COVID-19: building security update
Thursday, 26 March 2020
This message from Dominik Zaum, Deputy Chair of the COVID-19 Major Incident Team, was sent to all colleagues at the University
Dear colleagues,
Following the introduction of strict government restrictions on non-essential travel, we have been working with Heads of Schools and Functions to identify those colleagues whose work on campus is still critical. This will allow us to focus our increasingly reduced on-site services on the security and safety of those who must remain. With this now agreed, all buildings will be fully secured and there will be card access only for these authorised colleagues.
If this applies to you, you will receive an email tomorrow (Friday 26 March) to confirm your role. This will be followed in the next week by a formal letter. The email or letter can be used to confirm your travel is essential if this is questioned. Some of you may need to work in a different building from usual, but your line manager will discuss this with you. We will also provide guidance on lone working and working in buildings with very limited occupancy.
For those who do need to be on site, please let Security know when you arrive and leave by emailing security@reading.ac.uk. If you notice any urgent building problems, you can contact extension 7000 as usual.
Where we have external tenants in some of our buildings, we will communicate with them separately about their access arrangements.
As the coronavirus situation continues to change quite quickly, we may need to further revise building arrangements, particularly if we do not have sufficient staffing to keep buildings open. We will keep you fully updated on this.
Given the government’s prohibitions against non-essential travel, I hope you understand that we cannot provide access to buildings for other colleagues unless it is for one of the authorised exceptions, such as collecting critical medical items. If you need urgent access, please speak in the first instance to your Head of School or Function. We will revise these arrangements when the government restrictions are lifted or relaxed, and keep you fully updated.
Kind regards,
Dominik
Dominik Zaum
Deputy Chair, COVID-19 Major Incident Team