Hello Members,
I hope this finds you well. We are delighted to be reopening the GPS workshop on Tuesday April 27th 2021. The members are at the very heart of our organisation and we are looking forward to having you back working. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time.
Objective of New Measures
Things will be quite altered, in the short term at least. We must work together to follow the Scottish Government’s advice to slow the transmission of Coronavirus and protect the safety and health of our members, our staff and their loved ones at home. The key ways to protect against contracting or spreading the virus are:
• wear a face covering
• avoid crowded places and bottlenecks of people
• clean hands and surfaces regularly, GPS will provide sanitiserand wipes
• stay 2m away from other people
• self-isolate immediately and book a test if you have Covid-19 symptoms
The key objective is to make all members aware that you should assume responsibility for your own health and safety during your time at GPS and must disinfect everything you touch and wash hands thoroughly afterwards. No gloves to be worn, apart from during normal workshop procedures such as inking up, using acid bath etc. Incorrectly putting on/off can actually increase transmission risk rather than reduce it.
Please use designated bins provided
GPS staff will be undertaking enhanced hygiene measures, wearing face coverings when appropriate, advising and supporting members and ensuring increased ventilation by opening windows where possible.
Opening Hours from Tuesday 27th
The opening hours for members will be: 10.30am - 5.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
These hours give staff time to do an enhanced clean before and after hours. I apologise to anyone that can’t make those times, we are working hard to explore extending the hours following a safe trial period of reopening.
New Booking System
We will be running an appointment only, reduced access schedule in the workshop. This is because:
• we need to avoid crowds - bottlenecks of people increase the potential of transmission
• to allow those that are booked in, freedom to move between multiple areas in their specialism ie. from drawing up area, to acid room, to etching printing area. We considered allowing more people in but in much more restricted zones, ie. only using the acid room etc. but the feedback was that it was better to have fewer people and allow them to operate at full extension as normal.
• to control the numbers of people using multiple different communal areas/multitouch surfaces and equipment which are high risk for viral transmission
• all staff are still currently on partial furlough in order to protect our financial reserves so we can survive longterm. There will only be a skeleton crew of 2 staff per day in place for August.
I have designed a new online booking system which is now live. It operates on a first come, first served basis.
- We will ask you to add a note to your booking,stating what materials you need so we canprepare those in advance.
- Members will be asked to only book a maximum of 2 x 3hr slots per week for the time being.
Pay As You Go members will pay as they book online. Unlimited members will be issued with acode to indicate payment has already been made.
The link to the booking website is: https://glasgowprintstudio.simplybook.it/v2/
Please be aware that there are no etching staff in on Tuesdays, so we ask the less experienced etchers to perhaps stick to the other days.
Only people with confirmed bookings will be able to access the studio. Please do not come to the studio unless you have booked or made an appointment with a member of staff to collect things.
For help using the new Workshop Booking System, please refer to our Members’ Guide
Digital Printing
The digital print service will be running again from Thursday April 29th and we will be accepting files by remote means only for a while, so please do not come to GPS without an appointment. Please email mrobertson@glasgowprintstudio.co.uk to book jobs in and arrange a time. The communal members computer is out of action for now.
What to expect on your first day back (apart from our smiling faces!)
Please be on time for your booked slot. We will be taking everyone’s temperature and signing you in on arrival before returning to other tasks.
On arrival at the studio please:
• wear a mandatory face covering (unless unable to for health reasons)
• enter by King Street door
• sanitise hands on entry and proceed directly upstairs.
• keep left on stairs and maintain 2m social distancing
• please wait at the top of the stairs, do not proceed into workshop
• a member of staff will come and take your temperature using a remote, handheld device and sign you inon your behalf
• if there are others ahead of you, please wait 2 metres apart in the marked positions on the stairs
• once you have been welcomed and ‘shot’ by a thermometer wielding staff member please proceed to put your belongings down in marked areas in kitchen if you are a screenprinter or relief printer.
• if you are an etcher please proceed directly to a portioned bay in drawing up area and pop your belongings there, cleaning down with anti-bac wipes provided.
• as usual, please do not bring any valuables to GPS and if you do - lock them inlockers, sanitise the locker before and after use with a wipe, or leave with staff in office.
• if you have access requirements (or heavy stuff!) please do enter by main T103 entrance but be aware that only one person is permitted in the lift at any one time. Ring the buzzer on arrival and we will welcome you on the second floor
• the kitchen will have no facilities at present so please bring a packed lunch, cutlery, a thermos etc.
• only one person allowed in lifts and toilet
What to bring with you each day
Unfortunately, we have had to remove many communal and shared items at GPS as they have a high risk of transmitting germs. One of the most annoying ones is respirators which are required in both the screenprint and etching processes. We will have the correct respirators available to buy at GPS. You must use the correct respirators and filters to be protected properly, please do not buy your own random masks.These can be rather expensive (£50 +) so I am waiting to hear back from suppliers to see if I can find cheaper ones that would still give enough coverage.
Please bring each time:
• your own apron
• any tape you require (This can be purchased from GPS but we can no longer share rolls)
• scissors and scalpel• pens and pencils
• ruler
• eraser
• spatula/palette knife(we will also be selling these)
• face covering
• sponge for screenprint wash out and/or wetting gumstrip in etching
• hand sanitiser (some provided)
• antibacterial wipes (some provided)
• lunch! (please be aware maximum of 6 people in kitchen at one time, no kettle or microwave)
General Coronavirus Prevention Measures
Whilst we hope to remain a hub of creativity, development and community unfortunately the more organic element of the workshop will be diminished for a little bit, as we navigate through a major global public health incident. We go forward with optimism and ambition, but we must be clear eyed that the workshop,in particular, is a high-risk area for the transmission and spreading of coronavirus, like gyms, bars and universities. There are more detailed instructions of what to expect in each area. Even more detailed risk assessments will be uploaded to the website in due course, should you wish to view them.
In summary, it is possible to work happily and safely if we follow these key guidelines:
• wear a face covering where possible (especially when moving through the space)
• enter and use the space on the assumption that you may be carrying and shedding the virus and take all precautions to prevent the spread by:
• wash hands thoroughly on arrival for over 20 seconds using soap and water, turning tap on and off with blue roll or a wipe, repeat frequently throughout the day
• avoid touching face and eyes
• be aware and assume that many or all surfaces, objects and equipment will not be disinfected such as etching blankets, drying racks, screenbeds. It is your responsibility to disinfect all areas that you use such as: inking up surfaces, press handles etc. - where not possible for member to disinfect before use (blankets, drying racks) it is your responsibility to be aware of heightenedrisk of viral transmission and wash your hands thoroughly before and after every use
• maintain 2m social distancing at all times
• do not attend if you show any symptoms of coronavirus or have anyone in your household is symptomatic
• we also ask that anyone with a cough or sneezing does not attend GPS. The droplets from these actions can spread viral germs easily and widely. We know it is possible to have coronavirus and not have any symptoms, so for this reason we ask coughers and sneezers to stay away. We reserve the right to ask people to leave the studio,if they are displaying these symptoms.
• please do not come to the studio without an appointment.
• please do not bring any guests with you, we are operating with a strictly controlled number of people in the space
• try to take prints home on the same day. If this is not possible, staff will be removing dry prints from racks and drying boards and will put in your drawer or out in a collection zone in the atrium. A time for collection of prints must be arranged with a member of staff.
• The communal members computer is out of use at this time.
Collection of Prints and Queries
Please do not come to GPS without an appointment at any time, even if it’s just to collect dried prints or get something from clean room. Numbers are strictly limited in the workshop space. We are still working out how phone queries and arranging collection times will work with reduced numbers of staff.
I will be in 2 days a week and will endeavour to reply to requests via email clairef@glasgowprintstudio.co.uk within 48 hours. You can also phone 0141 559 6911 and if there is a staff member free, we will be able to answer your query and arrange collection times.
Please be aware you may not be able to collect your prints the next day. We will update everyone on this system in the following weeks as we improve it.
Conclusion
Phew, thanks for taking the time to read all that through. It is a lot of information to take in. And there is further info linked to this email regarding specific practise in etching, screenprint and relief.
Don’t worry if it’s too much to take in just now, there will be signage explaining the main actions required and staff will talk to you for a few minutes when you arrive to explain the new procedures. We are all in this together!
This is all new to us too, so please bear with us as we get things up and running, we know that we will need to refine and review as we go along.
All the best,
Claire
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