The unsung heroes keeping building infrastructures safe during the Covid-19 pandemic

Each Thursday at 8pm people come out of their homes to applaud our NHS heroes and the key workers who are helping keep the country moving whilst we are in lockdown. Whilst acknowledging the heroic work of our NHS frontline staff, we must not forget the important part engineers play in keeping buildings running safely, and where some of these buildings are being temporarily closed, providing the expertise to safely support shutting them down. 

Evotech’s engineers maintain tens of thousands of electrical and mechanical assets in more than 300 commercial buildings, including pharmaceutical and NHS estate, commercial office space, shopping centres, leisure complexes and rented residential units across the UK. 

Working tirelessly to service, repair and decommission/commission equipment, the company’s engineers complete an average of 200,000 planned preventative maintenance (PPM) tasks each year and attend more than 5,500 reactive call outs, day and night. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic the company’s priority is to protect its staff whilst continuing to reliably support its clients. The company has issued specific guidance for employees to help keep them safe and well at work and minimise the spread of infection. Communicating daily with employees since the virus first hit UK soil, Evotech updates staff on the latest Government advice and on any operational changes. 

Early on in the pandemic the company was able to obtain a supply of additional PPE in infection barrier kits which it distributed to engineers, who are effectively their frontline staff. With strict adherence to Government recommendations on social distancing and in supplying engineers with infection barrier kits, Evotech has been able to continue delivering reliable services to meet the specific needs of clients during these extraordinary times. Some clients have shut down buildings as occupants have moved to home working, and Evotech’s dedicated team of engineers have supported them in doing so, ensuring that life safety systems such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, emergency lighting and water hygiene services remain in safe working order, whilst other assets are shut down or temporarily mothballed. 

In residential settings problems with a boiler, leaving a household without heating or hot water, or an issue with a gas appliance, are classed as urgent health and safety issues and Evotech’s gas engineers need to be able to undertake repairs urgently. They are able to do this whilst following the company’s strict infection control policy and wearing infection barrier kits over and above their usual industry standard PPE. It’s safe to say that, under these circumstances, engineers are also some of the country’s unsung heroes!