COVID-19 Information Hub

For now, we can share some useful information from colleagues in Make UK and this very useful guide from our Manufacturing Month supporters KPMG.

Additionally, we have established short lines of communication with the Department for the Economy and need your help.  We will be reporting on live and emerging issues impacting your business and our sector. 

Please email info@manufacturingni.org or call or text Stephen Kelly on 07768480737 or Mary Meehan on 07976576517 if there are issues specifically relating to:

1. Customer Demand
2. Workforce
3. Logistics
4. Supply Chain

Additionally, if there are good ideas you are implementing in your business which would be helpful to others in the sector, let us know and we will collate and share these.

For now, we encourage you to:

1. Speak to your workforce and their representatives if appropriate and ask for their assistance.
2. Enforce strict hygiene rules and ensure suitable and plentiful supplies of washing materials and sanitisers.
3. Introduce frequent and regular cleaning regimes with particular attention on areas colleagues will be touching including clocking in systems and share facilities such as canteens and food.
4. Encourage staff to bring their own food and water and to not share.  Sharing of cups and cutlery should be reviewed.  If they must remain, ensure they are washed at least 65 degree centigrade.
5. Encourage those who have roles which don’t require presence in your production facility to work from home (ensuring proper data protection systems are in place).
6. Where possible, ensure there is 3 metre distances between workers.
7. Stop unnecessary travel and unnecessary visitors to your premises.

The advice from Government will change, likely on a daily basis so we will update as often as we can. In the meantime, do keep an eye on the Gov.uk website and our colleagues Make UK website – https://www.makeuk.org

There will also likely be requests to assist both Government (through supply of materials and equipment) and perhaps from other manufacturers.  If you have things to offer, let us know too.

These are extraordinary times and we will do what we can to keep you informed, to press for clear and trusted advice from Government and ask for their support for your live and emerging issues. Please keep us informed.

Disclaimer: All information provided by Manufacturing NI is provided in good faith. Under no circumstance shall we have any liability to you for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of reliance on any information provided within our communications.