COVID 19 – Yellowmoon Protocols for a safe return to work.

Covid 19 has changed the world. It has changed how we think, how we live, even how we eat but most of all it has changed how we work.

Although Yellowmoon has remained open during this pandemic, largely in a remote capacity, lockdown measures are beginning to ease, and people’s thoughts will inevitably turn towards a return to work. Some will be apprehensive, others less so but all will have a common question: how on earth do we ever get back to the way we were?

This document will not provide all the answers, but hopefully it will be the start of a set of protocols and risk assessments that will mean that when we do come back – we can all come back safely and it goes without saying that for me, that day cannot come soon enough.

But this will not be an immediate return to work for everyone, government's advice remains that people who can successfully work from home should continue to do so. But for others, particularly those involved in final post, they may return to work as long as it’s safe to do so. So with that end goal in mind we have drafted this policy. It will need adjusted, refined and added to as we go but it’s one that will hopefully help us all re engage with colleagues and clients alike and together we can safely negotiate the tricky balance between creativity and Covid-19!

There is one final point I’d like to make before I get into the detail and it is this: A policy like this may appear to some to be over the top but to others it won’t go far enough. As an employer and as a service provider Yellowmoon has a duty of care to protect EVERYONE who works in the facility and that protection starts with respect, tolerance and acceptance of EVERYONE’S position in relation to this virus no matter how different it is from our own.

Staff Protocols.

All staff members must undergo Covid-19 safety training before they can return to Yellowmoon. This is a simple straightforward online course that can be completed in less than an hour, but it will ensure that everyone is aware of the best practices when it comes to mitigating the risk of infection.

This training will be overseen by Clare Campbell, the Infection Control Officer at Yellowmoon and once completed will allow the relevant individuals to make a welcome return to the workplace - albeit a very different workplace from the one they left a few months ago.

So, what will change?

The first noticeable change will be the signage. We have measures in place throughout the buildings that will either limit numbers of people allowed in certain rooms or suggest certain directions of travel in narrow corridors / stairwells etc. Each of the signs will remind us all of the risks involved and how best to reduce them. It is vital that we all follow these new protocols.

One of the biggest changes will be hygiene because stopping Covid can start with you. Personal hygiene and the cleanliness of your surroundings is paramount to ensuring that Yellowmoon remains a safe working environment for everyone, so we are requesting all staff to observe the following general guidelines:

• Firstly, and most importantly, do not come into work if you are feeling unwell or think you may be displaying any of the symptoms associated with the virus.

• A symptom checker can be found here: https://check.covid-19.hscni.net/SymptomChecker/Introduction

• Regularly wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer, and avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible.

• Maintain social distancing at all times. Masks and Sanitizer are stationed at both receptions. Please note there are dedicated bins for PPE gear.

• Cough/sneeze into a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue, then wash hands or use hand sanitizer

• Please wipe your edit bench and relevant kit twice daily. All rooms have been supplied with hand gel and antibacterial wipes.

• Finally, we ask everyone to be alert to any risk and report anything that needs attention to Clare Campbell or Greg Darby.

Company Procedures.

Alongside our individual efforts, Yellowmoon has stepped up the cleaning of the facility. No longer is this something that happens at the start or the end of the day but rather something that is continually assessed throughout the day – with particular attention given to the red zones on our risk assessment: door buzzers, reception areas, bathrooms and kitchens – all areas of high traffic.

In an attempt to reduce the risk of contamination we are also introducing a single room policy where possible. This is in effect giving each member of staff their own dedicated room and the old practice of “hot desking” will no longer be permitted. All staff are asked not to share equipment such as laptops or iPads.

We are very fortunate in that the vast majority of us are able to do our jobs in single rooms with windows and you are encouraged to leave them open during the day. We would also ask that you leave the doors open when possible – not only to improve ventilation but also to reduce the need to touch door handles.

Assistants or support staff should not enter rooms unannounced. They must phone ahead to check that social distancing can be maintained in the room. They must also wear protective gloves if they need to use any kit or touch the keyboard or mouse.

Face Masks.

Although face masks are not compulsory in Yellowmoon – there are certain circumstances where we would strongly encourage people to wear them. These situations largely concern client attended sessions / reviews – the details of which can be found in the client section of this document. Outside of these situations people are not required to wear face masks but anyone who wishes to - can of course do so, they will be available at both receptions along with other PPE kit.

Stop Covid NI

The Executive has rolled out a ‘track and trace’ app for smartphones. We are aware that many people have privacy concerns but feel that, in the circumstances, the benefits offered by the app to limit the spread of Covid19 outweigh these. We cannot insist that our staff or visitors utilise this app but we will encourage them to do so.

The app is available from both the Apple App store and the Google Play store:

• Download the app for an Apple device from the Apple App store

• Download the app for an android device from the Google Play store

What Happens if someone becomes symptomatic?

• We will have a designated isolation space in which to place anyone who presents with Covid symptoms. This space will be deep cleaned immediately after each use.

• Other staff members or clients who are known to have been in close contact with a suspected or known case of Covid-19 while that individual was displaying symptoms will be contacted and instructed to follow Government guidelines and stay at home until safe to return.

• We can operate a track and trace system using our ACT software and we will also have a record of any clients / visitors who come to Yellowmoon over this period.

• In certain cases, we may arrange private Covid 19 testing for a key staff member if they or members of their household show symptoms, to avoid unnecessary self-quarantine and delays in diagnosis.

Deliveries & Dispatch.

I’m afraid all personal deliveries must be sent directly to personal addresses for the time being. If you receive a parcel that is for Yellowmoon and you need to sign for it – do not handle the courier’s paperwork and please remember to sign using your own pen.

All deliveries of drives, tapes or camera cards must be wiped down before use.

All items being dispatched must be wiped down and accompanied by a dispatch sheet.

In this together!

To say that this will be a departure from our normal working practice is an understatement of gargantuan proportion! It will be challenging to get all of it right all of the time, but we must do everything we can to minimise the risk of Covid-19. What’s vitally important in the attempt to get things right is that you never feel compromised or pressurised to do or say anything that might put you or others at risk. We are all in this together so feel free to raise any issues or concerns you have in relation to any of this or if you have any further suggestions for this policy it would be great to hear them.

Welcoming back our Clients.

The best way to stop the spread of Covid 19 is to limit the number of people we have in our facility at any one time. To that end we are continuing to encourage clients to review and sign off their projects remotely but we are also acutely aware, given our experiences since lockdown began, that certain projects and processes can be incredibly cumbersome to complete off site. So, in light of this and given the easing of certain restrictions we are confident that we will be able to allow one person from production to come into Yellowmoon for certain creative sessions. These sessions will more often than not deal with grading and or sound mixing and when permitted the client will be required to follow strict protocols.

Protocols for clients?

• Reception is one of the red zones on our risk assessment and as such we have to restrict the numbers of people in that area at any one time. To this end, no client can come to Yellowmoon without a prior appointment. Our production team will coordinate these visits and inform reception of the details. This will enable us to restrict the numbers at reception to two at any one time.

• Clients will be asked to provide track and trace details so that these can be written up by a member of staff in the visitor’s book. They will also be asked to use the antiviral gel that is located at reception.

• If the client is attending a session in the mix or the grade then they we be asked to wear a face mask – unless of course they are reviewing in the room on their own. If they don’t have their own face mask, then one will be provided.

• Unfortunately, we will be unable to offer a runner service for lunches or dinners but tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available if requested.

• It is vital that social distancing of at least 1 metre is maintained throughout the session and it would be appreciated if the client left as promptly as possible once finished.

• Clients who have been reviewing without a member of staff in the room must report back to reception before they leave.

Welcoming back clients to the facility should be one of the highlights over the coming weeks and months but it will be a process that will take time to bed in. It’s very important that our clients know what to expect from us and what we expect from them. So, sharing our policies with them before they arrive is vital if this transition period is to be successful.

Client attendance for prolonged periods is still to be regarded as the exception and should be planned accordingly. Most of the post processes can and should be done remotely, these include offline editing, conforming, tracklaying, onlining, most VFX work and all QCs. There will, however, be occasions when short meetings or tests are necessary onsite, and these should be kept to a minimum and must follow all of the client protocols outlined in this policy.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this and more importantly many thanks for your continued patience, understanding and tolerance in these testing times.

Greg Darby

Managing Director

Yellowmoon