BUSINESSES in Bedfordshire preparing to restart their operations as knockdown restrictions ease are to receive a boost courtesy of a new partnership between the county’s Chamber of Commerce and fulfilment giant Amazon.
Companies in the county will be among up to 1,000 businesses across the UK to have the opportunity to see at first hand how Amazon has implemented a range of measures to keep staff safe while continuing to serve its customers during the coronavirus crisis.
Tours of Amazon centres begin on Thursday next week (June 11). Places will be available on a first come, first served basis to members of selected Chambers of Commerce around the country, including Bedfordshire Chamber.
Outdoor markets and car showrooms in England opened earlier this week, with other non-essential retailers expected to follow later this month.
Results from the Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker produced by the British Chambers of Commerce show that the majority of firms surveyed are in a position to partially restart operations. However, some companies are still struggling, with one in ten of respondents saying that they would not be ready to implement guidance and restart operations, mainly citing social distancing as a difficulty.
BCC director general Dr Adam Marshall said: “Businesses will be taking a safe, risk-based approach to returning to work, in close consultation with their staff. But for many this will be an entirely new way of working.
“Firms of every size and sector from across the UK will appreciate the chance to see the practical reality of working within existing guidelines first-hand at Amazon and apply this learning to their own operations as they begin to reopen.”
With guidance from the World Health Organisation, Amazon has implemented a series of preventative health measures at its sites to help keep employees, partners, and customers safe. The company has made more than 150 significant process changes to ensure the health and safety of its team members, from enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures to the distribution of personal protective gear and the implementation of temperature checks across its UK operations.
The BCC-Amazon partnership is designed to complement the government’s road map and workplace specific guidance released earlier this month. Businesses will receive practical advice on how to operate safely as restrictions ease and apply any learnings to their own action plans for reopening their workplaces.
Amazon UK operations regional director Stuart Morgan said: “Nothing is more important to us than making sure that we protect the health of our teams and we have been working around the clock since the early days of the outbreak to make changes to our processes and procure the necessary supplies for this.
“We are delighted to share that experience with fellow Chamber members around the country and help restart British business.”
Chamber members should contact Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce to book a place on a tour.
by ANDREW GIBBS e: news@businessmk.co.uk
