There is a question of what to do about the shortage of PPEs, following the outbreak of coronavirus. For many companies and their HSEs, this is a major concern.
However, providing some of these have suddenly become challenging, even for governments. According to re recent report by Aljazeera, “Western nations, such as the US and UK, as well as less-developed countries, have struggled to secure enough PPE for healthcare staff at hospitals, resulting in protests and strikes”.
Some of the PPEs affected by this virus outbreak include, face masks, gowns, glove and goggles.
But since a lot of production environments require these PPEs for the safety of their workers it is needful to confront this challenge via concise and effective methods:
An Agile approach: It would be pretty beneficial to cut procurement of these PPEs into scalable bits of projects that are reviewable. This could help with retracing steps and refocusing on workable arrangements so as not to allow production to stall.
Fluid and proactive budgeting: This is necessary because of the fluidity of the market at present. While countries battle the virus, a large chunk of their efforts are set toward providing health workers with PPEs.
This effort is also backed by a strong purchasing power. So, as expected, the initial budgets and costing made before the outbreak might need some review.
Futuristic sourcing: Certainly, you’d need to procure in advance. While there is not certainty about the promise of eliminating the virus, the scarcity might stretch a while. So buying ahead would have to be considered. But then, there is also a need for caution.
Reliable Sourcing: Reliability comes with clout and experience. This is as important as the PPEs. In times of crisis like this, you’d want a system that is trustworthy. You’d need a system that can deliver despite the huddles that currently exist.
You might also want to have a strategy session with your team on this. This will help you do a deep-dive into the peculiarities of your organisation. You’d be able to discuss in detail things like volume, finance, quality and specs, etc.
These being said, do please keep to every safety rules set at your workplace, as the lockdown is eased. Stay positive, think safety; be happy
