Russian Fertilizer Producers Association to fight Coronavirus

At the meeting of the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association (RAPU), its president and PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev proposed to create an industry campaign to join forces against the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, and the suggestion was unanimously supported by the members of the Association.

The campaign will involve rollout of the effective preventive measures introduced at the enterprises of the industry, as well as the development of guidelines on actions in emergency epidemiological situations for management and personnel.

“In view of the coronavirus pandemic observed in the world, the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association member companies have taken a number of measures to prevent the virus infection from spreading among their employees, the total number of which exceeds 110 thousand people, members of their families, contractors and residents of the cities where the companies operate. It is of paramount importance to follow the measures especially in connection with the significance of the industry for ensuring the country’s food security.

The work of vertically integrated companies covering the entire production cycle from the extraction of raw materials to the production of finished products must not stop considering the danger of fertilizer shortage in the priority Russian market. In addition, many industry enterprises are city-forming, providing social and economic stability within their corporate footprint.

In this regard, coordination of the anti-epidemic efforts of all enterprises in the industry is necessary, as well as an increased interaction with local and federal authorities to mitigate the risks of the virus spreading while maintaining the planned performance indicators. The campaign created within the framework of the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association will deal with these tasks,” Andrey Guryev, RAPU president, commented on the results of the meeting.

He also added that the work of the RAPU campaign will be carried out in full cooperation with the work of a similar campaign, launched on his initiative at the level of the International Fertilizer Association.

During the meeting, representatives of the RAPU companies also shared their experience in implementing preventive measures at enterprises.

In particular, the PhosAgro company has sharply limited business trips abroad, and employees have been recommended not go outside of the country during vacations. More stringent measures have been put into place to encourage good personal hygiene in dining areas. The number of internal meetings has been reduced, some of them have been converted to video conferencing. Additional antiseptic dispensers and air disinfectants have been installed.

All employees have been notified that in case of feeling sick, high fever or other signs of the disease, it is urgent to consult a doctor and follow the recommendations for the prevention of coronavirus posted on the websites of the Russian Ministry of Health and the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare.

Uralchem has also took measures at enterprises and at the central office aimed to mitigating the risk of spreading the virus and protecting employees. Starting from today, business trips for employees of regional divisions and branches of the company are canceled, all face-to-face negotiations with external contractors are canceled. The health centers are on high alert.

Measures are being taken for increase in control of maintaining personal hygiene, informing employees about preventive measures. Door handles, surfaces, and the all rooms are intensively deep cleaned with disinfectants. Increased attention is directed to patients with symptoms of an acute respiratory viral infection and influenza. Whenever possible, employees have been advised to refrain from vacations outside of Russia.