As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, manufacturing organizations face significant operational challenges. Some companies have temporarily shuttered factories in response to government restrictions or falling demand.

As POYNTINGs’ antennas are a crucial part of a high-quality communication solution, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for our products.

This meant that our factories in China and South Africa returned to full production as soon as was allowed. This was done in manner to ensure that measures were implemented prior to employees returning to work and, they can return to work safely.

Protecting our workforce is our priority and we formalized and standardized operating procedures and processes to ensure this happens. We developed and implemented an extensive range of safe workplace practices over the last few months. We combined this with an intensive training and education programme to ensure that all our employees are working in a safe and healthy environment.

Various engineering controls, administrative controls, and safe work practices have been considered and implemented. Our health and safety controls not limited to, include the following:

• Providing employees with up-to-date education and training on COVID-19 risk factors and protective behaviours.
• Limiting the number of people at our premises to the minimum required.
• Symptom screenings of employees on a daily basis.
• Temperature checks of all clients, suppliers and third parties that enter our premises.
• Alcohol based sanitisers available at various points throughout the company.
• Staggered breaks to limit congestion in certain areas.
• Meetings and administrative tasks are done virtually or remotely.
• Frequently sanitising and cleaning of workspaces and commonly used areas like the tearooms and coffee station.
• Personal Protective Equipment for all employees. (Please note that these are a few points taken from a comprehensive and extensive workplace preparedness plan for POYNTING Antennas.)

Our priority is firstly to ensure the welfare of our own staff, clients and third parties and then ensure our business operations can continue interrupted.

By adapting our operating procedures and processes to this new way of working, we hope to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and through good communication, we want to reinforce essential practices and help manage our employee’s morale.