New Shop Rules A Sign of Things to Come

Paramount Studios is back online. And with that news begins the re-mobilization of Field Teams and Fab Shop support sidelined during the six-week work stoppage. But how do we go about it safely?

Company Safety Director Steve Prisk unveiled his action plan during this week’s Round Table calls with Field and Office employees.

“Things are going to operate differently from the last time you were in the Shop,” Prisk said. “We have put a plan in place to protect they guys who work in the Shop, and to protect our business from having to shut the entire Shop down if someone were to be diagnosed with COVID-19,” he said.

The plan essentially divides the Shop into three sections – Shipping & Receiving (located nearest the Office), then the Plumbing & Piping and Sheet Metal Shops, respectively.

While it might not appear much different, the flow of things has changed. Each dedicated work area still has its own access door, but members of each team will be required to use only their assigned door for entry and exit.

Each area is now separated from the others with marked barricades, and each has its own break area and restroom. Each team will be responsible for disinfecting their own work areas. Foremen are to enter the Shop through the Shipping & Receiving door, and once in that section of the Shop will have access to the Safety Training Room and to their mailboxes. Temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings will be strictly enforced. Calling ahead is encouraged. Loitering is discouraged.

“We will keep these teams separated to help protect them and their work areas from contamination,” Prisk said. “And while we look at our mobilization plan for Paramount, we will be looking at what should be implemented there,” he said. “As we begin preparing to come back to work in the Office, whenever that day comes, there will more of this to come. Things are going to look quite a bit different. There will definitely be a ‘new normal’”.