National Grid has created a “village of sleeping pods” in the West Midlands to house its control room staff during the coronavirus lockdown.
The company said the temporary accommodation will allow its teams to remain isolated from others and prevent them from catching the virus between shifts. The portable cabins are currently being used by 18 staff members but have room for 68 in total.
National Grid head of workplace services Sara Habib said: “National Grid has a critical role in keeping the country’s power and gas flowing in these challenging times.
“Our control rooms are the beating heart of our networks, so we’ve been working hard to ensure our teams have everything they need to get the job done, and that they and their loved ones are kept safe.
“It’s been a great effort by the site team to get the sleep pods ready for the Easter weekend, which means we can keep teams separate and minimise the risk of people falling ill.”
National Grid said it has attempted to make the cabins as welcoming as possible with “freshly-ironed bed linen, a comfort hamper, including photo frames to house pictures of their loved ones, snacks and chocolates, and Griddles the teddy bear to keep them company.”
Andy Eagle, a shift manager for National Grid’s transmission network team who will be working over the Easter weekend, said: “It’s a big sacrifice in terms of being away from our loved ones and families but it’s one we’re all willing to make to ensure we can help keep the lights on for the country.”