Teck enacts 'extensive preventative measures' for COVID-19
By Contributor
Teck is implementing extensive preventative measures across its offices and operations in order to safeguard the health of its employees, while continuing to operate safely and responsibly maintain employment and economic activity.
All Teck corporate offices have been closed and remote work implemented for all employees able to do so. Other measures being put into place at Teck’s operations include:
- Reducing or eliminating in person meetings and other large gatherings
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including frequent disinfecting of employee buses and work areas
- Promoting personal preventative measures, such as frequent handwashing
- Screening all contractors and external visitors to site for risk factors and symptoms
- Increasing social distancing practices at site, such as reducing the number of passengers on buses; separating groups of employees at work; cancelling large group meetings; changing meetings from in-person to electronic, e.g. holding crew meetings by radio
- Requiring employees who show symptoms or are in close contact with someone with symptoms to stay home from work
- Requiring employees returning from travel outside of Canada to self isolate
- Reducing the number of on-site staff as much as possible; implementing work from home where feasible
- Working on expanding sick leave coverage for affected employees
Teck’s operating sites are very large, employees are widely distributed and typically do not work together in large groups. We are further abiding by direction from public health authorities to restrict gatherings of people and maintain social distancing.
“We are focused on continuing to ensure the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate, while maintaining employment to the extent possible through this evolving challenge,” said Robin Sheremeta, Senior Vice President, Coal.
“We are implementing extensive protocols in response to COVID-19 to safeguard our employees and support community efforts to limit transmission,” said Shehzad Bharmal, Vice President, North America Operations, Base Metals.
“We are working closely with Teck management to support the preventative measures being implemented to protect the health and safety of our membership and maintain safe employment,” said Stephen Hunt, Director of United Steelworkers (USW) District 3
We will continue to adapt our response as necessary as this situation continues to evolve, with our primary focus being the health and safety of employees.
About Teck
Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TECK.A and TECK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TECK. Learn more about Teck at www.teck.com or follow @TeckResources.
