Restrictions being lifted?
Discussion
I work for a national builders merchant and we have been told now we can reopen but with only 40% staff and work within the social distancing measures.
They are not letting customers into the the shop or yard and operating a kind of ‘click and collect’ service and delivery service.
The problem arises in the department I work in, Tool Hire.
We have been told we are operating under the same guidelines, and once customers return the hired kit it will be left in the car park and collected by a member of staff wearing full PPE and deep cleaned. Or we will collect from site wearing full PPE.
To me this is a problem. We will be supplying over 2000 members of staff full PPE? Shouldn’t this be for the NHS.
We could also be putting hundreds of thousands of builders back to work across the country. They have been contacting all the customers telling them of the reopening.
At the moment they can not ask you to come back to work they can only ask for volunteers, they have got enough volunteers to fill the 40% though.
Also with the NHS being pushed to its limits, putting all these people back working again is just going to put more stress on it.
They are not letting customers into the the shop or yard and operating a kind of ‘click and collect’ service and delivery service.
The problem arises in the department I work in, Tool Hire.
We have been told we are operating under the same guidelines, and once customers return the hired kit it will be left in the car park and collected by a member of staff wearing full PPE and deep cleaned. Or we will collect from site wearing full PPE.
To me this is a problem. We will be supplying over 2000 members of staff full PPE? Shouldn’t this be for the NHS.
We could also be putting hundreds of thousands of builders back to work across the country. They have been contacting all the customers telling them of the reopening.
At the moment they can not ask you to come back to work they can only ask for volunteers, they have got enough volunteers to fill the 40% though.
Also with the NHS being pushed to its limits, putting all these people back working again is just going to put more stress on it.
Branch666 said:
Also with the NHS being pushed to its limits, putting all these people back working again is just going to put more stress on it.
The NHS is not being pushed to its limits. My son in laws CV ward and some of those his friends work in, have closed due to lack of use. With all electives cancelled many people are sitting around with nothing to do.It's well short of it's capacity.
Meaning hundreds of thousands of builders going back to work meaning a lot more accidents at work needing Hospital treatment? Maybe I’m way off all I seem to be seeing on the news though is how the NHS are nearing capacity and don’t work if it’s not essential, is block paving someone’s driveway or putting an extension on essential?
Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
Edited by Branch666 on Wednesday 22 April 13:16
You do understand that all this 'free money' has to be recovered? That the NHS is paid for out of taxation?
Seems you are like many furloughed people living on the 'free money' - you want to sit at home getting a suntan under the guise that you're 'protecting the NHS. Saving lives'.
You, and many others, are going to get a very harsh reality check when this is over.
You'll probably also find that a lot of plant is sitting on site 'off hire', and not earning any money. I often have bits of kit sitting on site for days between it being taken off hire and being collected by the hire company.
Seems you are like many furloughed people living on the 'free money' - you want to sit at home getting a suntan under the guise that you're 'protecting the NHS. Saving lives'.
You, and many others, are going to get a very harsh reality check when this is over.
You'll probably also find that a lot of plant is sitting on site 'off hire', and not earning any money. I often have bits of kit sitting on site for days between it being taken off hire and being collected by the hire company.
Branch666 said:
Meaning hundreds of thousands of builders going back to work meaning a lot more accidents at work needing Hospital treatment? Maybe I’m way off all I seem to be seeing on the news though is how the NHS are nearing capacity and don’t work if it’s not essential, is block paving someone’s driveway or putting an extension on essential?
Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
My aunts just had all her hours cut at the hospital because they have 16 people in the place. Its nearing time the country gets back to work. We cant afford this forever, it just sounds like your using the NHS as an excuse as you want to stay off. Just dont volunteer.Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
Edited by Branch666 on Wednesday 22 April 13:16
Saleen836 said:
The only reason I am currently not working is builders merchants being shut/restricted so am unable to get materials delivered to site,the sooner the re-open the better 
The fact they were closed at all will now create problems. The minute they open there will be rush to get materials,they will sell out and it will take weeks for the supply chain to catch up again ( a bit like the toilet roll shortage and supermarkets).
You need to look at the bigger picture, for every tool, digger etc that is hired of you means someone is out there working and hopefully coming off the furlough scheme.
The PPE equipment you will be supplied with is may well have been made in the UK, keeping someone in a job and off the furlough scheme.
We appear to be past the peak so slowly starting to look into getting the economy going again would be wise if we can do so without causing an increase in COVID-19 cases.
This keeps you and 40% of your staff off the furlough and working, saving the government money and allowing your company to actually earn some money, with any luck enough to stop any redundancies.
Should your work apply the measures and operate successfully without spreading the virus, then other firms may get the green light to do the same.
The PPE equipment you will be supplied with is may well have been made in the UK, keeping someone in a job and off the furlough scheme.
We appear to be past the peak so slowly starting to look into getting the economy going again would be wise if we can do so without causing an increase in COVID-19 cases.
This keeps you and 40% of your staff off the furlough and working, saving the government money and allowing your company to actually earn some money, with any luck enough to stop any redundancies.
Should your work apply the measures and operate successfully without spreading the virus, then other firms may get the green light to do the same.
Matt_N said:
Builders Merchants are one of the specific businesses that have been told they can and should remain open to service the construction industry.
This is now the mentality that people need to get over.
I do not understand why some shut completely, yet others worked out how to continue trading in some form.This is now the mentality that people need to get over.
hotchy said:
My aunts just had all her hours cut at the hospital because they have 16 people in the place. Its nearing time the country gets back to work. We cant afford this forever, it just sounds like your using the NHS as an excuse as you want to stay off. Just dont volunteer.
A friend who works in the PPE supply chain says it can be up to £70m to kit out a hospital for PPE daily - they have to use several changes of the kit. He says it's not sustainable as the government cannot keep shelling out - especially whilst the country is at a standstill. But they will argue the balance between being poor but alive is greater than if things re opened too soon. I would like to return to some sort of normality, but I think those figures for deaths remain very high in the 800s to 900's daily. I fix printers for a few nationwide builders merchants too and would love to get back to work at some point.
People have decided to sneak back to work anyway...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8244719/M...
Edited by CourtAgain on Wednesday 22 April 13:58
TurnedEmo said:
You do understand that all this 'free money' has to be recovered? That the NHS is paid for out of taxation?
Seems you are like many furloughed people living on the 'free money' - you want to sit at home getting a suntan under the guise that you're 'protecting the NHS. Saving lives'.
You, and many others, are going to get a very harsh reality check when this is over.
Don't be silly, this is a nice little paid for vacation to sit at home and watch loose women and have a nice glass of wine in the garden in the afternoon. In two or three months when it is all over a switch will be flicked and everything will instantly go back to normal.Seems you are like many furloughed people living on the 'free money' - you want to sit at home getting a suntan under the guise that you're 'protecting the NHS. Saving lives'.
You, and many others, are going to get a very harsh reality check when this is over.
"Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save lives" as it says on the TV with a greater frequency than the Jamster Crazy Frog adverts of the early 2000s.
I think a few companies that completely shut down are now attempting to at least do some work as they just won't be able to survive with no income for much longer. My ex wife was having some building work done on her house and the builders have now started work again. The fish and chip shop near where I live has just opened up again for take away in the evening.
These restrictions are stopping a lot of people from making a living, I think more and more of them are going to start trying to get some revenue even before the restrictions are officially lifted.
Interestingly enough the workmen who have been replacing the gas main where I live over the last three months have not stopped work for a single day.
Branch666 said:
Meaning hundreds of thousands of builders going back to work meaning a lot more accidents at work needing Hospital treatment? Maybe I’m way off all I seem to be seeing on the news though is how the NHS are nearing capacity and don’t work if it’s not essential, is block paving someone’s driveway or putting an extension on essential?
Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
Do you really believe that the NHS is going to be swamped with builders who have injured themselves.Also, as far as I’m aware, the government will be covering my 80% pay and the company all though it is ‘shut’ now is still making a lot of money without the wages overhead (I know the government are paying this) as all the hire equipment that is out now if the customer is working or not is still being charged for.
- I don’t see how they are going to get away with this either. For example, if you hired a digger for a week before the ‘lockdown’ and it’s now been sat on your site for 4 weeks, you are paying the full hire charge for it to date till it is returned to branch or collected.
Edited by Branch666 on Wednesday 22 April 13:16
It is often said that most accidents happen at home so it would seem a wise move to get as many people back to work as possible.
Edited by Monkeylegend on Wednesday 22 April 14:33
Monkeylegend said:
Do you really believe that the NHS is going to be swamped with builders who have injured themselves.
It is often said that most accidents happen at home so it would seem a wise move to get as many people back to wok as possible.
That never mentions whose home...they might be building new homes!It is often said that most accidents happen at home so it would seem a wise move to get as many people back to wok as possible.
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