Indiana Packers works jointly with state health department to test employees and resume operations
In conjunction with its ongoing health and safety assessment, Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC), a global pork supplier based in Delphi, Indiana, is laying out its plan to resume operations after temporarily suspending production last week at its Delphi, Indiana, facility.
Since that time, IPC has conducted further plant-wide sanitization and worked to implement the latest CDC guidance for meat processing facilities, issued on April 25. This new guidance recognizes employers in the industry have an obligation to manage the continuation of work and to best protect the health and safety of their team members, families, and the general public.
IPC is committed to making the best possible decisions to protect its team members and the community. To help in this process, IPC is working closely with the Indiana State Department of Health and the Carroll County Health Department as it establishes a plan to resume operations. As part of that collaboration, and recognizing the importance of Indiana Packers’ role in the food chain and supporting Hoosier farmers, the State Department of Health is conducting COVID-19 testing for all employees at the Delphi facility.
“This collaboration with the state is absolutely critical to our steps in creating a safe work environment for our team members,” says IPC President & Chief Operating Officer Russ Yearwood. “We are extremely grateful to all the dedicated workers at the State Department of Health and the leadership and support of the Carroll County Health Department for the resources they are committing to help us reopen as expeditiously and safely as possible.”
The testing will start April 30 and is expected to occur over a two-day period, with results thereafter. IPC team members will be contacted either by phone or email to schedule their test. The State Department of Health, working in conjunction with the appropriate county health officials, will be in communication with all those who test positive for follow-up care and investigation.
After employee testing is complete, officials at IPC will identify a date to resume operations.
Over the past several months, IPC has implemented a number of CDC-recommended changes, including significant measures to maximize physical distancing, enhanced daily cleaning and sanitization, and team member screenings/temperature checks at the start of each work shift. While those steps were effective, IPC, like many other employers in the state, is not immune to the effects of the pandemic. To date, IPC has had a total of 15 confirmed positive cases.
Source: Indiana Packers Corp.
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