CMPC responds actively to the sanitary emergency due to COVID-19
CMPC through the Softys business unit procures five machines for surgical masks fabrication. Two of these machines arrived to Chile and Brazil on April 10th, and they are already being assembled. The three remaining machines will be installed in Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. A total production of 18,5 million masks per month is estimated, and they will be given away to public services in these four countries from early may, keeping just the necessary amount of masks for the safety of CMPC’s employees. Also through Softys a donation to Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor de Chile (SENAMA), consisting of 100,000 Cotidian adult diapers and 1,000 litres of Elite Professional hand sanitizer was made. SENAMA will distribute this donation in the most affected regions, which include: La Araucania, Biobio, Ñuble and the Metropolitan regions.
CMPC is also taking sanitary measures in the Chilean municipalities of Puente Alto (Metropolitana region), Nacimiento, Laja, Los Angeles,Mulchen (Biobio region) and Villa Mininco (La Araucania region), which include the sanitization of the entrances and common spaces in CMPC’s facilities, and the access to hospitals and crowded streets. In Puente Alto, CMPC has also sanitized the penitentiary located there, and has donated to it personal protection and hygiene equipment.
CMPC alongside Desafio Levantemos Chile have created “Clinicas Moviles”, an initiative in order to decongest the public and private health network of Biobio and La Araucania. This program uses vans to provide medical assistance in people’s houses, deliver medications, influenza vaccination, and coronavirus testing. CMPC has also committed with the Bio Bio intendancy to lend its old headquarters facility in Los Angeles, so it can be used as a field hospital for minor levels of medical care. This field hospital will have 200 beds, and will allow to decongest hospitals for patients who need intensive care hospitalization.
Fundacion Chile has established a contestable fund to support entrepreneurs who offer solutions to the coronavirus sanitary emergency. The fund, called “COVID, Colaboracion y Vida” will be financed by CMPC.
Since February, CMPC has set up internal protocols according to the recommendations of global and local sanitary authorities in all the countries where it has operations. This protocols manage safety of its employees in the facilities, which have been updated periodically. The self-care measures for all CMPC’s workers includes home office implementation for administrative staff (since March 16th, and has shown good results),as well as a series ofrecreational and sport activities to perform at home.
For CMPC’s mills, the protocols have been widely communicated to the employees, through visits and permanent communication with the CEO. Also, this protocols are permanently analyzed and updated in order to minimize the risks of contracting the virus, and new measures are being constantly studied for their incorporation. Some of the implemented safety measures are: re-organization of operational shifts to minimize contact between the workers, implementation of protocols for cleaning, food and transport services, permanent sanitation tasks, initiatives to avoid crowds in common spaces, distance demarcations to avoid physical contact between co-workers, increase in transfer buses to reduce the number of people travelling in each of them, among others.
