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A survey conducted by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) has found signs that the uncertainty that was present in the industry throughout the lockdown period is now dissipating.
And as 75% of respondents say they are finding it easier than before to access their customer’s premises, it provides a more positive outlook for the months to come for the fire industry.
The FIA was asked by the Government to consult with its members about how the industry has been affected and how it can assist in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.
9% of respondents said they had had all of their bookings postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19, but this number could have been significantly higher if fire safety professionals had not been classified as key workers. Through close collaboration with its members the FIA recognised that this could prove a problem with the strict rules that were imposed at the start of lockdown. As a result of voicing the concerns of the fire industry to the government, James Brokenshire MP, Minister of State for Security confirmed that all individuals in the fire sector actively working to improve public fire safety had been identified as key workers and were able to undertake their duties https://www.firedepot.co.uk/servicing-maintaining-fire-safety-equipment-covid19-lockdown/
With over 72% of respondents saying that they require access to customer premises, the survey also asked how the backlog of visits that COVID-19 might have caused could be addressed. Across the board, all organisations said that the biggest challenge was keeping social distancing at all times but beyond altering workplace practices to adhere to social distancing guidelines, there was a mixed response on how organisations intend to deal with the backlog.
Many said they planned on addressing the backlog by prioritising overdue visits, whilst providing overtime and other incentives to help get through the backlog before the end of December 2020. Others suggested that they would extend the working hours of the day and even consider working on weekends if required. Some said that if the demand was there, they would hire more engineers as opposed to using sub-contractors.
A number of respondents said they had ‘maintained a sustainable level of visits throughout the lock down’ and as such they did not envisage a large backlog.
You can view the full survey here
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