ExxonMobil taking precautions against coronavirus – Public Affairs Advisor

…union calls for attention to be paid to gold miners’ COVID risks

With five cases, including one death, of coronavirus confirmed in Guyana, employers including those in the extractive sector have to take measures. United States (US) oil giant ExxonMobil has said that it has taken precautions to secure the well-being of its employees offshore Guyana.

In an invited comment to Guyana Times, ExxonMobil public and government affairs advisor Janelle Persaud explained that the company was monitoring the situation closely. She detailed some of the measures that have since been taken.
“ExxonMobil Guyana continues to monitor this situation closely, and has implemented several measures to keep our entire workforce safe and healthy, including appropriate restrictions on business travel. We have well-established processes in place to manage impacts related to infectious disease outbreaks,” Persaud explained.
“Some of the measures being incorporated include minimising staff, enhanced screening, and temperature scans prior to going offshore. As a further precaution, medical personnel onboard our offshore facilities will continue to monitor the health of the workers and provide appropriate treatment,” she added.

Meanwhile, a statement from ExxonMobil also spoke about its preparations against COVID-19. In the statement, the company said it was closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and has adjusted work arrangements to ensure a healthy work environment and support communities where it operates.
Exxon Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darren Woods had stressed that the company would maintain its ongoing commitment to safety and environmental performance.
“We are confident that we will manage through these challenging times by taking deliberate action to keep our people safe, our environment protected, and our company strong,” Woods had said in the statement.
Meanwhile, a union representing miners has urged that Government be proactive in protecting another section of the extractive industries. In a statement, President of the National Mine Workers’ Union (NMWU), Sherwyn Downer noted the risk to miners and the need for attention to be paid to them owing to their remote locations and potential challenges accessing health care.
“The National Mine Workers’ Union of Guyana notes with grave concerns of the (cases) of positive COVID-19 virus citizens of Guyana and is calling for a national response from our professional health-care personnel who must be equipped with unlimited resources from the Government of Guyana to combat the COVID-19 virus.”
“NMWU is deeply concerned for the health safety of mining workers across the mining districts in the industry and not just those who fall under our representation but all mining workers in the interior at mining companies and camps…in some areas, some workers have (limited) access to health-care services (and) communication.”
Downer, whose union was approved last year to represent workers at the Canadian-owned Aurora Gold Mines, urged that health care professionals fan out across the various mining districts if need be to access such workers.
Since Guyana recorded its first coronavirus case on March 11, there have been four more confirmed cases. Globally, the spread of the virus has resulted in more than 200,000 confirmed cases and 8000 deaths.
During a press conference on Tuesday by the ministerial taskforce dealing with COVID-19, head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel Kester Craig had noted that efforts would be made to have supplies and training made available to outlying regions. Specific mention was, however, not made of miners. (Jarryl Bryan)