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Enhanced safety measures on campus
Thursday, 18 June, 2020 — Work is well underway to plan for the reopening of Plymouth College of Art’s physical campuses, in line with national guidelines for universities and education settings set out by the Government, PHE (Public Health England), Department for Education and the Health and Safety Executive.
<p>Work is well underway to plan for the reopening of Plymouth College of Art’s physical campuses, in line with national guidelines for universities and education settings set out by the Government, PHE (Public Health England), Department for Education and the Health and Safety Executive.</p>
<p>We are really looking forward to welcoming you to campus in October and will be sharing some further guidance on studying and working safely. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know about some of the changes that are already underway.</p>
<h4><strong>Across each of our campus sites, we are currently:</strong></h4><ul><li>Incorporating <strong>2-metre distances between workstations</strong> for each student and member of staff, including reconfiguring furniture and working spaces.</li><li>Introducing <strong>one-way corridors, entrances and exits</strong>, with clear <strong>floor markings </strong>and<strong> recommended distances</strong> marked out.</li><li>Clearly labelling our lifts for use by only one person at a time.</li><li>Using <strong>protective plastic screens and barriers</strong> in public spaces such as our reception and library, to separate people from each other.</li><li>Reconfiguring our timetables to <strong>optimise patterns of attendance and face-to-face teaching</strong> delivery.</li><li>Introducing <strong>staggered start, end and break times </strong>for students and staff.</li><li><strong>Limiting the use of communal areas</strong>, including removing self-service options from our canteen and limiting movement around the canteen space to enforce safer social distancing.</li><li>Undertaking a <strong>comprehensive review of regional travel and transport arrangements</strong> and advice, with consideration for demand on public transport and parking.</li><li>Issuing clear guidance to change the way that staff and students use and move around communal spaces such as our Refectory cafe, to ensure that safe social distancing is easy to follow.</li><li>Providing <strong>enhanced training and protective equipment</strong> for our cleaning staff.</li><li>Updating <strong>training for our nominated first aiders</strong> with guidance from St John Ambulance.</li><li>Enhancing toilet cleaning regimes, including the <strong>supply of cleaning wipes and disinfectant fluids to wipe down touchpoints</strong> after use.</li></ul><h4><strong>When you return to Plymouth College of Art:</strong></h4><ul><li><strong>Cleaning wipes and sprays will be on hand at all times, with additional hand-sanitising stations</strong> located in each entrance and exit to every Plymouth College of Art building</li><li>Our housekeeping team will adhere to a<strong> new dedicated cleaning regime</strong>, including a deep clean across Plymouth College of Art before reopening.</li><li><strong>Cleaning sprays and wipes will be</strong> <strong>available for areas with shared equipment,</strong> for all students and staff to use at the start and end of each session</li><li>These and other <strong>surfaces that are touched regularly,</strong> such as door handles and keyboards, will be <strong>cleaned frequently, with keyboard covers</strong> to protect users and enable easy cleaning at the start and end of each session.</li></ul>
<p>We will be working with the Local Authority and Public Health England to support and promote the Track and Trace initiative. Nobody with Covid-19 symptoms will be permitted on-site. Students and staff will soon receive easy-to-follow guidance on how to return safely over the summer. In line with Government advice, these new rules, including maintaining a 2-metre distance away from other people, will help us to reopen the college with your safety in mind.</p>
<p>For more information on Plymouth College of Art's response to coronavirus please visit our<strong> <a href="https://cms.plymouthart.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-illustration/">guidance pages.</a></strong></p>