The annual technical shutdown that takes place from yesterday until March 25 at Ence’s biofactory in Pontevedra has as one of its priorities the protection against Covid-19 of the entire human team that participates in it. The company’s management, supported by specific protocols for this type of operation, focuses on minimizing the risk of contagion in the biofactory facilities, both among its own employees and among members of auxiliary companies.
During this shutdown, the Ence plant undergoes an exhaustive program to incorporate new technologies, in order to continue strengthening its efficiency, reliability and environmental excellence, with an investment of approximately two million euros. It will do so by applying strict protection measures, which have already proven their effectiveness during the annual shutdown of the Navia biofactory, completed in complete safety against the coronavirus, without any contagion inside the facilities.
Thus, the protocol against the coronavirus, specific for maintenance shutdowns, will be implemented for the nearly 400 people who work directly at Ence Pontevedra, as well as the almost 700 who, additionally, will access the plant to carry out related work with the stop, mostly, coming from Galicia.
The measures against Covid-19 include the reinforcement of antigen tests, which have been carried out every four days to all workers, both own and external. In the case of external ones, they will also have to undergo an antigen test prior to their first access.
At the entrance of the plant, a temperature measurement is taken, and each person who accesses the interior is supplied with FFP2 masks, with the obligation to carry them inside the biofactory at all times. Access, on the other hand, is controlled through a mobile application, which ensures that all people have taken a test, with a negative result, in coronavirus, and that they know the main aspects of protection against the coronavirus, which is evaluated, through a specific test.
In addition, the stop has been divided into independent work groups that have their own essential services: spacious and ventilated rooms for changing rooms; and dining rooms, in large tents. Thus, each of these working groups forms an independent bubble from the rest of the plant and acts without interaction or contact of any kind with the rest of the groups.
In this way, contact between people is limited, compliance with the safety distance is guaranteed at all times and, even more, the safety of all participants at the stop is preserved.
In line with what has been applied by the company since the beginning of the pandemic, compliance, in the field, of all security measures in the environment of the biofactory will be monitored, through a robust campaign of Preventive Safety Observations by the command line, also encouraging that all people are equally prudent in their behavior outside the plant.
