CIEEM members are advised first and foremost to do everything they can to keep themselves and others safe. Please do follow the latest advice and restrictions from governments (see COVID-19 Background Information) for the country in which you work.
Members are encouraged to take due diligence in planning work. Members must take responsibility for reducing and mitigating the risks of spreading the virus. Essentially, the higher the risk of spreading the virus, the more scrutiny should be given to planning work.
Members should also consider how far they or their staff/subcontractor will be from emergency services, should they be needed, and plan accordingly. This should include considering the potential added burden on emergency services.
Members are advised to take extra precautions in light of new COVID-19 variants.
As restrictions ease across the UK and Ireland there has been a mass ‘staycation’ and members are encouraged to consider a possible shortage of accommodation and more possible interaction with the public. Members are encouraged to use local contractors as an alternative to overnight stays if possible (see Subcontractor Directory in the members area of the website).
CIEEM’s Governing Board is keeping the situation under ongoing review and will update these pages as necessary.
Members may choose to use one of the official track and trace apps that are available for England and Wales, for Scotland, for Northern Ireland, and for the Republic of Ireland.
We must ensure that we look after our mental health and well-being during these unconventional times. Members are encouraged to be proactive with their own and their colleagues’ mental health and well-being, including seeking help/advice before it becomes serious. Breaks away from work are important, including taking annual leave.
See the COVID-19 and Your Mental Health webpage for information and tips, and also remember that members have free access the the CIEEM Member Assistance Programme (MAP). The MAP offers a wealth of online resources and guidance, as well as a free confidential telephone Adviceline. This enables you to discuss any problem(s) you may have with someone who is trained to listen.
At the start of the pandemic we started a new webinar series called Sector Streams. We ran five episodes focusing on COVID-19 and the sector in 2020. All episodes are available to watch in the Resource Hub under ‘Conference Presentations and Webinars’.
To better understand the impact of the current situation on both yourselves and your work, together with what help you may need, we undertook a survey of members in spring 2020. A report back on the findings was covered in episode 3 of our Sector Streams webinar series.
Please see the Coronavirus subpages in the navigation for further advice and information.