A lot has happened since our last update on how we’re handling the pandemic at DoES Liverpool (including the community helping to keep NHS staff and key workers across the North-West safe by supplying over 24,000 visors!). We hope you’re staying safe and keeping well.
With the visor project winding down (although still supplying visors to anyone who needs them) and the Government starting to slightly ease the lockdown we’ve been looking at how to reconfigure the space for better social distancing.
Our recommendation is still to work from home wherever possible, and only visit the space if you need to use the equipment which isn’t available elsewhere or collect post or other items.
Our landlord, Jason, has installed hand sanitizer stations in the communal areas for people to use on arrival. We have handwash in the toilets and handwash and disinfectant in the kitchen area. You should wash your hands immediately on arrival at the space, and wipe down any desk areas or equipment that you use at the start and end of your visit.
To help with social distancing we’re restricting access to some areas of the space.
Restricted Occupancy Areas
Everywhere is still usable, but certain areas where there is less room should only be used by one person (or people from one household) at a time. These areas are marked with signs, like this one on the CNC room:
The restricted areas are:
- The laser-cutter room (we have taken Sophia off the bookings calendar for now so that the room doesn’t get double-booked, but either cutter can be used)
- The CNC room
- The kitchen
- The recess with the vinyl cutters and sublimation printer
- The corner workshop desk and textiles area
- The corner workshop desk and electronics workbench
These last two areas are marked out with tape on the floor, and are chosen so that you can either use the workshop desk or you can use the equipment (knitting machines, soldering irons, etc.), but there shouldn’t be someone at both at the same time.
Hot-desking
Given that our desks are too close together to allow people to maintain a 2 metre separation when sat at adjacent or opposing desks, people should stagger the desks they use relative to others.
To make that easier for people hot-desking, we have taped off some of the desks which shouldn’t be used.
And have marked out the desks which are available for hot-deskers to work from like this:
People with permanent desks are welcome to use their normal desk, and in most cases this fits in with the marking out of hot-desks that we’ve done.
However, in some cases you’d end up sitting next to, or opposite, another person at a desk. If that happens, please work with each other to work out a sensible option. Either using one of the other available hot-desks, or asking the person if they can move instead.
Finally, where possible open the windows to keep the space well ventilated.
If you have any questions about access, or any other issues relating to this, email hello@doesliverpool.com. We are responding to communications, but only staffing the space on an ad-hoc, only-when-necessary basis.
As part of our preparation of the space, we developed the DoES Liverpool COVID specific risk assessment, which is reviewed on an ongoing basis as the situation evolves.
