Although the Coronavirus is raging all over the world, global responses are rather mixed and less than satisfactory in certain circumstances. That is why, after the Coronavirus appeared in the Viersen area, Groschopp decided that, in the interest of their staff members, customers, suppliers and visitors, it was most important to implement preventive measures as outlined below.
Our decision soon caught the attention of the local media, resulting in requests for interviews, and not just local newspapers, but also radio and TV covered our story.
You may find links to some of the contributions at the bottom of this news article.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the Rheinische Post, the WDR and the Welle Niederrhein for showing their interest in our internal provisions for the protection of our staff members.
Our staff members spend generally about one-third per day at their workplaces, where there are few possibilities to prevent any infection. That is why we, as an employer, should initiate expedient and as effective as possible preventive actions. Mr Pflug, the CEO, explained at an employees’ meeting: “As CEO of the company Groschopp AG, I consider myself not just responsible for every one of my staff members, but I appreciate every individual as well. That is why I would like to appeal to all of you to take all necessary actions responsibly, respecting colleagues and their families by contacting their doctor or one of the specially set up Corona-hotlines, even in the slightest suspected case of a corona-specific symptom. Much as I appreciate your loyalty, a false or burning ambition could have fatal consequences in such cases. It may begin with the fear of being infected, but could also end with an actual infection as the worst case.”
We introduced the following procedures at a general meeting to sensitise our staff members, making them aware, about the real danger of the present situation:
- Temperature-taking before entering the premises; repeat test after 3 (three) hours
- Using disinfectant provided by dispensers
- Regular washing of hands
- Avoiding any bodily contact
- Disinfecting all incoming goods, inclusive of 1 (one) day quarantine before processing
Besides, every member of staff and their next of kin have been provided with disinfectant for their private use.
After receiving the first information from Asia about the virus, the same actions were also taken in our Chinese subsidiary to prevent any possible ramifications for the health of our colleagues in China. Furthermore, members of our staff who travelled to China for professional reasons were asked to work a fortnight from home following their return to protect the health and wellbeing of their colleagues. They were also asked before returning to their workplace to obtain a doctor’s certificate attesting their health.
We are particularly delighted to announce that the number of infected staff members, here as well as in China, is still ‘Zero’.
Finally, we would like to express our thanks and gratitude not just to all our staff members, but to our customers, suppliers, and visitors as well for their understanding.
Contributions provided:
Rheinische Post
WDR Lokalzeit
ARD Extra: Minute 11:25 seconds
