A lot has changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the biggest changes that you see in your country/region?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live and work around the world and the sooner we accept our ‘new normal’ as the ‘next normal’, the better prepared we are to deal with the changes.

One very interesting change that’s come out from this crisis is how a lot of differences that used to exist between countries have somehow reduced as people in most countries now deal with similar ways of coping with post-pandemic life. For example, an extra reliance on technology. Whether it is to conduct meetings or opting for automated solutions that reduce the number of onsite personnel, people around the world have increased their reliance on technology.

What are the key challenges of operating in the post-pandemic era?

Travel. With travel restrictions constantly changing and with different rules for different countries, one of the key challenges in the post-pandemic phase is travelling to different areas to meet clients in person for specific projects. Having said that, United Safety has invested heavily in upgrading and digitalizing our services through the TeQ Shield suite of services in recent years. This has been a game changer for us in the current times where we have substantial advantages over competitors.

What are the solutions you provide that can help clients deal with the current pandemic?

We have a suite of digital services under the TeQ Shield umbrella that help clients deal with the current situation. Solutions like TeQ Shield Tracker for example can ensure workers maintain social distancing while they are at work and can also provide contact tracing reports to reduce the spread of COVID-19. TeQ Shield Guardian is a remote confined space monitoring system that reduces the number of onsite personnel while QCycle is an onsite facility that ensures thorough disinfection of tools and equipment to help reduce the spread of infection. These are just a few examples of how our solutions can help clients in the current situation and we have adapted these solutions to work across a much wider rnage of industries.

What are the new and additional steps that you have put in place to keep workers and clients safe?

A very detailed policy and work practices have been put in place to ensure the safety of all our workers and clients. We go beyond mandatory requirements and often our safety policies are even more stringent than those requested of us.

Business in the post-COVID world

Andrea Ferrante

General Manager for Europe, based out of Italy

Andrea Ferrante is the General Manager for Europe, based out of Italy. Currently, he manages the Italian based HQ and the controlled subsidiary operating company in  Romania. He spent 20 years within United Safety and covered different roles from Operations Management to Business Development. In 2003, for the first time, he brought the Italian-based company to operate outside the Italian borders.

Andrea has an accounting background as well as strategic planning, operations, business development, personnel & asset management. He is currently in charge of the merging and reconciliation process with United Safety’s excellence.