Businesses sign up to Stay Well Pledge

Chubb, a UK leader of fire safety and security solutions, is one of the first local businesses to sign up for the Stay Well Pledge, a new Blackburn with Darwen Council initiative to promote healthy working environments that keep staff and customers safe.

Ahead of an uncertain winter, the Council hopes to keep Covid and flu rates low, so that the borough can continue to move forward.

By making the voluntary Stay Well Pledge, local businesses, retailers and community venues are demonstrating their commitment to infection prevention and control measures that have become part of everyday life over the last two years.

Created by Blackburn with Darwen Council, the Stay Well Pledge is aimed at all businesses, including shops, factories, offices and hospitality, as well as community venues. The Pledge covers vaccination, ventilation, regular cleaning of premises, staff health and wellbeing, and risk assessments.

The initiative will help businesses follow and promote best practice within infection prevention and control, while providing reassurance to staff and customers in the local area. Companies and community venues that sign up will receive the support of the Council’s Response & Recovery team, which includes regular updates on public health guidance, health and safety expertise and help reviewing risk assessments.

By signing the online Pledge, businesses commit to having a number of safety measures in place, such as supporting staff to access vaccinations, providing adequate ventilation, supporting staff and visitors who choose to wear a face mask, and ensuring high levels of hygiene, hand washing and sanitiser facilities.

As well as ongoing support, businesses who sign up will receive Stay Well Pledge posters to display around their premises, providing reassurance to staff, customers and visitors.

Chubb on Shadsworth Road in Blackburn, which employs over 400 people in the area and over 2,000 nationally, has been working closely with the Council throughout the pandemic to help them interpret government guidance and ensure a safe working environment for all.  New Managing Director, David Dunnagan and the leadership team believe that the Stay Well Pledge will instil confidence in staff and customers.

Steve Dowling, Director of Quality and Environment, Health and Safety at Chubb, said:

The support and advice we received from Blackburn with Darwen Council over the two years of the Covid pandemic has been invaluable and we’re pleased to be one of the first to sign the Stay Well Pledge to demonstrate our continued commitment to following infection prevention and control measures. We can truly see the value in this initiative, which we believe will be welcomed by our team and our customers.  People are at the heart of our business, we have a great team here at Chubb and I am pleased to be championing a scheme that makes them feel safe, confident and supported at work.

The simple measures outlined in the Stay Well Pledge are easy to adopt and give a transparent public health policy for companies to follow. It’s an opportunity for all local businesses, big and small, to show that they care about protecting the people who make their business possible, whether that’s staff, volunteers, visitors or customers.

Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

We’ve come a long way in the last two years, the region has recovered well since the pandemic – and we want to keep things moving in the right direction.

The Stay Well Pledge provides reassurance for staff and customers, which is important to keep business booming in the region and in order to attract more investment in Blackburn with Darwen.  I hope that people will feel satisfied when they see that their employer, local shop or attraction displaying the pledge poster – a clear sign that they are committed to the borough and its ongoing prosperity.

Blackburn with Darwen Council itself has committed to the Stay Well Pledge, as it continues to make its workplaces and public buildings Covid-secure spaces with infection prevention and control measures in place.

Denise Park, Council Chief Executive, said:

Even after Covid legal requirements were relaxed, we have continued to keep up sensible measures in Council buildings to help with infection prevention and control, to keep our customers and our staff safe – things like increased cleaning regimes, protecting vulnerable people, and encouraging our staff to get vaccinated.

Businesses and community venues can sign up to the Stay Well Pledge online at www.bit.ly/StayWellPledge.