Dear Partners,
With the continued issues and concerns associated with the Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) the Directors and Management of SMO Group has taken several steps to help protect the health and safety of our staff and to minimize the risk of disruption to our business. The Coronavirus is already present in countries in which we operate, and many Governments already introduced some serious safety measures. Accordingly, we have updated our Travel Policy and our Business Continuity Plan (BCP), and set up a Business Recovery Committee to regularly monitor the situation and to take prompt actions if necessary.
SMO’s Quality Assurance team closely monitors the rapidly evolving situation with focus on many issues presented by the outbreak including international travel, worker health and safety, and operational issues.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN (BCP)
SMO’s BCP is already prepared for each SMO location according to SFGL#104 “Business Continuity Plan” and contains the requirement “Entry into storage areas is prohibited for any employee suffering from open wounds in the exposed areas of the body, burns, irritations, rashes and infectious diseases until full recovery”.
We have defined the following protective measures for the supply chain of comparator materials. The SMO Group depot employees are to perform an analysis at delivery points:
- Any shipment processing must be performed wearing gloves and further hand treatment with disinfectant
- Using disinfectant for all insulated shippers upon arrival at the depot
SMO’s Business Continuity Plan is revisited on a regular basis to monitor if any further action is needed by the company.
TRAVEL POLICY AND RELATED CHANGES
We have updated the SMO Travel Policy effective March 3:
- Business trips in Q1-Q2 are cancelled, only allowed for business-critical situations, with the preliminary approval of the CEO.
- SMO is following guidance recommended by WHO regarding anyone who may have traveled to an affected area prior to SMO’s institution of travel restrictions or who may have been exposed to an infected individual.
- SMO Managing Directors are responsible of monitoring the local country restrictions for each SMO site. They are responsible for setting the minimum required Emergency presence in each location – office and warehouse – regarding personal safety and business continuity, and are implementing required measures.
OTHER WORKPLACE MEASURES
- SMO is allowing working from home for SMO sites, for those positions, where physical presence is not required.
- All SMO sites are practicing extra sanitary actions. Every Managing Director in each location holds the responsibility to have sanitizing products available and address the necessary use of them among employees. Auditors/visitors to SMO premises are provided with respiratory masks and hand sanitizers.
- Regular global and local communications are keeping SMO employees informed of the measures in place and other relevant precautions, including personal hygiene recommendations.
SMO takes the developing COVID-19 situation very seriously. SMO monitors developments and receives regular updates from many sources, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. and European centers for disease control.
SMO is committed to personal safety in general, and to providing the highest quality service to its clients. With this communication we would like to ensure you have the latest updates about measures that SMO is taking regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
We will be pleased to answer any questions or concerns that you may have regarding the current situation.
Best Regards,
Krisztina Varga
Chief Executive Officer – The SMO Group
Download: SMO_corp_statement_COVID-19_13Mar