Page 17 - Gi September2020

n December 2012, we purchased
GATC_ReopeningBusiness.indd
GATC_ReopeningBusiness.indd
Gas Assessment & Training Centre
Wales, an existing business serving
the training and assessment needs of
I about 4,500 downstream engineers,
mostly across the South Wales,
Gloucester and Wiltshire areas of the
UK. By February 2020, we had expanded
the business into southern England
with an additional centre located near
Bournemouth, Dorset. Today, we serve
just short of 10,000 engineers across
both centres and have expanded beyond
gas into domestic oil and renewables
training with assessments.
ONE WET WINTER
On 15 February 2020, South Wales
suffered the worst floods in living
memory. The river Taf, which runs
alongside our Pontypridd centre, rose two
to three metres above normal levels and
broke its banks, flooding the surrounding
businesses, including our own.
We had to close immediately and
deal with a major clean-up operation,
followed by a refurbishment of much of
the centre. Incredibly, we reopened on
a limited basis just seven days after the
flood struck, albeit with floor coverings
ripped out, upwards of 30 per cent of
our equipment damaged and about 50
per cent of our classrooms out of use.
As March flowed into April
and beyond the Easter
weekend, all our staff had
been furloughed and both our
centres remained shut
Just four weeks later, the government
announced a UK-wide lockdown due
to the growing Covid-19 pandemic.
On 24 March, we once again had to
shut down – both training centres this
time – not knowing when we might be
able to reopen. As March flowed into
April and beyond the Easter weekend,
all our staff had been furloughed
and both our centres remained shut.
However, examining the conditions of
the Covid-19 shutdown and the need
for engineers to renew their existing
qualifications, it was clear that we had
to figure out how to reopen both centres.
Government guidelines for businesses
with a clear need to be open indicated
that we needed to ensure the following:
Do all that is reasonably practical to
protect ourselves and others
Maintain 2m distancing for individuals
at our centre and minimise the
interaction between individuals that
impacts upon the 2m distancing
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