How GIW Helps Employees Stay Health and Safe During COVID-19 and Beyond

Here at GIW, we are implementing several safety measures to ensure the safety of our employees so we can continue our role as an essential business. It all starts with education! We have given our employees information regarding COVID-19 via intranet posts, posters in the common areas and breakrooms, and monthly safety trainings. We also have taken education online, with weekly toolbox topics, biweekly expanded team conference calls, email blasts, and availability of the nurse and HR team for any questions or concerns.

The information we have distributed focuses on prevention, personal hygiene, symptom identification, updates on executive orders and mandates, company policies, and instructions on next steps for potential exposure or development of symptoms. We believe that educating our employees is our first step in navigating this pandemic, and will provide the information they need to make informed decisions.

Physical safety measures

Several physical measures also have been implemented at GIW to control risk. In fact, you will experience these changes as soon as you enter the gates. All people — including employees, vendors, contractors, and others — will have a temperature screening conducted before they are allowed to enter. This screening is performed by our security staff, who have been trained and supplied with personal protective equipment (PPE) and non-contact thermometers. If a fever is detected, the person will not be permitted inside the facility and will be given instructions regarding next steps. Additionally, he or she will not be permitted back on-site until he or she has been medically cleared.

Upon entering any GIW building, from the administrative offices to the machine shop, continued preventative measures will be obvious. We have enforced social distancing by separating employees’ workspaces by 6 ft. or installing barriers like curtains or Plexiglas between them to ensure that everyone has a safe personal space to work.

Breakrooms have been rearranged to prevent large gatherings. In-person meetings have been discontinued and programs like Skype and Zoom have been utilized. We also recently implemented mandatory face coverings in common areas where you may be unable to prevent close contact with a coworker.

Cleaning protocols

Our cleaning schedules and staff have increased as well. We not only continued our regular cleaning routines, but also hired additional staff members and increased how the frequency of cleanings. The additional staff members have a primary focus of sanitizing highly trafficked or touched areas, such as bathroom door handles, printer screens, and refrigerator doors. Disinfectant spray and hand sanitizer are available in all common areas and breakrooms for employees to use as needed.

Employee benefits

The pandemic has greatly impacted finances and our economy as a whole. To better support our employees, we have provided additional paid benefits throughout this difficult time — including paid time to arrange childcare, work from home, and paid quarantine for those who are symptomatic or have been exposed and are awaiting test results. We believe that taking this generous step has prevented employees from coming on-site while sick due to fear of losing pay, as well as reduced stress while they are out of work so they can focus on healing. Furthermore, we have amended our medical plan to cover the cost of COVID-19 tests.

We have been closely following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and executive orders from our President and state governor. All implementations and policies we have enforced are based on guidance from these sources.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected every aspect of our daily lives and habits and has been quite the challenge to navigate. Between virtual schooling for our children, limited grocery shopping hours, or the worry of contracting the virus, it has changed the way we think and act in our personal and professional lives. At GIW we are doing everything possible to provide some sense of normalcy, as well as going above and beyond to keep our employees as safe as possible. We believe we have taken a very proactive approach to working through these challenges, and plan to continue to do so. Stay safe out there!