Facilities across the state are implementing industry best practices to protect employees, so they can continue to build the products necessary to treat and prevent the disease.
BATON ROUGE — March 23, 2020 – In the midst of our world’s public health crisis, Louisiana’s chemical facilities continue to go to work creating the things that many of us are using in the fight against COVID-19. In our state alone, scientists, engineers and technicians are producing the chemicals necessary for household cleaning products, medicines and other important resources to keep our families and friends healthy and safe.
To do this critical work, Louisiana’s chemical facilities are protecting employees by emphasizing the importance of site-specific process safety, occupational safety and environmental compliance. Maintaining these high standards is a priority as facilities manage shift changes, environmental health and safety checks, and ongoing environmental monitoring that is central to a plant’s safe operation.
“Our facilities are focused on protecting our people, so they can do the work they need to do to create the products that are more important than ever to the health and safety of our families, neighbors and friends,” said Greg Bowser, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association.
Currently, chemical facilities of all types in Louisiana are implementing industry best practices focused on employee health and safety. Some of those best practices include:
o Operations:
General Site Protocols:
Maintaining social distancing protocols in the management of shift changes, environmental health and safety interventions, compliance activities and permit management to minimize any contact among individuals
Conducting Critical Activity Assessments at each operating location
Control Room Protocols:
Isolating operators as much as possible
Site Entry & Access:
Screening all employees, contractors and visitors on site, including temperature scans of all who enter the site
Shift Schedule Management:
Segmenting groups into teams to minimize redundancy and protect against virus spread
Implementing segregating shift rotations with an emphasis on keeping employee groups safely separated as much as possible to prevent exposure
Cleaning and Disinfection:
Disinfecting and cleaning control room surfaces, kitchens and break rooms at the end of each shift, with additional emphases on high-touch surfaces
Planning:
Activating emergency preparedness plans like those in effect for hurricane and extreme weather events
“These are just a few of the many measures our members are using to protect employees and to continue production of materials that play a vital role in the fight against this virus,” Bowser said.
For a full list of the best practices used by Louisiana chemical manufacturers, please visit the Coronavirus Resource page on the LCA website.
About the Louisiana Chemical Association
The Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) was formed in 1959 to promote a positive business climate for chemical manufacturing that ensures long-term economic growth for its 63 member companies that operate more than 100 sites throughout Louisiana.
LCA, Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance and related organizations work to protect and expand Louisiana’s petrochemical manufacturing base. It is critical for the industry to have a unified voice in state governmental activities because legislative and regulatory actions can affect capital investment and job retention and growth. LCA is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of 17 member company representatives, primarily plant managers and divisional vice presidents. LCA has an experienced staff with expertise in the chemical industry, environmental, health, safety, security, governmental affairs, communications and association management.
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