Industries in and around Visakhapatnam are either managing their operations with minimal hands or wherever possible have asked their employees to work from home.
After disabling biometric attendance and directing their workforce to observe social distancing, they have taken the initiative to implement guidelines issued by the Centre and the State government to avoid the risk of spreading of COVID-19. Thermal guns are being used at the place of entry and those found with high temperature are asked to go on leave.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited is managing its operations with half of its employees by allowing them to attend in turns. It has also decided not to ask any questions if any executive goes on leave. “We are engaging non-executives only 50% to work in the shop floors for a week and asking others to work from home. However, those drafted for emergency services have to work as per their duty hours,” HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral (retd.) L.V. Sarat Babu told The Hindu on Saturday.
Being a process industry, HPCL Visakh Refinery is taking all precautions with optimum utilisation of manpower. Visitors are allowed after thorough checking only in extraordinary cases.
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has already closed gyms, parks, swimming pools and asked the employees to observe social distancing to prevent community transmission. Official meetings have been made minimal. Heave Plates and Vessels Plant (BHEL) is also observing all the protocols issued by the government from time to time and managing its operations by taking steps to fight against COVID-19, an official said.
In Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, where several multinational pharma companies have bulk drug units, most of the units are working by engaging minimal number of workers on shifts. In one of the units, half of the workers are being deployed in turns.
Alternate working hours has been introduced Laurus Labs, one of the firms at JNPC. The company said all vehicles and places had been sanitised to prevent spread of the virus, an official pointed out.
IT units
Most of 20,000 employees engaged in IT and IT enabled services have been allowed to work from home. The city has a turnover of ₹2,000 crore. Joint Director of Software Technology Parks of India M.P. Dubey in a circular told the STPI-registered units to allow the employees to work from home with the laptops/desktops provided to them by their respective employers.
