Actions to minimize contamination in key operations

In recent weeks, many of us, following the recommendation of the authorities, we are keeping ourselves in social isolation and trying to work from home office, in the most productive way possible with the support of technology, in order to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

At this time, industrial and logistical operations are also beginning to suffer interruptions due to the epidemic and, logically, the natural decrease in consumption of certain categories.

However, some operations are essential for society and cannot stop, such as the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries, in addition, of course, to hospital and public safety operations. Retail operations, especially e-commerce and delivery, have also been challenged by the increase in demand resulting from the recommendation of social isolation.

One of the great challenges for these operations is to minimize the possibility of contagion between employees, since they can contract the virus outside the work environment and spread it before showing the first symptoms, often affecting the operational continuity of a factory or distribution center.

In addition to the individual protection measures already adopted, such as the use of masks, gloves and other PPE, and frequent cleaning with alcohol gel, what other measures could be adopted by companies that need to keep their operations running, ensuring continuity in a scenario of prolonging the crisis?

Figure: Logistics needs to keep working so that Brazilians don't run out of products. Source: Terri Sharp by Pixabay

To answer this question, we can seek inspiration in different operations, which need to adopt continuity and protection measures for teams in unhealthy and/or dangerous situations, such as on-board teams, military actions and field hospitals.
Part of the measures presented below are contrary to good operational productivity practices, but aim, even if at a higher cost, to avoid the discontinuity of an operation in this time of crisis.

Formation of “Isolated” Teams

In China, sophisticated technological mechanisms were used, based on the geolocation of cell phones and AI mechanisms, to classify people's risk of contagion based on their movements and contacts with other potentially infected people, allowing for more precise removal and isolation actions and preventing greater impacts on companies' operations.

Given the technological and legal impossibility of carrying out this screening in operational teams, one of the ways to prevent the rapid spread of the disease in an operation is to form work teams that have no contact with others, allowing a selective quarantine in case of suspected contamination. of any member. For example, the delivery teams, made up of a driver and helpers, must not change and must always remain the same.

This same concept can be expanded to manufacturing operations, forming fixed teams for production lines, and storage, when possible to separate picking lines or receiving, moving and shipping activities. Ideally, isolated teams should be composed of small groups of 5 to 8 people, facilitating the tracking of suspects and avoiding a significant impact on the operation. An example of how to do this is to define the “production line 3 of shift 1” team, with a machine operator, line supervisor, suppliers and maintenance technician, who will always be the same and will not have contact with the other teams.

Naturally, this forced “specialization” removes flexibility from the operation and leads to an increase in the resources needed to carry it out. Sometimes, it is not possible to form such small groups, nor is it useful due to the nature of the operation, which requires contact between the different teams. In these cases, it would be possible to expand the concept of “isolated” groups to the entire operational team of a shift, never mixing people between shifts.

Care in Shift Changes

It is no use isolating teams during their activities without due care in moments of possible contact, such as changing shifts. It is necessary to schedule the exit/entrance of each team at a different time, with intervals of 10 to 15 minutes between exits and entrances, so that it is possible to clean and sanitize bathrooms and locker rooms.

Obviously, this process makes changing shifts much longer and, therefore, prior planning and adjustment of work schedules is necessary. For companies that organize transport for their employees, it is important to maintain the isolation of the teams in this operation, which may require a change of buses for smaller vehicles, such as minibuses and vans, all properly sanitized when a new team enters the vehicle. If the larger buses are maintained, it is advisable to alternate seats, ensuring that employees are kept apart, which will result in the need for additional vehicles.

Supervision and Meetings with Operational Teams

Another moment of possible contact and dissemination of the virus are supervision and guidance meetings, which need to be rethought. Again, as much as possible, “isolated” teams need to be individually mentored, not large morning/afternoon meetings with everyone in the same room. Some companies are holding meetings in open areas, such as patios and parking lots, with distance between teams.

However, it is necessary to recognize the figure of the supervisor/coordinator of operations and/or production line as an important dissemination vector, since they potentially have contact with the various teams and could serve as a “bridge” of contamination between them.
Thus, this figure becomes critical for operational continuity, and must always have all the PPE necessary for their protection and that of their teams, such as gloves, goggles, mask and overcoat, systematically avoiding physical contact and being transported whenever possible, individually to your residence with fleet and/or leased vehicles.

Sales and Delivery Teams

The most vulnerable structures in the operation, without a doubt, are the external teams, whether sales or deliveries and, therefore, the need for extra care with them. As they come into contact with other operations and/or the final consumer, exposure to the virus is much greater and the chance of contamination of the operating unit where they are based is relatively high. In addition to the social responsibility for not spreading the disease in the isolated population.

For this reason, couriers and drivers must be equipped with all PPE, have vehicle cabins sanitized frequently and use alcohol gel for hand hygiene with each delivery, with the same care being taken for commercial or residential delivery, including delivery workers for small local businesses. and urban delivery companies such as Loggi, iFood and others.

Furthermore, these teams must not be modified between shifts and workdays and need to be isolated from the internal operation teams of factories and distribution centers. Individual couriers should be advised not to have contact with each other.

Dark Store/Dark Kitchens

Speaking now of store and restaurant operations, in large part already suffering operating restrictions, the above measures of isolation and protection of teams are also welcome. Even those that keep their doors open to the public suffer from the reduction in face-to-face sales, partially offset by the increase in delivery operations.

In this scenario, it may be interesting, or even vital, to experiment with operations known as dark store and dark kitchen, when stores and restaurants are closed to the public, operating as a mini food distribution/production center for delivery.

The operational cost of keeping the stores open does not compensate for the volume of face-to-face sales and the operations of separating goods for home delivery become very inefficient. That is, there are almost no face-to-face sales and it is not possible to provide good service, or even to meet the demand, of the customer who requests the delivery of products to their home.

Closed operations, or “dark” operations in English, allow for an exceptional increase in productivity in the separation and shipment of products to customers, making it possible to meet the highest demand, without generating significant losses at this time. In addition, it preserves the teams in contact with the external public and prevents contamination.

Pharmacies, grocery stores, restaurants and even stores belonging to large retail chains can benefit immensely from this practice while the isolation forced by Covid-19 lasts.

We hope that the practices suggested here can help you maintain critical operations, ensuring the health of our heroes of the operation and supplying the isolated population.