Post-production house reveals policies and guidance for staff and visitors as it looks to re-open its offices

Halo suite

Post-production house Halo has outlined its plans to reopen its Soho offices following the partial relaxation of some of the UK lockdown restrictions.

In common with most UK post houses, it is currently running a fully remote service, but it’s putting a plan together for reopening its offices after implementing strict protocols “to ensure everyone who visits Halo can do so with peace of mind.”

In a document created for clients, Halo says: “We should continue to do everything possible to work from home, or remote locations. Where that is not possible, our aim is to provide the safest possible environment for everyone who needs to visit Halo’s sites.”

Halo’s COVID-19 response has been formulated by the company’s senior management team and managed by John Rogerson, Halo’s CEO.

Staff and office facilities

Halo is giving Covid-19 safety training to all its staff, before they are allowed to return to the workplace. This covers the safe use of PPE (staff will be provided with face-coverings); handwashing, cleaning of surfaces, handling of equipment and disposal of waste.

The company is also ramping up the cleaning of facilities, with regular ‘hired in’ daily cleaning services; high frequency ‘contact cleaning’ by an in-house cleaning team; and a specialist cleaning company (Alliance Virus Prevention) for ‘deep-cleaning’.

An hourly process of disinfecting surfaces will be undertaken. Door handles, alongside shared telephones, bannisters, handrails, keyboards, stationary, cutlery and crockery, lift buttons and door bells all carry risks for cross-contamination.

Halo will also make sure paper towels are available for use in toilet facilities and bins will be emptied on each of the regular cleansing passes.

Each mixer, colourist and online editor will have a specific suite to work in. Support assistants will limit their visits to the finishing suites and offer support remotely.

Halo is also encouraging its staff to use the UK Government’s ‘track and trace’ app, once it’s launched. It will also be monitoring and recording the temperature of all team members when they report for work each day.

To enable social distancing at Halo:

  • Everyone who can work from home will be asked to continue doing so.
  • If the facility becomes too busy, Halo may introduce shift work to further limit the number of people in the building at any given time.
  • Where Halo can’t put a one-way system in place, it says it will rely of people acting in a courteous and patient manner, allowing someone to pass by standing back and giving them the space to do so safely.
  • No more than three visitors will be allowed in reception at one time.

Visitors

All visitors entering Halo’s building will have to use anti-viral hand gel, which will be provided. No more than three visitors will be allowed in reception at one time.

The receptionist will provide a single-use disposable face-covering to each visitor.

There will be a single route in and a single route out of reception so people are not crossing paths at doorways.

Furthermore, where possible, internal doors will be propped open to avoid the need to touch handles.

Halo would also, ideally, like every visitor to have their temperature taken, although acknowledges it has no legal right to insist on this.

Visitors will be asked to limit their requests for refreshments to minimise runner movement around the facility. Visitors will also have to bring their own food and cutlery.

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