By ROMINA SANTRONI
Providing an introduction about the COVID-19 pandemic, its current status, and its consequences is not the purpose of this analysis. Readers are well aware of the situation. They are daily protagonists of the risks involved in living in times of a pandemic.
The world came to a standstill in many respects; however, the world continues to move forward in many others… and countries are preparing to resume activities. But how do I inform my clients that we are complying with the strictest workplace health and safety measures?
Although, ultimately, “COVID-free” certifications validate compliance with certain protocols, it is of utmost importance to identify who the users of these certifications are.
Will a tourist stop visiting my facility if I do not have a specific certification? Will a buyer of a food product or a beer choose a product depending on whether or not the company has a certification confirming the implementation of protocols that minimize COVID-19 transmission in the workplace and during the production of the product? How would an uncontrolled coronavirus outbreak among all employees affect the company’s reputation, as occurred at a meat processing facility (pork) in Missouri, United States?
These are some of the questions that decision-makers — business owners, occupational health and safety managers, environmental managers, and maintenance managers — must ask themselves.
One thing is clear. The health and safety standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a United States Department of Labor agency, whose certification can be obtained at any facility, guarantee that the company has an occupational health and safety system in place that minimizes risks to workers’ health. This was also understood by the judge involved in the class action lawsuit against Smithfield, the aforementioned meat processing company, when workers sued the company for failing to provide personal protective equipment, requiring them to work shoulder-to-shoulder with their colleagues despite active infections, and failing to implement health and safety standards aimed at minimizing transmission within the facility. There is no doubt that “contagion-free” certifications minimize legal risks and provide the company’s image with a sense of protection that translates into peace of mind for consumers of goods, service users, or tourists.
However, during a pandemic, it is mandatory or unavoidable to address the essence of the matter: human life. What business owner or employer would not be affected by knowing that a significant number of their employees are at risk of losing their lives if appropriate measures or protocols are not implemented at their facilities; or if employees themselves do not also commit to preventing transmission outside the workplace?
This is not about COVID-free seals, infection statistics, or flattened curves. This is about the worker who walks through the company’s corridors, whose name is known by everyone, and whose role within the business activity is recognized. These are real stories, and as such, they must be addressed with the strictest protocols to promote the preservation of workers’ health and life.
These real measures must include evaluating every square meter of the company in order to verify whether there is a biological risk and act accordingly. It involves communicating openly with employees, training them, and ensuring that they understand what is at stake. It requires the redesign of spaces, processes, activities, people, and routes in order to minimize any possible transmission and thus avoid not only becoming the center of attention for having handled matters incorrectly, as happened at the meat processing company in the United States, but, above all, to avoid facing the heavy burden of having done less than what the law requires regarding occupational health and safety.
Ultimately, the effort required from the company and its employees is enormous. Ensuring operational continuity while prioritizing the preservation of human life. This is the challenge facing business owners and employees today… and addressing it requires the strongest possible partnership and commitment between them. There is much at stake.
With this present and future in mind, which is so dystopian, the lax enforcement of legal obligations regarding occupational safety and hygiene, environmental matters, and workplace health, as well as questionable supervision by health and labor authorities, cannot be tolerated.
People’s peace of mind depends on such guarantees: the health and safety of the places they visit or where they work, as well as the management systems in place. If we understand this and act accordingly, we will be better prepared to contribute to the overall recovery of business activity and the well-being of the country.
