Proactive COVID-19 Testing Strategy at Grenzebach
Not every employee can work from home. The automation specialist from Hamlar is well aware of that. Being a manufacturing company, the company is facing the challenge of providing safety to its employees on one hand as well as simultaneously ensuring production and the operating procedure on the other hand. To achieve that, Grenzebach takes various actions and cooperates closely with the local health authorities.
Additional Protection at German Sites
With a proactive testing strategy, the automation specialist provides additional protection at their German sites since the beginning of April: Employees can take an antigen test any time in the public test center on the company premises in Bad Hersfeld, and up to twice a week in the company's test center in Hamlar. In both cases, the COVID-19 test is free of charge for all employees. "The testing offer was very well received by our employees at both sites. I am happy that we can offer our colleagues a regular testing opportunity – despite different legal regulations in the individual federal states. We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously and have therefore established our test stations even before the legal testing requirement," says Dr. Steven Althaus, CEO of the Grenzebach Group.
In-house Test Center
Due to the high number of employees on-site, the PoC (point-of-care ) antigen test is offered at the headquarters in Hamlar two days a week to ensure that the minimum distance and the hygiene concept can be maintained at all times. Christian Lix, the in-house doctor, explains: "After taking the temperature of the person to be tested, I take a throat swab, which will be evaluated. We pay particular attention to the safety of those tested as well as the testing team. The testing room gets disinfected twice at the end of the day. Furthermore, personal protective equipment is mandatory!" When requested, the tested person will receive a confirmation of the negative test result.
Public Testing in Bad Hersfeld
Since the beginning of May, a public testing center of the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district is situated at the company site in Bad Hersfeld. Employees of the Grenzebach group, as well as the public, can get tested for COVID-19 there, regularly and free of charge. The PoC antigen tests at the Bad Hersfeld site are assisted by the Hildewein pharmacy and the Occupational Health Examination Unit. The pharmacy's employees take a throat swab of every test-interested employee of the Grenzebach group. After 15 minutes and a few drops of liquid, the Hildewein pharmacy team can see the result of the test on the test cartridge. Should the test result be positive, the person concerned is informed immediately and a PCR test is performed on-site.
Grenzebach takes Responsibility
An active COVID-19 testing strategy can help to detect an infection early on and thereby contain the spreading of COVID-19. Grenzebach, as an international group, developed country-specific hygiene concepts to better ensure the health and safety of their employees worldwide. The voluntary test centers at the German sites and the national and international hygiene concepts show that the family-owned company takes responsibility for protecting the health of its employees. Rosa Schreitmüller, Chairwoman of the Grenzebach Works Council in Hamlar, emphasizes: "Where people come together, there is obviously an increased risk of infection – this also applies to the workplace. Our test centers, our other protective measures and our corporate hygiene concepts provide safety for our colleagues and help to proactively mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infections."
