"factory sealed for violating Covid guidelines"

The COVID-19 pandemic has infected over 4 million people killing over 275,000 people. Regardless of those figures some feel this virus will not come to their area. In response these few companies decide not to follow their government’s recommendation on preventing the transmission of this virus at their workplace. These companies are wrong with their opinion that they are safe. No country, no town, no aluminium plant is immune to this pandemic. That is why it is of the upmost importance of following your government’s health recommendations. If not you government will eventually find out. Here is a recent news story out of South Asia:

The (local) district administration sealed the factory of of calciner plant in for violating Covid-19 guidelines one day during the week of May 3, 2020. The administration’s move came after a contractual worker, sustained critical injuries at work. The worker was fitting asbestos at a height of 30 feet without wearing any safety gear on Thursday when he fell down and was seriously hurt. Following the incident, hundreds of workers staged demonstration demanding safety gear for them.

During investigation, it was found that the company management had obtained permission to run the factory by engaging 39 workers. However, it had allegedly employed hundreds of workers for production. Besides, the workers were not wearing masks and adhering to the social distancing norm, sources said. (A local government official issued an order) to seal the factory for violating the guidelines of Covid-19. 

However, the director of the (calciner company) claimed excess manpower was not used in the factory. “A huge crowd gathered on the premises after Thursday’s mishap in violation of coronavirus guidelines due to which the administration sealed the factory,” he said. The  produces 220,000 tons of petroleum coke per annum. It procures raw materials from petroleum refinery and converts it into calcined pet coke to use in the aluminum plants. The company was running the factory since the last 10 days by claiming that limited manpower was being used.

We pray that the injured worker recovers fully from his injuries. Sadly many workers who fall distances as this worker succumb to their injuries. We pray that the worker recovers and does not die.

This calciner plant director decided to forgo the government recommendations/rules regarding minimizing the transmission of COVID-19. The calciner had approval for the plant to operate with 38 workers. It appears that the company exceeded that number by several hundred. Which was against the local government regulations. When the government was made aware of that the plant was disregarding social distancing at the workplace. In response the plant was temporarily closed.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog recommends that all companies follow their government health recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID 19 transmission.

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