CMPC starts test period for the production of free of charge surgical masks in Chile

As part of the Coronavirus pandemic, the company, through Softys, acquired six machines for the production of these products in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru, which will be delivered to the public health services of each country. In Chile, at the Puente Alto plant, operations have already started and the first batches of production will be delivered to Cenabast soon.

Under CMPC’s commitment to the community, especially in the context of the health crisis for Coronavirus, the company, through its subsidiary Softys, acquired a total of six machines for the manufacture of surgical type masks for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

Thus, CMPC will be able to achieve -in regular basis- a production of 19 million 500 thousand masks per month in the five countries.

In the case of Chile, during the first week of May and almost a month after the announcement of the acquisition and import of the machine from China, CMPC finally began the test period of mass production of this input.

The new production line of masks, installed at the Softys plant in the commune of Puente Alto, Metropolitan region, is made with high technology. It can produce between 60 and 80 units per minute, being able to reach on a production of 1 million 500 thousand masks per month, in regular basis. This, after a fully automated process with a high sanitary standard, since it does not require human intervention for manufacturing.

In each country, the masks will be delivered free of charge to public health services, and only the percentage necessary for the care of the workers of the company will be reserved.

In Chile, CMPC will shortly be delivering the first mask production batches b to the National Supply Center (Cenabast) to distribute these inputs to the country’s various health services.

In addition to this initiative, in order to help in taking care of the most vulnerable population in the context of the health crisis caused by the Coronavirus, CMPC, also through Softys, made a donation to the National Service for the Elder People of Chile (SENAMA) consisting of 100,000 units of Cotidian adult diapers and one thousand units of 1-liter Elite Professional alcohol gel bottles.

SENAMA will be in charge of distributing this aid, which will be delivered by the public entity in the most affected regions, such as La Araucanía, Biobío, Ñuble and Metropolitan.

In addition, on April 28, at the Chilean government house, the company made its contribution to nine residences of the National Service for Minors (Sename), which consists of hygiene and prevention elements, such as alcohol gel, surgical gloves, surgical masks, lab coats and face shields that will benefit 251 highly vulnerable boys and girls from Sename homes in the communes of Puente Alto (3 residences), Los Angeles (4), Collipulli (1) and Cañete (1).

Following this line, on April 30, the company also donated 30 liters of liquid soap, 30 liters of alcohol gel, 60 rolls of paper towels, 100 packages of baby wipes, 200 rolls of toilet paper and a thousand masks to the Municipality of Talagante, in the Metropolitan region. 

Also, CMPC, committed to Chile’s paper and cardboard individual collectors, donated 250 hygiene and personal care kits together with the Ministry of Environment and the Fabril Development Society (Sofofa).

On the other hand, continuing with CMPC’s commitment to its neighbors, the company will take sanitary measures in the Chilean communes of Puente Alto (Metropolitan region), Nacimiento, Laja, Los Angeles and Mulchén (Biobío region), Angol and Villa Mininco (La Araucanía region), such as disinfection in public spaces, entrances of health centers, entrances of the plants of the company, and in the busiest streets.

Also, together with Desafío Levantemos Chile, the company is part of the “Mobile Clinics” project, an initiative that seeks to decongest the public and private health network of the Biobío and La Araucanía regions, and also the commune of Puente Alto in the Metropolitan region, through vans that allow people to take medical care at their private homes, get medicines, get vaccinated against flu and even test for the coronavirus without having to leave their homes. To date, six Mobile Clinics are operating in the above-mentioned localities.

In addition, CMPC committed to the Biobío Intendency its former corporate building in the city of Los Angeles, so that it can be used as a field hospital for sick people without major complications, and thus help decongest the health centers of the Biobío province and allow more space and equipment for those who need to be hospitalized because they are infected with coronavirus. This place will have available 200 beds. 

COMMITED TO OUR WORKERS

As a company we have also taken different measures and have generated various actions that allow us to take care of our workers and also continue with the production of our products that today are so necessary for people.

The continuity of our operations is of utmost importance, since the products we manufacture – such as cellulose, tissue products, cardboard, wood, among others – are key to the elaboration of articles that are so necessary for society today, such as masks, diapers, toilet paper, food or medicine packaging, etc.

The company has deployed progressive internal management protocols since February to ensure full compliance with the recommendations of health authorities worldwide and locally. These protocols have been regularly updated according to recommendations of the World Health Organization, health authorities in each of the countries where the company operates and the best international experiences.

In fact, preventively, we are taking steps to operate with as few people as possible, aware that minimizing the risk of exposure and contagion requires avoiding as much contact as possible between people.

The care and protection measures for the entire CMPC team, in all the countries where we operate, include the implementation of a home office for administrative personnel -a measure that has been carried out since March 16 and which has had very good results-, adequacy of operational shifts to minimize contact within our plants and implementation of protocols for cleaning, food and transport services.

Among the measures that have been taken in each plant are intense and permanent tasks of sanitation, control that conglomerations are avoided in public spaces, distance demarcations have been established to avoid physical contact between collaborators, an increase in the number of buses so that less people congregate within them, among others. New measures are constantly being analyzed to be incorporated and thus decrease the risk of contagion from the virus.

Without the daily work of all the collaborators who continue to work in the factories – under all the safety and hygiene measures imposed by the protocols – it would not be possible to continue the operations to maintain the productive chain at the service of society. To them, thank you very much!

Additionally, we have taken other precautionary measures that help minimize opportunities for contact with the virus. Domestic and international travel have been cancelled, privileging virtual meetings, either by phone or videoconference. Event attendance has also been suspended until further notice.

To keep the company’s employees informed, CMPC’s CEO, Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, has conducted Dialogues via videoconference, accompanied by Dr. Carlos Pérez, dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the San Sebastian University, and specialist in infectious diseases, with collaborators of the different plants and offices of the three business areas. 

In addition, from the Dialogues, the CEO visited CMPC Cellulose plants in southern Chile (Pacífico, Santa Fe and Plywood) to personally that the safety and hygiene measures are being complied, as well as he had some time to talk to the workers and to answer to their doubts or concerns. 

The company remains very attentive to the evolution and impact of Coronavirus in the different markets where it operates, in order to generate the measures that allow to face this situation quickly and responsibly.