Page 5 - CSA INDEX - Sprin Summer 2020

Chairman’s

Say

enjamin Disraeli said, “There is no education like adversity”. We are, indeed, facing a sheer rock face of adversity at
Bthe moment and it’s global.

The virus, SARS - COV 2, which causes COVID 19, the disease that renders our respiratory system unable to maintain normal
function, is now pandemic. The fight to prohibit transmission of the virus is of paramount importance and the responsibility
is upon every individual to protect themselves and others in order that infection is minimised. Companies have a
responsibilities to their staff in terms of protection, prevention of unnecessary contact with others, and financially
supporting them through the period of time required before business operations return to normal operating procedure.
We know the importance of PPE, keeping our proximity to others as distant as possible, and general hygiene practices,
however, we would be irresponsible to ignore the mental health aspects that this pandemic situation has brought up as
well. Isolation and working from home is incredibly difficult and will only become more so the longer the shutdown
continues. Fear from potential infection while working out on site or in close relations to others in offices is also a real
concern. Taking time to reach out to those who may need extra support via safe media like Zoom/Skype/WhatsApp etc
can help to alleviate their sense of anxiety or stress and it’s up to every one of us to do so. Companies need to be doing

this as a general operational procedure, too. Maintaining the health of the workforce has never been more critical.

The fiscal aspect of the current national and international lockdown is incredibly worrying; not only for the individual but
also for small and medium scale firms in the construction industry. Investments have been frozen, profits are being eaten
into, deficits will be seen, and debts will rise. That is not to say the industry is doomed at all, we just need to employ a new
economic model to tide us over until things regain stability and recover. The financial slump will feed into a global down
turn and as we have seen, the markets are already on friable ground, however, this can be turned to our advantage if we

come together and run new models for financial security. If any industry has ever survived global economic recessions, it’s

construction! The literal bricks and mortar of society are financial bedrock. Governments are helping SMEs survive the

worst of the initial hit and though the process is slow and the administration of payments is uncertain at the moment, the

money is available and the government have vowed to expedite all support.

Foundational front line building services are essential right now as anyone working on the new Nightingale field hospitals
will attest. Wards and wings are being commissioned all over the UK and we are providing these with unprecedented speed.
We are servicing locations and sites like never before in order that our fellow citizens can be treated by our brilliant NHS.
We are literally building the future of the UK, right here, right now. While other projects may have been put on hiatus,
these have given our work so much more value in terms of the inherent human investment. It’s a fantastic learning ground
and the pressure on time and resources is forcing new strategy, new game play. We must make sure we build on and hone
these new developments and use what we’ve observed to refine and finesse our usual day to day business, after all, Disraeli

suggested, there’s nothing that forces us to change, adapt, learn, improve, and move forward quite like a moment of strife
and hardship.
Let’s take this opportunity to reflect while we have time. Let’s use this time to reassess and evaluate some of the hard
problems we’ve faced in previous business years. Let’s communicate our new possibilities safely and conscientiously. We
have the tools to hand to make moves towards real palpable change for the better, indeed, change for the best. There is
much talk in the press of the British spirit being a source of national pride, let’s make sure that we take that and out it to
good work and forge positively ahead. It is up to each company, each worker, each human being to focus now, join together,
do away with the extraneous and embrace the things that actually work. We got this! I know there are plenty of obstacles
but let’s lead the way by actively showing other industries how to navigate this situation. This is an opportunity to showcase
our technical brilliance.

Mark Todd – CSA Chairman & Director of Ashford Environmental Services Ltd