Offshore workers at ExxonMobil are placed at a private city observation facility, and must undergo a 14-day observation period before they are allowed to fly onboard, as part of mitigation and rigid safety measures against the novel coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), the company yesterday confirmed.
Stabroek News learnt that employees are currently at a city facility and are monitored there before being allowed to go offshore to the company’s installations.
“Rotational workers are being staged at this temporary facility to ensure that they are healthy and virus-free before and after they go offshore,” the company’s Public and Government Affairs Advisor Janelle Persaud told Stabroek News when contacted.
“…we also want to play our part to help stop the spread of the virus here in Guyana,” she assured.
This confirmation comes even as sources have told this newspaper that the company has also made donations to non-governmental organisations to assist in their efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
Persaud would not confirm or deny but said that the company later this week, will “send out a press release” on its Covid-19 fight and awareness efforts here.
As it pertains to the workers who are pre-screened and observed before going offshore, the Public and Government Affairs Advisor also explained that during this period workers are considered to be on duty and are thus paid.
Earlier this month, she had said that safety measures were implemented for workers heading to and on its vessels in the offshore Stabroek Block, even as it continues to monitor global low oil prices and the possible effects on the company.
“ExxonMobil Guyana is working to limit the disruption of the coronavirus to our operations… offshore workers are being screened at the Ogle heliport before they are cleared to travel offshore to ensure they are not exhibiting symptoms of the virus and that they have not knowingly come in contact with anyone who has the virus,” she had said.
In addition, Persaud said there are medical personnel onboard all of the company’s offshore facilities and they are “taking necessary precautions to monitor the health of the workers and provide appropriate treatment and care.”
Yesterday she echoed similar statements. “We continue to provide screening at the Ogle Heliport even as we have medical personnel onboard our vessels who are taking necessary precautions to monitor the health of the workers and provide appropriate treatment and care,” she said.
“Safe and healthy workplaces are a top priority for ExxonMobil and its contractors. ExxonMobil has well-established processes in place to manage impacts related to infectious disease outbreaks. It is very important for us to do all we can to prevent COVID-19 from infecting the offshore installations,” she added.
