Banner Blog

As a provider to Central Government and the Wider Public Sector via a number of Frameworks, Banner is delighted to offer a compliant supply route for a new certified, UK manufactured, face covering to both the public and private sectors. 

The Business Standards Institution (BSI) launched the new quality assured Kitemark^TM to help people instantly know whether they're buying a face covering that is effective or not.

With many face coverings available in the market and as masks become compulsory in more places, the new Kitemark^TM accreditation provides consumers with confidence and assurance that the products have been assessed and approved to a technical specification.

The UK manufactured face coverings are available to all Banner customers and are currently in stock in our Distribution Centres across the UK. 

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove said: "This is a major step to ensure that this country can meet any increase in demand for face coverings by working with British firms to establish the capability, capacity and skills required to manufacture these items at scale..."

COVID-19 heavily impacts the way we work and requires many office workers to work from home.

With lockdowns now being relaxed in many countries, the future will probably require a more hybrid approach, transitioning between working from home and the office. The home office will in many ways, become an extension of the corporate office.

If you are looking to establish this new way of working as a longer term or more permanent practice in your organisation, make sure you tackle the following three topics as part of your strategy – safety, organisation and wellbeing:

The UK Government has announced that, in addition to public transport, shops and supermarkets, wearing a face covering in secondary schools communal areas will now be mandatory in England. 

Ensuring staff, customers and visitors comply with these regulations will be a focus for many companies and organisations in the UK.  But it can be confusing as to what to order for your workplace. 

Here's a simple guide to the different types of face coverings. 

Cleaning and hygiene have always been paramount in care homes, but both these issues have come to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of us now know that elderly people, including care home residents, are at greater risk¹ from the worst effects of the virus than most of the population, and that care workers² are more likely to contract Covid-19 in their daily work.

For the protection of residents, staff and visitors in the era of Covid-19, these are the essential cleaning and hygiene measures that care home providers are taking:

Any return to work transition is challenging at the best of times.

Whether you’re returning after a prolonged period of remote working or from maternity leave, a process must be implemented to ensure that this transition is smooth and successful. Signage can help facilitate this. For example, if an employee is returning after a workplace injury, warning signs can assure them that everything is being done to promote optimal safety and prevention.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused us to rely on signage more than ever. The government's plan for a phased return to work following the recent social distancing measures is set to be one of the most difficult challenges to date.

At Banner, we believe that office signage will be crucial in facilitating a smooth and safe transition back to work.

Lockdowns have forced companies to close their offices and enable their employees to work from home where, and as much as possible.

We all have a role to play in preventing the infection from spreading when workplaces reopen. Without an available vaccine or effective treatment, well-organised risk management is key to creating ‘COVID-safe’ work environments. One thing is clear: the office after coronavirus will look very different in many ways and managers need to prepare for ‘the new normal’.

If there was ever a time to take your workplace cleaning to the next level, it's now.

While keeping the work setting clean has always been important for employee health and preventing the spread of illness, this has taken on an extra level of significance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s likely that people pass Covid-19 to each other by either breathing in air-borne virus particles when someone coughs or sneezes, or by touching a surface that harbours these particles and then touching their face.

With respiratory viruses surviving on surfaces for anything from several hours to a few days, the thorough cleaning of surfaces and hands is essential for reducing the risk of contracting Covid-19 through touch. And as lockdown restrictions ease and workplaces prepare to welcome people back in bigger numbers, this is becoming even more pressing.

These hygiene measures will help to create a Covid-secure workplace:

As educational settings prepare to re-open in line with the government’s three phase plan for easing lockdown, some organisations are showing that a relatively low risk environment is possible.

Across all areas of industry, where front line staff have been dealing with the wider public during the Covid-19 pandemic, safeguards have been shown to protect staff. Measures that have been introduced included queue management to restrict the flow of people in public areas at any one time, two-metre space floor markings, Perspex screens at receptions, colleagues washing their hands every 30 minutes and the deep cleaning of communal areas.

If you’re formulating plans to re-open educational settings you need to carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment and implement a plan that aims for the best possible safety and wellbeing.

By doing this, you’ll give staff and students the confidence to return to settings, ensure a successful re-start and reduce the risk of educational interruption.

As workplaces prepare to re-open in line with the government’s three phase plan for easing lockdown, some companies are showing that a relatively low risk environment is possible.

Even in the retail sector, where front line workers have been dealing with shoppers during the Covid-19 pandemic, safeguards have been shown to protect staff.

At Marks & Spencer, the rate of coronavirus infection among employees has been no higher than among the general population, according to Retail Week. This achievement may be down to the measures that the company took in March. These included managing the number of people shopping at any one time, two-metre space floor markings, Perspex screens at checkouts, colleagues washing their hands every 30 minutes and the cleaning of self-checkouts after every customer.

If you’re looking to re-open premises you need to carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment and implement a ‘back to work’ plan that aims for the best possible safety and wellbeing.

By doing this, you’ll give people the confidence to return to work, ensure a successful re-start and reduce the risk of business interruption.

Six ways that EdTech is transforming education

If you work in education, you’re likely to be aware of the huge potential of technology, or EdTech, for students and teachers.

EdTech is the mix of hardware, software and educational theories that can make learning easier and improve outcomes.

And a government EdTech strategy, backed by a £10 million investment, aims to bring more new and helpful tech innovation to schools.

The UK government launched the strategy in 2019. The plan is to encourage tech that reduces teacher workload, boosts student outcomes and levels the playing field for students with special needs.