Procter & Gamble

Successful delivery of major Procter & Gamble laboratory relocation during COVID-19

The Situation

Procter & Gamble is an American consumer goods giant specialising in a wide range of personal care and hygiene products. It was founded in 1837 by brothers-in-law William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker.

In 2017, the company approved plans to move its Greater London Innovations Centre from its existing site in Egham to Reading. Building of the new Reading site was completed in 2019 – creating a state-of-the-art high-quality research facility, with 56 laboratory units allowing scientists to “thrive in an increasingly competitive world.”

We were awarded the relocations contract for both the laboratory and office elements.

One of the largest items relocate was a 600kg autoclave. The equipment had been in situ for such a length of time that it had sunk into the building’s foundation.

The relocation project was impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown which came into force in March 2020.

The Solution

We gained government approval to continue working under strict guidelines, and moved the programme to accommodate for the temporary downtime we experienced, build new Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) and deliver and distribute new, enhanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

We liaised with the scientists as their own schedules had been reorganised due to the limitations of people allowed in the laboratories. We packed larger items and moved scientist-packed crates when the building was at minimal capacity.

The overall project involved:

• Phased project planning with the Egham team relocating and the Reading team already in situ;
• Relocating stability rooms (rooms where a specific temperature and humidity had to be upheld to house certain chemicals and testing samples);
• Packing and unpacking chemicals (full ADR aspects included);
• Moving counterfeit products;
• Moving finished products;
• Packing and unpacking microscopes;
• Using safe scoots to move 600kg autoclaves without damage;
• Relocating non-biological samples;
• Writing instruction guides on the safe handling and packing of smaller items.

The Outcome

Despite the minor delays caused by Covid-19, we ensured all works were carried out safely, whilst managing several key variables.

Client Quote

A spokesperson from Procter & Gamble said:

“There’s no doubt that the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have had major repercussions on the delivery of the project.”

“We were extremely impressed by how the entire Johnsons Lab Logistics team altered and adapted their working practices meaning the project could still go ahead in a timely and effective way. We’re immensely grateful for this.”