Public Works Department Safeguarding Public Sector Employees And Clients From Covid-19

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 28, 2021 (SKNIS): The Public Works Department (PWD) has been a major partner in transforming workspaces within the public sector to protect workers and clients from the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

On Wednesday’s (May 26, 2021) edition of Working for You, Engineer LaReine Gumbs highlighted some of the activities undertaken by the hard-working staff of PWD.

“The [security] desk at Government Headquarters, that had to change; we had to get the screen up to secure the people behind there,” she said, noting that glass was installed instead of plastic glass to facilitate easy cleaning and longevity.

“We had to retrofit the courthouse as well with all the jury stands, where the Judge is, the witnesses, and that was [for all] three courtrooms. And then even in offices where you have the reception area, we had to do all of those, building the shields to protect both the workers and the people visiting,” Ms. Gumbs added.

Additionally, office spaces were reorganized to allow greater physical distancing between employees.

“It is still an ongoing process, and it is teaching us that not because you see a little space here means that it is good enough to put somebody in a little cubicle, but you have to think about social distancing now,” engineer Gumbs stated. COVID-19 has changed our thinking a lot and how we build.”