Workspace safety

How we’re making our workspace safe and healthy for all members, staff and visitors

Plexal has always been a champion for collaboration and coming together – and that’s not changed. But the safety of our members is our top priority.

Our community events are still being held online only for now to enable members to share their ideas and experiences. And as we welcome more members back to work, we’re putting a number of measures in place to keep our space clean and make sure we’re complying with the government’s advice.

Below is a summary of our practices and policies so you have all the information you need to feel comfortable about your decision to work from Plexal, or allow your team to return to work from our centre.

KEEPING OUR MEMBERS AND STAFF SAFE

 

Enabling social distancing

 

Stepping up our cleaning

 

Signage to make sure everyone follows best practice

TRAVELLING TO PLEXAL AND OPENING TIMES

The Here East shuttle bus is currently not running (we’ll let you know once this changes and the service is phased back) but if you want to walk or cycle to work, there are bike racks available on campus and showers on the ground floor for Plexal members. The number 388 bus also stops just next to the campus. It runs every 10 minutes and you can catch it from Stratford Bus Station outside Westfield on Montfichet Road.

There are 28 Santander bikes outside Stratford station as well as two 28-bike docking stations at Here East.

Members can also pay for space in the carpark on Eastway next to Here East. If you’re interested in buying a monthly carpark space, just email The Squad.

Plexal’s open with reduced hours  (7am-9pm from Monday to Friday). We’ll return to normal opening hours (7am-midnight, Monday-Friday and 9am-7pm on weekends) from 6 July onwards.

CLEANING AND GOOD HYGIENE

We’ve significantly increased both the frequency and intensity of our cleaning regimes. These measures include:

  • having cleaning staff dedicated to different parts of Plexal so a cleaner is always on hand
  • introducing new CAFT (common areas frequently touched) cleaning staff during peak hours to concentrate on cleaning areas that are frequently used like as door handles and railings
  • introducing a compulsory 15-minute break between meeting room bookings so we can clean them between meetings
  • providing antiviral wipes in all meeting rooms and throughout Plexal for members to use
  • introducing a new, weekly deep clean. This involves a fogging process using a virucidal product.
  • encouraging a clean desk policy throughout Plexal so our evening clean can be as thorough as possible
  • using increased strength viricidal cleaning products that leave a residue that continues to kill viruses for a period of time after a surface is cleaned

 

We’re also:

  • providing hand sanitiser throughout Plexal, both on the ground floor and on the mezzanines
  • ensuring our sinks have plenty of kitchen roll and hand wash
  • providing disposable gloves behind our reception desk, should members ask for a pair
  • encouraging members to wash their hands and practice good hygiene through signage placed around the centre

HOT DESKING

We’ve removed a significant number of chairs in communal areas to enable members to stay two metres apart and have arranged the chairs in such a way that members don’t need to sit opposite each other either. We’ll mark these safe distances with stickers on desks to so members know where to sit.

Everyone, including fixed desk and private office members, can sit in a hot desk area and we’ve unlocked space for additional hot desks in some unused parts of Plexal. Members are being encouraged to use the same hot desk throughout the day and can use the stickers provided to keep their desk reserved just for them.

Cleaning products such as antiviral wipes will be placed in every hot desking area.

MEETING ROOMS, COMMUNAL AREAS AND BREAKOUT SPACES

We’ll only have a maximum of two Plexal staff members behind our reception desk at any point.

Floor stickers will show members what a two-metre distance looks like to encourage social distancing and we’ll have plenty of signs to reinforce the message that members should stay two metres apart. Floor stickers will also encourage members to walk in certain directions to minimise contact between members.

We’ll prop our doors open as much as possible to minimise how much members have to touch the handles.

Meeting rooms can only be booked with a 15-minute gap between meetings so the rooms will be cleaned between pre-booked meetings and breakout spaces will be cleaned regularly throughout the day. Cleaning products and hand sanitiser will be made available inside each meeting room and booth.

EATING AND DRINKING

We aren’t currently hosting our usual indoor street food vendors but our vending machines are available and MOTHER, Randy’s Wing Bar, The Breakfast Club and Gotto are providing a takeaway and/or delivery service.

We’ve placed floor stickers at the tea points to encourage social distancing and only two people will be allowed in a kitchen at any one time. Queuing points will be marked on floors outside the kitchens to make sure people keep a two-metre distance.

VISITORS

We’re welcoming visitors but please book your guests in through the Plexal Portal at least 24 hours in advance (if a guest isn’t pre-registered they may not be able to enter the centre).

We’re also asking that you limit groups of visitors to five people. Please share this page with them before they arrive so they know what to expect and how to play their part in keeping everyone at Plexal safe.

WHAT HERE EAST IS DOING

Steps being taken to keep you safe on campus include:

  • cleaning the campus according to Level 3 pandemic outbreak standards as defined by the World Health Organization
  • making hand sanitiser widely available on campus
  • installing perspex protective screens in reception areas
  • social distancing signage and floor stickers
  • receptions operating with a one-way entry and exit system
  • directional distancing signage on entrances and exits, speed lanes, stairwells and lifts

STAFF POLICIES FOR THE PLEXAL TEAM

As more members of the Plexal team return to work in line with government advice, we’ll use a rota system. We designed the rota so that staff members will come to work in small groups to minimise the number of people they interact with.

Only staff members who are fit and able to return to work (and feel comfortable doing so) will appear on the rota. For example, if schools are closed parents may prefer to continue working from home.

Starting with groups of four, we’ll gradually increase the number of people in a group and can rapidly scale the rota down if necessary.

The Plexal team have been given washable/reusable masks to wear on their commute to work or in the office if they want to. When they’ve been used for the recommended number of times, we’ll replace them. All staff will have access to hand sanitiser and antiviral wipes to help them clean their phones, desks and laptops.

ANY QUESTIONS?

If you’ve got any questions at all, you can reach The Squad on thesquad@plexal.com or our chief operating officer Kate Pearman on kate.pearman@plexal.com