PCR tests and healthcare staff to run the service with all appropriate PPE and support services for seven days a week. We also arranged home PCR testing for the company’s food tasters before they travel to sites.

Impact

The stores and warehouses have continued to operate throughout COVID-19. Through awareness training, employees had the confidence to know that their work environment is safe and secure. Their executive team were secure in knowing they would receive the most accurate and relevant advice from our team of health advisors.