COVID-19

I'm delighted to announce that Tempus have successfully renewed our CHAS accreditation for another year.

Now more than ever we're proud to show our continued commitment to:

- implementing correct Health & Safety standards;

- company compliance;

- mitigation of supply chain risks;

- supporting efficient supply chain management.

Whether your requirement is planned maintenance, reactive repairs of new installations, we’re committed to ensuring your workplace is compliant with current industry standards, regulations and legislation.

My thanks to Matt Swift for his hard work.

Take care,

Alex

We’ve been a bit quiet across our socials in the last few weeks, but for good reason. Our Teams have been working tirelessly to support our customers, particularly education, retail and hospitality, with their re-opening plans.

We’ve been providing nationwide support including:

• Accelerating any outstanding ‘lockdown’ PPM or remedial works;
• Building re-opening checks including water hygiene, HVAC;
• Continued vacant property inspections;
• Concierge and Handyman support;
• Supply social distancing and PPE products.

Information about these services can be found here or please contact George Boldero – georgeb@tempusfm.co.uk or 07944 518 565.

I’m also pleased to announce our HQ will be reopening on Monday 15^th June. Thank you to our Team for all the hard work over the last few months and recent weeks to ensure Lancaster House is Covid-19 secure. We can’t wait to start welcoming the Team back!

I’d also like to thank all our suppliers and specialist providers who have continued to provide their support and expertise through these difficult times.

Whilst the hard times aren’t over, we must look forward and work together.

Please take care, please stay safe and please look after one another.

Have a great weekend,

Alex

Good afternoon from Team Tempus,

We hope you, your families and Teams are keeping well.

We’ve had some great feedback and enquiries following our recent post Water Hygiene & Treatment. If you still haven’t started to put plans in place for your water treatments then please have a read of the document released last week and contact myself or George Boldero (georgeb@tempusfm.co.uk) with any questions or pricing requests.

A number of customers have asked what the treatment process entails, from start to finish, so today we’re pleased to release additional guidance on reopening water systems. This includes flowcharts to show a variety of actions based on the lab results and engineer’s findings.

This guidance can be downloaded by clicking HERE or by visit our Covid-19 Support Page.

We’re still providing our core services 24/7, so if we can help with these or other services - such as vacant property inspections, critical system servicing or planning the re-opening of your premises, we're here to help so please contact us.

We look forward to speaking with you and hope you have a great week.

Stay safe and take care.

As buildings begin to reopen, it is essential that any water system is not simply put straight back to use. It is imperative that the re-openings are planned and procedures are in place for the recommissioning of water systems; to allow safe start up and assurance to building users.

The LCA (Legionella Control Association) and Tempus' water specialists have provided detailed advice regarding Water Hygiene, Legionella Control and what the expectation is for management of water systems during this period of Covid-19 precautions.

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of:

• Government Advice and Legislation;
• LCA Guidance;
• Assessing water system risk in your building;
• Key Points and Considerations.

Tempus can assist with plans for recommissioning of water systems, so please click below to download the document.

Take care and enjoy the bank holiday.

Covid-19 has already and will continue to change the way we use our properties and workspaces.

Since lockdown the majority of staff have been working from home, leaving many offices, restaurants, gyms and shops empty and closed. As a result, buildings have been left empty with critical systems turned off or running and a significantly reduced capacity.

Clearly, this affects building compliance and how critical systems are managed and maintained. Tempus want to ensure our client’s buildings are ready for reopening and have produced guidance below on how to bring your building ‘back to life’ quickly and with minimal downtime or disruption to staff and customers.

What should you be doing?

Whilst buildings are closed both owners, landlords, tenants and property teams still need to ensure maintenance is in place. This is not only to ensure statutory compliance but ensure systems are working ready for pre and post opening. In some cases, these systems will need to be checked to satisfy insurers.

Important systems and functions such as HVAC and life safety should be inspected and maintained, as well as industry specific systems such as catering equipment and cellar cooling should also be considered.

Whilst re-opening dates and timescales are still not clear; Tempus are working with customers to produce site specific reopening plans and processes to help ‘bring their buildings back to life’.

If we can support your business then please continue reading below – we’d be delighted to help.

System Guidelines

Current re-opening estimates differ and are dependent on the demand or need for the different industries and sectors in the UK.

However, the lockdown started on March 23^rd and Tempus are currently working to business re-opening at the end of May – middle of June. This leaves sufficient time to be able to plan and implement and ensure buildings can be brought ‘back to life’.

Ideally, PPM will have continued in line with PPM schedules to ensure systems are working correctly, safe and certified. However, we’re aware that many buildings may not be following PPM schedules so steps need to be taken to ensure the building and systems are safe for re-use and re-occupation (our plans take this into account).

Various industry bodies have confirmed that statutory regulations have not been relaxed and certification must continue to be issued. If a certificate is now out of date it needs to be replaced by re-certifying the system.

We’ve listed examples of critical systems that need to be considered to ‘bring your building back to life’. Please take the time to review the guidance below:

The last weeks have, and continue to be, a uniquely challenging time. With real uncertainty about the future and the ‘new normal’, it is important to begin planning for the reopening of business – whatever that looks like in a post-Covid-19 world.

Timelines and plans for opening sites will depend on the sector and demand for that service. By no means will the end of lockdown be as simple as flicking a switch and with so many factors at play it’s almost impossible to say when businesses need to move to, and ramp up, pre-opening plans. Even then the questions and issues surrounding post-opening will continue to be fluid.

But, one thing is guaranteed – Tempus are here to support you. Our Team continue to provide fantastic support with no interruption to our 24/7 service. In the same vein our suppliers have been brilliant and we’ve been working with them to ensure supply chains are robust and able to support you when you need us most.

I’ve shared some guidance below which we hope you’ll find useful. We’ll be posting about each in more detail and we'd be pleased to discuss your requirements and plans for bringing your building back to life.

There is no doubt that Pre-opening (under government guidelines) is on the horizon and you should be considering and planning:

• Best practice for recommissioning of systems whilst buildings have been closed;
• Compliance checks to continue as normal to not only ensure statutory compliance but ensure any issues are resolved prior to re-opening;
• Deep cleaning/specialist cleaning to ensure sites are disinfected and to reassure customers/building users.
• Sufficient stocks of cleaning and hygiene consumables such as sanitiser, sanitiser dispensers, gloves, masks .
• Provision of temporary staff to support re-opening.

Whilst Post-opening will be focused on:

• An increase in the frequency of cleaning and regular deep cleans;
• How sites will operate and comply with social distancing and protect staff i.e. the use of sneeze screens and signage;
  
• Innovation and Automation including the use of touch free technology, for example access control, washrooms;
  
• Security and Access needs to be considered and is key to managing social distancing guidelines, changes in opening times and any safeguarding and vacant properties.

Tempus work nationwide across many sectors and our Team can help to develop your site-specific plans. These are designed to not only support you through this difficult time but to put your business in the best position possible for the ‘new future’.

We’ll continue to post about how we can help, so please check here regularly.

Please contact us if you need further information - meantime stay home, stay safe and take care.

Alex Willmore

Managing Director
alexw@tempusfm.co.uk

We hope that everyone is keeping safe and following government guidelines.

We’re able to offer a range of specialist services to ensure your vacant/occupied sites are supported during this time.

We work closely with each site to ensure precautions are in place for the safety of all occupants, staff, public and Tempus operatives.

- Cleaning – everyday cleans, deep cleans and Covid-19 cleans, disinfection of whole areas by neutral cleansing, then cleaning with Biocidal agent then fogging to provide a protective coating

- Air supply and extract cleaning

- Biocidal fogging

- Filter changes - kitchens, extract systems

- Manned guarding and patrols for empty properties

- Vacant property inspections - checking properties are safe, secure, no leaks;

- Boarding up;

- Pest Control.

Our Helpdesk Team is available 24/7/365 to discuss any requirements for your properties. If you have any questions or would like book in a service visit, please call 01702 548 950 or email helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk

Last night’s announcement was unprecedented but we understand that these measures are necessary. Therefore, to ensure we’re doing our part, at close of business today we will temporarily be closing our Essex and London offices. We do this with a heavy heart, but we know it is the right thing to do as we’re conscious of our responsibility as employers and members of the community – we all need to stay safe.

However, I’m pleased to confirm that it still remains business as usual for Tempus and we’re here to support you. We’ve had ZERO suspected cases of the virus and our supply chain is robust and unaffected. As for our service, this remains at our usual high standard, we have a fantastic team using excellent technology.

We’re able to provide 24/7 support for all issues in the same way we always do. A full list of our services can be found here https://www.tempusfm.co.uk/facilities-management

Callouts can be raised through helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk or phoning our 24/7 Helpdesk number 01702 548 950.

Any Tempus engineers attending site do so in accordance with government guidelines fully aware of their responsibility to minimise risk to themselves and others whilst getting the necessary job done.

I can assure you there will be no interruption to our services. They’ll continue to be delivered by the same team members you’re used to dealing with.

We’re here to support you and the Team 24/7 so please contact us with any callouts, maintenance or specialist services you may need.

Please stay indoors, take care and be safe.

Following a number of site closures due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, it is important that we highlight an increased risk of Legionella/Bacteria within water systems.

There is a danger that half empty buildings subject to much reduced water consumption will encourage the proliferation of microbiological infestation, including the legionella bacteria.

The below Covid-19 update emphasises the critical nature of the water hygiene services provided for clients and the potential increase in their exposure to legionella bacteria if their buildings are not being used as much due to employees working from home

Our control services do fall into this essential and critical category, preventing illness and death from legionella and a range of water-borne diseases. They are underpinned by legislation and requirements placed on a Responsible Person within our customers.

These requirements - the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant documents – are still in place and have not been reduced and as such our collective responsibility to work to these is still required. Access to your site is still necessary for these obligations to be met to keep your people and customers safe from exposure to Legionella.

Continued access to your site will enable Tempus to support you in adherence to legislation, and enable our joint responsibilities and Duty of Care to be fully fulfilled through adherence to the programme of planned preventative maintenance as detailed in our contract.

During the current move to self-isolation, home working and reduced building occupancy, the following are critical in you continuing to ensure the prevention of a Legionella outbreak:

- It is essential to continue the current water hygiene regime and perhaps even enhance the regime to offset a reduced water throughout and to minimise additional challenges over spring and summer.

- With a decrease in people attending sites, building water systems may not be being used as much, therefore creating stagnation and potential including an increased risk in Legionnaires Disease. Identification and flushing of low use outlets and systems becomes more important at this time and the site risk assessment may need to be reviewed.

- With warmer weather on the way, cases of Legionella rise especially with water systems being used less frequently.

- Our work is often completed in areas not frequented by the main building occupants - plant rooms, loft spaces etc. This reduces risk of cross contamination

- We are happy to work with you to arrange alternate access away from building occupants

To help our clients facilitate their compliance, where we are advised that we cannot gain access to a site, we will be asking if access to communal or areas of the building not affected/isolated is possible. If this is the case, we will ask to carry on the visit as normal but noting that specific tasks/locations cannot be completed/accessed noting the reason why. Any sampling locations will be adjusted to the available areas of the building. This will complete our contractual obligation for this visit.

Where we cannot agree entry onto a site for a scheduled daily/weekly/monthly visit, we offer to make our engineer available on the phone at a mutually convenient time to provide water safety advice. This will be logged, and the task completed we will consider this to be the fulfilment of our contractual obligation for this visit/task.

We would recommend that water hygiene visits are completed at all sites to ensure compliance during this trying time. In addition, we would recommend water hygiene visits are completed on the reopening of any premises to ensure safety for all.

We would like to reassure you that know we are here to help and are flexible in these uncertain times. Please contact our Helpdesk Team on

01702 548 950 or email helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk to discuss how we can keep you, your people and customers safe.

In light of the current situation here at Tempus we are offering a full clean, disinfect and sanitation of your indoor air conditioning units.

In this extra service we will clean your unit, sanitise your filters, and disinfect the evaporator coil. This will help maintain a healthy environment and peace of mind for you and your staff.

We feel now would be the ideal time to complete this service with your staff levels at a minimum. It will minimise the impact on your workforce and the service can be provided out of hours if required.

If you have any questions or would like book in a service visit, please call 01702 548 950 or email helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk

As the situation continues to develop, I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you, our valued customers, that Tempus is operating as normal and will continue to support you through these difficult and uncertain times. Our customers are one of our greatest assets, and Tempus will ensure security for you by maintaining our service.

We are taking a number of important actions to protect our Team, our customers and the public during the Covid-19 pandemic. I can assure you that our health and safety systems are robust enough to mitigate the risks associated with the Covid-19 outbreak.

We’ve continued to review and adapt to the situation to ensure that we are here when you need us most. We’ve created a dedicated web page where we will continue to issue updates, useful information and provide the reassurance you need.

1. Business as Usual

- We continue to operate as normal 24/7 and have so far had ZERO suspected cases of Coronavirus in the business.

- We continue to follow all guidance and advice issues by HM Government and Public Health England.

- Our Head Office is open and we’re implemented our working from home policy, with 70% of the team working in the office and 30% at home. There is a proactive step to ensure continuity of service - no matter what.

- Our supply chain is robust and we’re in constant communication with our suppliers. Our model is flexible and can be adapted, so we continue to service all areas of the UK.

2. Operational Changes

- As a preventative measure we will no longer be handing over paperwork or digital devices for signatures. This is being put in place to protect our engineers and customers, and to reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread.

- Hand sanitiser and gel is being used by all mobile engineers and office staff.

- We will not be accepting visitors to our offices and have adopted a policy of non-contact greetings.

3. Additional Support

We’re able to offer a range of specialist services to ensure your sites are supported

- Cleaning – everyday cleans, deep cleans and Covid-19 cleans, disinfection of whole areas by neutral cleansing, then cleaning with Biocidal agent then fogging to provide a protective coating

- Air supply and extract cleaning

- Biocidal fogging

- Filter changes - kitchens, extract systems

- Manned guarding and patrols for empty properties

- Vacant property inspections - checking properties are safe, secure, no leaks;

- Boarding up;

- Pest Control;

- Consumables – hand sanitiser, hand wipes, surface wipes and masks.

Please check
https://tempusfm.co.uk/support/covid-19
for daily updates and information. If you have any questions or would like to arrange additional servicing then please contact our Team:

helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk

01702 548 950

Take care and please stay safe.

We are currently selling 500ml and 5litre bottles of 60% alcohol hand sanitiser, with delivery in 5-7 days.

Please call 01702 548 950 or contact georgeb@tempusfm.co.uk for more information and pricing.

We’ve received a number of calls from clients asking if their air conditioning systems are safe to use with the current Coronavirus COVID-19 alert in the UK.

REFCOM, the UK’s leading F-GAS Register who provide BESA accredited training and industry advice to thousands of UK F-Gas engineers, have produced guidance to help allay fears and put the record straight with regard to misinformation that some newspapers have been spreading in recent days.

We will keep referring to their website to see if there have been any updates as the situation is still fluid and prone to change on a daily basis.

If you have any queries or questions, or if you’d like to arrange any extra services then please do get in touch by contacting the Helpdesk on 01702 548 950 or email helpdesk@tempusfm.co.uk.