Protecting each other in SERC – Safety for all Students and Staff is Paramount

South Eastern Regional College (SERC) has taken another delivery of branded masks from Belfast firm Build a Mask NI, reinforcing the College’s commitment to the health and safety of all students and staff.

Principal and Chief Executive of SERC, Ken Webb, along with student Amy Glen, took delivery of the latest batch of SERC masks from Chris Suitor of Build a Mask NI at the College’s Lisburn campus.

The College, which has main campuses in Downpatrick, Bangor, Lisburn and Newtownards, has been working over the summer to implement Government guidance on safety measures to ensure the safe return of students and staff to on-site learning in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The purchase of more than 20,000 reusable masks is just one of a raft of measures implemented at SERC ready for the start of the new term. The college has also drawn on the skills of staff and the facilities on campus to produce vinyl signage to promote social distancing and good hygiene, and the production of almost 4,000 perspex screens to support safe learning in classrooms, computer rooms and specialist teaching areas such as hairdressing and hospitality.

Ken Webb said;

“Safety is paramount to everything we are doing at SERC in preparation for the new academic year. We have been working hard to ensure that everything we need is in place to help everyone adhere to social distancing and that everyone who comes through our doors, whether students, staff or visitors, feels safe.

“We are asking everyone to look out for each other by wearing a face covering and we are supporting students and staff to do that by providing a quantity of SERC-branded reusable masks. In addition, the College has purchased approximately 6,000 disposable masks for use by those who have forgotten their mask or for visitors to the College.

“Personal protective equipment (PPE) which is required for many programmes, will be commonplace on campus, and this includes mandatory use of masks in public areas as well as one-way systems and new entrance and exit points to ensure safe movement around Campus. There are also plentiful hand-sanitiser dispensers on each site.”

Information on NI Direct explains why we should wear a mask:

The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face-covering may reduce the spread of coronavirus droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.

Because face coverings are mainly intended to protect others, not the wearer, from coronavirus (COVID-19) they’re not a replacement for social distancing and regular hand washing.