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Last updated: 27 July 2021

We want to offer our staff and guests some proactive and clear advice with regards to the Coronavirus.

House of Fisher will continue to operate our business as usual until instructed otherwise. In the meantime, please see below for actions you need to be aware of or take on whilst at work or staying in one of our properties.

We ask that you be sensible and follow the government advice given, and that you please always keep your manager/employer informed if you have any concerns or are affected by the below in any way.

Please also refer to our COVID-19 Procedure document.

Information about the virus:

Coronavirus (CoV) is a type of virus. This can cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Novel coronavirus, COVID-19 is a new strain which previously has not been found in humans. Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do: through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person’s hands or face, or by touching things such as hand contact points that infected people have previously touched.


COVID-19 has an incubation period of 2-14 days, meaning that if someone has come into contact with someone who has the virus and remains well 14 days after, they have not been infected.

Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease.

The following interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.

Symptoms:

The typical symptoms are flu-like and include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Pneumonia
  • Shortness in breath and breathing difficulties
  • Loss of smell and/or taste

The symptoms of coronavirus can be more severe in people with weakened immune symptoms.

How is Coronavirus spread?

It is often spread person to person by being in close contact with someone with coronavirus. This is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. The virus is also likely to spread by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. It is important to note that the ease with which a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious while other viruses are less so.

How long can the virus survive?

The length of time any respiratory virus survives for depends on various factors. These include but are not limited to:

  • Environment (temperature and humidity differences)
  • The surface the virus is on
  • If it exposed to sunlight
  • If it has been exposed to cleaning products.

In most situations, the quantity of the infectious virus on a contaminated surface is likely to have significantly decreased by 72 hours.

Prevention:

  • Wash your hands regularly. Wash your hands with hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds, and/or use alcohol-based hand gel/soap
    • Especially after coughing/sneezing, caring for someone sick, when preparing food, after toilet use or after touching animals
    • All apartments and staff areas are equipped with soap and/or alcohol-based hand gel, and these are professionally cleaned regularly
  • Protect others from getting sick. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue. Throw the tissue away immediately in a closed bin. Limit hand to mouth contact
  • Maintain a social distance. It is advisable to maintain social distance when possible and limit touching such as shaking hands.
  • Use protective equipment when needed. The Operational teams have been issued with disposable gloves, face masks and aprons. We recommend using face masks in all public areas of our properties and offices.
  • Refrain from unnecessary travel when possible.
  • ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’ posters are displayed in all public wash areas.

Travel:

Staff should speak to their manager to discuss ‘self-isolation’ if:

  • They display symptoms.
  • They have returned from an affected area (these are regularly updated on the government website, click here to view).
  • If close family members or friends (household) display symptoms, have been or are awaiting test results or have been encouraged to self-isolate, until their results are clear.

If you experience symptoms:

  • Self-isolate immediately (do not come to work!) and call 111 (in the UK) and/or follow local guidance in other regions to arrange for a test.
  • Sick pay: Our standard sick leave and pay entitlement applies.
  • Management to log on PeopleHR
  • If testing positive, follow the NHS guidelines

In the event of symptoms shown whilst at work, please contact management to arrange for safe travel home to isolate. Management to organise deep & sanitation clean of areas which might be contaminated.

Government advice can be found here.

Self-isolation:

  • Stay at home
  • Do not go to work, school or public areas
  • Do not use public transport
  • Do not have visitors or meet friends/family
  • Ask friends/family to run errands for your or use delivery services
  • If in shared accommodation, make sure you separate yourself from others and that shared facilities like bathrooms are regularly cleaned. (Further guidance on shared accommodation is available on the government website by clicking here)

During lockdown:

All offices will be closed. We will offer flexible working arrangements, such as working from home, office relocation, change of tasks or allow the use of holidays.

Our responsibility should a serious incident happen:

  • Contact the emergency services if required
  • Follow company Health & Safety policies and/or other procedures/policies
  • Notify your line manager immediately
  • Assist guests, employees and the emergency services to collect as much information as possible. A full investigation needs to take place
  • Report incident to Senior Management (emergency WhatsApp group set up)
  • Keep notes, ask questions and fill in an incident report form FAO of Management
  • If contacted by the media, do not share any information but pass over details to Senior Management. No comments should be made on any social-media channels.
  • If alternative accommodation has to be organised, please work with Management to find the best solution

In the aftermath of a disaster or serious incident, the Senior Management Team will work through the Contingency Recovery Plan to enable the organisation to re-establish normal operations.