ONE of Andover’s major employers has reassured staff and customers that it is ‘safeguarding their health and well-being’ as one of its factories remains open during the coronavirus outbreak.

Stannah, which has premises in East Portway and Anton Mill Road, has confirmed that while its office and IT staff are working from home, one of its factories remains open to certain staff.

The company will also be conducting some home visits and emergency call outs as it says such services are ‘essential and included on the critical sectors list the government has issued’.

Government guidance states that “work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms”.

It comes after employees contacted the Advertiser anonymously this week to express their concern over the current situation.

One member of staff said: “The office staff are working from home, the engineers are working from home and only have to come in if they need to fix something. But all the warehouse staff are there making lifts, standing next to each other.

They also expressed worries over a perceived lack of social distancing on the factory floor, adding: “I just don’t think it’s good enough from a family firm like Stannah.

“There are people with three or four kids at home and they go to work, stand next to each other, then have to go home to their wife and families. I’m gobsmacked.”

“It should be shut down. Staff shouldn’t be allowed to work next to each other. Literally standing next to each other just so Stannah can carry on with their profits. I think it’s disgraceful.”

However Stannah says it has “taken numerous measures to safeguard the health and well-being of both our employees and customers” since the start of March.

A spokesperson for the company said: Since March 10 that factory has been closed to anyone not working there, regular handwashing routines were introduced and from a few days after that anyone coming in has had to have their temperature taken.

“On the lines, cells have been spaced to provide 2m between people and well over 50 per cent of people in the factory support offices are now at home.

“Everyone has been fully briefed on hygiene protocols and social distancing measures and at break time people have been advised not to sit together.”

The company has also confirmed that the canteen has been closed since Monday and that they are only responding to urgent sales calls and handling these by phone, email and videolink as far as possible.

Where there is no other option for urgent specification of a lift, staff are conducting home visits following strict hygiene and social distancing protocols that we have been following for some time now.

The spokesperson added: “The advice that we have had from both of our trade associations, the BHTA (British Healthcare Trades Association) and LEIA (Lift and Escalator Industry Assocation), is that we can and should be continuing to operate to support other key organisations and keep individuals safe and independent in their own homes.

“We recognise that this is an incredibly unsettling time for everyone and we are working hard to ensure that we balance the need to support our customers with the need to protect our staff and observe government instructions.”